MedComm – Biomaterials and Applications最新文献

Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs), an advanced technology that is designed to record and decode brain activity, may transmit information communication between the brain and external devices, such as computers, wheelchairs, and robotic arms¹ (Figure 1). Elon Musk recently tweeted: his Neuralink company revolutionizes BCI technology, announcing a clinical trial of the implantation of a “brain-reading” device into a human, which has enlightened the field of neurotechnology. This trial represents a milestone in the long journey to improve BCIs, a scientific area aimed to restore functionality to those with severe paralysis and expanding the boundaries of human-machine interaction.

This innovative technology might transform the lives of individuals with motor disabilities, enabling them to control a computer, robotic arm, wheelchair, or other device by thinking about it and interact with the world through these devices. Neuralink's device is not the only BCI technology under development. Other companies and research groups, like BCI Pioneers Coalition, are also working on similar technologies, and some of them have earlier entered to human trials. If proven its effectivity and safety, Nerualink's device may significantly change the field (Figure 1).

However, announcing the trial has also raised a slew of concerns. First, the lack of detailed information about the trial has frustrated some neuroscientists and engineers. While we heard information about the trial's commencement that may be found in a proper channel. The main source of public information lacks crucial details, such as the location of implantations and exact outcomes, which may complicate the trial and cause anxiety in the public.

In addition, there is no registration about this trial at ClinicalTrials.gov, raising ethical concerns. Registration at this online repository is typically required by trial institutes to ensure transparency and adherence to ethical principles designed to protect participants in clinical trials. If bypassed these important checks and balances, the trial may compromise the safety and well-being of the participants.

Another dispute with the Neuralink's trial is that its pre-existing animal experiments caused too many animal deaths. According to the Reuters in December 2022, Neuralink's trials resulted in the deaths of more than 1500 animals, and an employee wrote internally to point out that the company's rush to meet the schedule caused many employees to be nervous, thus increasing the non-essential suffering and death of the animals under test. Miguel Nicolelis, professor of neuroscience at Duke University School of Medicine in the United States (father of brain computer interface), has previously said that invasive brain computer interfaces are for scientific research, and are not the best choice for patients, and the implantation method should be limited to very serious cases.

Despite these potential adve

Amid the escalating prevalence of eye diseases and the intricate nature of the eye as a crucial target organ for drug delivery, researchers face significant challenges in developing delivery systems tailored specifically for ocular complications. Addressing the gaps in the current conventional ocular drug delivery system (ODDS) is crucial and this can be achieved by incorporating polymers while designing newer ODDS. This review aims to offer a concise overview of the diverse polymers utilized in the development of ODDS, designed to address various eye conditions and disorders, enhance treatment outcomes, and ensure patient adherence. Introducing the anatomy of the eye and different ocular routes of administration, alongside the barriers encountered, this review presents polymer-based ODDS, renowned for their unique properties facilitating the engineering of specialized devices for enhanced drug delivery. Further discussions delve into the applications of polymers in ophthalmology. Emphasis is placed on emerging polymer-based technologies available in the market for treating ocular diseases, underscoring their potential for revolutionizing ocular healthcare. The review also addresses challenges in translating these advancements into clinical practice, while highlighting the versatility of polymers in treating diverse eye diseases and disorders through customizable properties and sustained drug delivery.

In tissue engineering, the pivotal role of scaffolds is underscored, serving as key elements to emulate the native extracellular matrix. These scaffolds must provide structural integrity and support and supply electrical, mechanical, and chemical cues for cell and tissue growth. Notably, electrical conductivity plays a crucial role when dealing with tissues like bone, spinal, neural, and cardiac tissues. However, the typical materials used as tissue engineering scaffolds are predominantly polymers, which generally characteristically feature poor electrical conductivity. Therefore, it is often necessary to incorporate conductive materials into the polymeric matrix to yield electrically conductive scaffolds and further enable electrical stimulation. Among different conductive materials, carbon nanomaterials have attracted significant attention in developing conductive tissue engineering scaffolds, demonstrating excellent biocompatibility and bioactivity in both in vitro and in vivo settings. This article aims to comprehensively review the current landscape of carbon-based conductive scaffolds, with a specific focus on their role in advancing tissue engineering for the regeneration and maturation of functional tissues, emphasizing the application of electrical stimulation. This review highlights the versatility of carbon-based conductive scaffolds and addresses existing challenges and prospects, shedding light on the trajectory of innovative conductive scaffold development in tissue engineering.

