Advantages of Additive Manufacturing for Biomedical Applications of Polyhydroxyalkanoates

PHA is not just a bioplastic!

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) have evolved into versatile biopolymers, transcending their origins as mere bioplastics. This extensive review delves into the multifaceted landscape of PHA applications, shedding light on the diverse industries that have harnessed their potential. PHA has proven to be an invaluable eco-conscious option for packaging materials, finding use in films foams, paper coatings and even straws. In the textile industry, PHA offers a sustainable alternative, while its application as a carbon source for denitrification in wastewater treatment showcases its versatility in environmental remediation. In addition, PHA has made notable contributions to the medical and consumer sectors, with various roles ranging from 3D printing, tissue engineering implants, and cell growth matrices to drug delivery carriers, and cosmetic products. Through metabolic engineering efforts, PHA can be fine-tuned to align with the specific requirements of each industry, enabling the customization of material properties such as ductility, elasticity, thermal conductivity, and transparency. To unleash PHA's full potential, bridging the gap between research and commercial viability is paramount. Successful PHA production scale-up hinges on establishing direct supply chains to specific application domains, including packaging, food and beverage materials, medical devices, and agriculture. This review underscores that PHA's future rests on ongoing exploration across these industries and more, paving the way for PHA to supplant conventional plastics and foster a circular economy.

Selected Mechanical and Rheological Properties of Medical Resin MED610 in PolyJet Matrix Three-Dimensional Printing Technology in Quality Aspects

In connection with the growing demand of the medical and medicine-related industry for materials exhibiting biocompatible properties used as part of three-dimensional (3D) printing additive technologies. The article presents research results concerning rheological and selected mechanical properties of a modern, photocurable MED610 resin, which is also used mainly in medicine, as well as dentistry. The article also shows extensive results of testing bending stress relaxation and creep, as well as the tensile strength of samples created with the PolyJet Matrix (PJM) technology. The authors used various sample types, including ones of unique shape and a hexagonal cellular structure. The analysis of the impact of element orientation on the working platform of the machine (3D printer) on the obtained test results (so-called printing direction-Pd) was also taken into account as a key technological parameter of the 3D printing process. Experimental rheological curves were matched with theoretical curves resulting from the application of a five-parameter Maxwell-Wiechert (M-W) model in the case of stress relaxation and a five-parameter Kelvin-Voigt model for creep. Very good matches were achieved, mean coefficients Chi2 = 0.0014 and R2 = 0.9956 for matching the five-parameter M-W model and mean coefficients Chi2 = 0.000006 and R2 = 0.9992 enable recommending the obtained results to be used for various engineering calculations, especially computer simulations. Moreover, the use of relaxation curves can significantly increase the construction capabilities within the design process, which includes the MED610 material.

3D-Printed Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate)-Cellulose-Based Scaffolds for Biomedical Applications

While biomaterials have become indispensable for a wide range of tissue repair strategies, second removal procedures oftentimes needed in the case of non-bio-based and non-bioresorbable scaffolds are associated with significant drawbacks not only for the patient, including the risk of infection, impaired healing, or tissue damage, but also for the healthcare system in terms of cost and resources. New biopolymers are increasingly being investigated in the field of tissue regeneration, but their widespread use is still hampered by limitations regarding mechanical, biological, and functional performance when compared to traditional materials. Therefore, a common strategy to tune and broaden the final properties of biopolymers is through the effect of different reinforcing agents. This research work focused on the fabrication and characterization of a bio-based and bioresorbable composite material obtained by compounding a poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate) (PHBH) matrix with acetylated cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs). The developed biocomposite was further processed to obtain three-dimensional scaffolds by additive manufacturing (AM). The 3D printability of the PHBH-CNC biocomposites was demonstrated by realizing different scaffold geometries, and the results of in vitro cell viability studies provided a clear indication of the cytocompatibility of the biocomposites. Moreover, the CNC content proved to be an important parameter in tuning the different functional properties of the scaffolds. It was demonstrated that the water affinity, surface roughness, and in vitro degradability rate of biocomposites increase with increasing CNC content. Therefore, this tailoring effect of CNC can expand the potential field of use of the PHBH biopolymer, making it an attractive candidate for a variety of tissue engineering applications.

Recent Progress in Bioprinting: From Bioink Design to Applications

Currently, there are more than 100,000 people on the US national transplant waiting list, and 17 people die each day waiting for an organ transplant [...].