The mRNA formulations with lipid nanoparticle (LNP) delivery represent a transformative biotechnology that has demonstrated boundless potential during the global COVID-19 pandemic. Despite generally tolerable after used in billions of vaccine recipients, some toxicity cases have been reported, which presents challenges due to widespread application of mRNA vaccines. In our view, strategies to mitigate the toxicity risks associated with mRNA drugs, are crucial for ensuring the safety and efficacy of these therapies. The comprehensive introduction of LNP structural components, production methods, administration routes, and the proteins produced from mRNA formulations provides valuable insights into addressing potential toxicity concerns. However, it is important to acknowledge that throughout the entire mRNA therapeutic process, there are inherent toxicity risks that need to be carefully managed. These risks could pose a considerable challenge for the broad adoption of mRNA vaccines and other mRNA-based therapies (Figure 1).

The primary objective of this perspective is to explore strategies for reducing the toxicity risks associated with mRNA drugs and vaccines, including improving delivery systems, adjusting dosage and timing, and employing auxiliary molecules. To address these issues, in-depth research on the potential toxicity of mRNA vaccines are necessary, including a more comprehensive evaluation of their long-term effects in animal models and humans.

Furthermore, utilizing induced pluripotent stem cell, organoids, spheroids, and microfluidic technologies can enhance the physiological relevance and data diversity of in vitro studies. The authors emphasize new trends in in vitro modeling, including high-throughput models and machine learning algorithms. They highlight the potential of organ-on-chip technology, which recreates 3D tissues mirroring specific organs' phenotype, functionality, and transcriptomic profiles. These techniques allow the emulation of pathological physiological conditions in vitro and enable the tracking of molecular pathways associated with drug toxicity.

We emphasize the importance of developing physiologically relevant in vitro models to mitigate risks in the preclinical development process. The ethical considerations, limited availability of animals, and FDA's reliance on in vitro data all raise concerns regarding the safety of mRNA vaccines, as well as the accuracy of physiologically relevant in vitro models. Strengthening safety assessment is crucial, necessitating comprehensive studies, monitoring of diverse populations, and establishment of robust surveillance systems to investigate adverse events following mRNA vaccination.

Frontier areas in mRNA drug delivery technology are yet to be explored, presenting new possibilities for mitigating the toxicity risks linked to mRNA drugs and vaccines. Microneedles responsive to mechanical, temperature, electrical, optical, magnetic, pH, and variou

Wound healing and prevention of bacterial infections are critical aspects of modern medical care. In this work, antibacterial films were produced by creating composites of polycaprolactone with inorganic peroxides. Calcium, magnesium, and zinc peroxide were incorporated in a biocompatible polymeric film. Iron oxide, sodium bicarbonate, and calcium phosphate were added to reduce hydrogen peroxide and to maintain pH in a less alkaline range, allowing for optimization of the material's antibacterial efficacy while minimizing cytotoxicity toward human fibroblasts. Experiments with common wound pathogens, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aerugonisa, confirmed significant and prolonged antibacterial effects of peroxide-doped films. Findings showed that the addition of CaO₂ and MgO₂ within the film increased cytotoxicity toward human fibroblasts after 48 h (30%–40% decrease compared to control), whereas ZnO₂-based films exhibited a minimal cytotoxicity consistently maintaining over 70% cell viability throughout the course of the experiment. We examined the materials’ sustained release of reactive oxygen species and oxygen, and pH variation correlated with antibacterial activity. Given the unique combination of antibacterial efficacy and mammalian biocompatibility, these peroxides have value as components to sustain hydrogen peroxide release when appropriately compounded to reduce pH variation and avoid excessive hydrogen peroxide levels.