Scientometric Review for Research Patterns on Additive Manufacturing of Lattice Structures

Over the past 15 years, interest in additive manufacturing (AM) on lattice structures has significantly increased in producing 3D/4D objects. The purpose of this study is to gain a thorough grasp of the research pattern and the condition of the field’s research today as well as identify obstacles towards future research. To accomplish the purpose, this work undertakes a scientometric analysis of the international research conducted on additive manufacturing for lattice structure materials published from 2002 to 2022. A total of 1290 journal articles from the Web of Science (WoS) database and 1766 journal articles from the Scopus database were found using a search system. This paper applied scientometric science, which is based on bibliometric analysis. The data were subjected to a scientometric study, which looked at the number of publications, authorship, regions by countries, keyword co-occurrence, literature coupling, and scientometric mapping. VOSviewer was used to establish research patterns, visualize maps, and identify transcendental issues. Thus, the quantitative determination of the primary research framework, papers, and themes of this research field was possible. In order to shed light on current developments in additive manufacturing for lattice structures, an extensive systematic study is provided. The scientometric analysis revealed a strong bias towards researching AM on lattice structures but little concentration on technologies that emerge from it. It also outlined its unmet research needs, which can benefit both the industry and academia. This review makes a prediction for the future, with contributions by educating researchers, manufacturers, and other experts on the current state of AM for lattice structures.

Recent advances in 3D-printed polylactide and polycaprolactone-based biomaterials for tissue engineering applications

The three-dimensional printing (3DP) also known as the additive manufacturing (AM), a novel and futuristic technology that facilitates the printing of multiscale, biomimetic, intricate cytoarchitecture, function-structure hierarchy, multi-cellular tissues in the complicated micro-environment, patient-specific scaffolds, and medical devices. There is an increasing demand for developing 3D-printed products that can be utilized for organ transplantations due to the organ shortage. Nowadays, the 3DP has gained considerable interest in the tissue engineering (TE) field. Polylactide (PLA) and polycaprolactone (PCL) are exemplary biomaterials with excellent physicochemical properties and biocompatibility, which have drawn notable attraction in tissue regeneration. Herein, the recent advancements in the PLA and PCL biodegradable polymer-based composites as well as their reinforcement with hydrogels and bio-ceramics scaffolds manufactured through 3DP are systematically summarized and the applications of bone, cardiac, neural, vascularized and skin tissue regeneration are thoroughly elucidated. The interaction between implanted biodegradable polymers, in-vivo and in-vitro testing models for possible evaluation of degradation and biological properties are also illustrated. The final section of this review incorporates the current challenges and future opportunities in the 3DP of PCL- and PLA-based composites that will prove helpful for biomedical engineers to fulfill the demands of the clinical field.

Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate): a potential biodegradable excipient for direct 3D printing of pharmaceuticals

During the past decades, 3D printing has revolutionised different areas of research. Despite the considerable progress achieved in 3D printing of pharmaceuticals, the limited choice of suitable materials remains a challenge to overcome. The growing search for sustainable excipients has led to an increasing interest in biopolymers. Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) is a biocompatible and biodegradable biopolymer obtained from bacteria that could be efficiently employed in the pharmaceutical field. Here we aimed to demonstrate its potential application as a thermoplastic material for personalised medicine through 3D printing. More specifically, we processed PHB by using direct powder extrusion, a one-step additive manufacturing technique. To assess and denote the feasibility and versatility of the process, a 3D square model was manufactured in different dimensions (side x height: 12x2 mm; 18x2 mm; 24x2 mm) and loaded with increasing percentages of a model drug (up to 30% w/w). The manufacturing process was influenced by the drug content, and indeed, an increase in the amount of the drug determined a reduction in the printing temperature, without affecting the other parameters (such as the layer height). The composition of the model squares was investigated using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, the resulting spectra confirmed that the starting materials were successfully incorporated into the final formulations. The thermal behaviour of the printed systems was characterized by differential scanning calorimetry, and thermal gravimetric analysis. Moreover, the sustained drug release profile of the formulations was performed over 21 days and showed to be dependent on the dimensions of the printed object and on the amount of loaded drug. Indeed, the formulation with 30% w/w in the dimension 24x2 mm released the highest amount of drug. Hence, the results suggested that PHB and direct powder extrusion technique could be promising tools for the manufacturing of prolonged release and personalised drug delivery forms.

Characterization of biocompatible scaffolds manufactured by fused filament fabrication of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate)

We characterize poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate) (PHBH) scaffolds for tissue repair and regeneration, manufactured by three-dimensional fused filament fabrication (FFF). PHBH belongs to the class of polyhydroxyalkanoates with interesting biodegradable and biocompatible capabilities, especially attractive for tissue engineering. Equally, FFF stands as a promising manufacturing technology for the production of custom-designed scaffolds. We address thermal, rheological and cytotoxicity properties of PHBH, placing special emphasis on the mechanical response of the printed material in a wide deformation range. Indeed, effective mechanical properties are assessed in both the linear and nonlinear regime. To warrant uniqueness of the material parameters, these are measured directly through digital image correlation, both in tension and compression, while experimental data fitting of finite-element analyses is only adopted for the determination of the second invariant coefficient in the nonlinear regime. Mechanical data are clearly porosity dependent, and they are given for both the cubic and the honeycomb infill pattern. Local strain spikes due to the presence of defects are observed and measured: those falling in the range 70-100% lead to macro-crack development and, ultimately, to failure. Results suggest the significant potential attached to FFF printing of PHBH for customizable medical devices which are biocompatible and mechanically resilient.

3D Bioprinting of Novel κ-Carrageenan Bioinks: An Algae-Derived Polysaccharide

Novel green materials not sourced from animals and with low environmental impact are becoming increasingly appealing for biomedical and cellular agriculture applications. Marine biomaterials are a rich source of structurally diverse compounds with various biological activities. Kappa-carrageenan (κ-c) is a potential candidate for tissue engineering applications due to its gelation properties, mechanical strength, and similar structural composition of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), possessing several advantages when compared to other algae-based materials typically used in bioprinting such as alginate. For those reasons, this material was selected as the main polysaccharide component of the bioinks developed herein. In this work, pristine κ-carrageenan bioinks were successfully formulated for the first time and used to fabricate 3D scaffolds by bioprinting. Ink formulation and printing parameters were optimized, allowing for the manufacturing of complex 3D structures. Mechanical compression tests and dry weight determination revealed young’s modulus between 24.26 and 99.90 kPa and water contents above 97%. Biocompatibility assays, using a mouse fibroblast cell line, showed high cell viability and attachment. The bioprinted cells were spread throughout the scaffolds with cells exhibiting a typical fibroblast-like morphology similar to controls. The 3D bio-/printed structures remained stable under cell culture conditions for up to 11 days, preserving high cell viability values. Overall, we established a strategy to manufacture 3D bio-/printed scaffolds through the formulation of novel bioinks with potential applications in tissue engineering and cellular agriculture.

Isolation, Phylogenetic and Gephyromycin Metabolites Characterization of New Exopolysaccharides-Bearing Antarctic Actinobacterium from Feces of Emperor Penguin

A new versatile actinobacterium designated as strain NJES-13 was isolated from the feces of the Antarctic emperor penguin. This new isolate was found to produce two active gephyromycin analogues and bioflocculanting exopolysaccharides (EPS) metabolites. Phylogenetic analysis based on pairwise comparison of 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain NJES-13 was closely related to Mobilicoccus pelagius Aji5-31^T with a gene similarity of 95.9%, which was lower than the threshold value (98.65%) for novel species delineation. Additional phylogenomic calculations of the average nucleotide identity (ANI, 75.9–79.1%), average amino acid identity (AAI, 52.4–66.9%) and digital DNA–DNA hybridization (dDDH, 18.6–21.9%), along with the constructed phylogenomic tree based on the up-to-date bacterial core gene (UBCG) set from the bacterial genomes, unequivocally separated strain NJES-13 from its close relatives within the family Dermatophilaceae. Hence, it clearly indicated that strain NJES-13 represented a putative new actinobacterial species isolated from the gut microbiota of mammals inhabiting the Antarctic. The obtained complete genome of strain NJES-13 consisted of a circular 3.45 Mb chromosome with a DNA G+C content of 67.0 mol%. Furthering genome mining of strain NJES-13 showed the presence of five biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) including one type III PKS responsible for the biosynthesis of the core of gephyromycins, and a series of genes encoding for bacterial EPS biosynthesis. Thus, based on the combined phylogenetic and active metabolites characterization presented in this study, we confidently conclude that strain NJES-13 is a novel, fresh actinobacterial candidate to produce active gephyromycins and microbial bioflocculanting EPS, with potential pharmaceutical, environmental and biotechnological implications.

Biocomposite Inks for 3D Printing

Three-dimensional (3D) printing has evolved massively during the last years and is demonstrating its potential in tissue engineering, wound dressings, cell culture models for drug testing, and prosthesis, to name a few [...].

Review of Hybrid Materials Based on Polyhydroxyalkanoates for Tissue Engineering Applications

This review is focused on hybrid polyhydroxyalkanoate-based (PHA) biomaterials with improved physico-mechanical, chemical, and piezoelectric properties and controlled biodegradation rate for applications in bone, cartilage, nerve and skin tissue engineering. PHAs are polyesters produced by a wide range of bacteria under unbalanced growth conditions. They are biodegradable, biocompatible, and piezoelectric polymers, which make them very attractive biomaterials for various biomedical applications. As naturally derived materials, PHAs have been used for multiple cell and tissue engineering applications; however, their widespread biomedical applications are limited due to their lack of toughness, elasticity, hydrophilicity and bioactivity. The chemical structure of PHAs allows them to combine with other polymers or inorganic materials to form hybrid composites with improved structural and functional properties. Their type (films, fibers, and 3D printed scaffolds) and properties can be tailored with fabrication methods and materials used as fillers. Here, we are aiming to fill in a gap in literature, revealing an up-to-date overview of ongoing research strategies that make use of PHAs as versatile and prospective biomaterials. In this work, a systematic and detailed review of works investigating PHA-based hybrid materials with tailored properties and performance for use in tissue engineering applications is carried out. A literature survey revealed that PHA-based composites have better performance for use in tissue regeneration applications than pure PHA.