Immediate oral implant placement is a widely accepted technique, known for its efficacy in reducing treatment duration, surgical visits, and overall healing time. One of the primary challenges associated with immediate implant placement is the attainment of initial stability. The inevitable loss of bone and soft tissue after extraction poses a risk to implant osseointegration in both vertical and horizontal dimensions. Guided tissue regeneration/guided bone regeneration (GTR/GBR) is a well-established method for periodontal regeneration. However, current GTR/GBR membranes lack tissue inherent regeneration properties and necessitate combination with grafts to enhance tissue recovery. In this context, biomaterials have emerged as a promising option due to their good biocompatibility, biodegradability, and bioactive properties. They present a potential alternative to standard autologous/allograft procedures. The field of biomaterials for bone regeneration has rapidly evolved, developing new guiding materials and engineering techniques. These advances have become integral in addressing tissue defects at the immediate implant site. Various materials such as bioceramics, natural polymers, and synthetic polymers have been used for tissue repair. This article undertakes an etiological examination of tissue deficiency associated with immediate implant placement. Additionally, it reviews the advantages and disadvantages of a variety of biomaterials, aiming to provide references for clinical treatment and areas for further investigation.

The tumor microenvironment (TME) presents a unique and complex milieu, characterized by spatial and temporal heterogeneity that significantly hinders cancer treatment strategies. Nanoparticles emerge as a versatile solution, potentially overcoming these challenges by enabling targeted therapy and real-time, concurrent assessment of therapeutic effectiveness under abnormal physiological and biochemical conditions. A recent study by Lu et al. introduces a significant innovation in the form of pH-responsive companion diagnostics (CDx) reagent, comprising core-satellite semiconducting polymer nanoparticles @ cobalt hydroxide oxide (SPNs@CoOOH). This novel structure demonstrates a specific affinity for TME targeting, while effectively combining chemiluminescence with reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated therapy. This synergy facilitates efficient tumor treatment alongside real-time monitoring, using only water as a resource in the body. As research in nanoparticle-based strategies progresses, the incorporation of pH-responsive systems heralds new possibilities for personalized and more effective cancer therapies.

The challenge of three-dimensional (3D) printing by polymeric extrusion in tissue bioengineering is to control with precision the microarchitecture and porous interconnectivity of scaffolds, as well as search for models that allow and facilitate the development of personalized constructs that meet optimal characteristics for the regeneration of significant bone defects. In this study, anatomically accurate scaffolds were designed and printed to a critical size defect from a microtomography image of the rat calvaria. Different software is used to design a scaffold with exact anatomy. With Ultimaker Cura software, distinct printing parameters were standardized, permitting the printing of different types of pores and graded porosity scaffolds, with exact adaptation to the bone defect, utilizing a commercial 3D printer with a fused deposition modeling technique and compensating for the limitations of the method. The scaffolds were characterized by evaluating their mechanical properties and surface characteristics (pore size and porosity), employing scanning electron microscopy images, verifying that the size and shape of the pores were controlled, and evaluating cell viability and cell distribution on the 3D printed scaffold. Therefore, this work proves that by standardizing the printing parameters, it was possible to print a unique customized scaffold, controlling the shape and size of pores.

The management of peripheral nerve injuries is an important concern due to the their incidence of nerve lesions and inappropriate regeneration that follows severe injuries, which ultimately reduces the lives of patients with this condition. Different strategies have been investigated to repair severe nerve injuries with the improvement of motor and sensory regeneration. Although autograft remains the gold standard technique, an emerging number of research articles concerning nerve conduit use have been reported in the last few years. Nerve conduits aim to overcome autograft disadvantages, but they satisfy some requirements to be suitable for nerve repair. A universal ideal conduit does not exist since conduit properties have to be evaluated case by case; nevertheless, because of their high biocompatibility and biodegradability, natural-based biomaterials have great potential to be used to produce nerve guides. Although they have many characteristics with synthetic biomaterials, natural-based biomaterials are preferable because of their extraction sources; indeed, these biomaterials are obtained from different renewable sources or food waste, thus reducing environmental impact and enhancing sustainability in comparison to synthetic ones. This review highlights the recent progress in the development of natural-based biomaterials and their derivatives for the management of peripheral nerve injuries.

The quantum mechanisms how life efficiently utilizes energy and transmits information remain unclear yet. Frequency medicine, an emerging cross-discipline of both quantum mechanics and biomedicine, is a promising turning point for biomaterials and medicine developing from the matter level to the energy level. Recognizing the pivotal role of molecular vibrational frequencies in resonant energy coupling and transmission underscores the potential of frequency medicine to precisely regulate biomaterial vibrations, influencing interactions and reactions in living organisms. At present, scientists have unveiled sophisticated phototherapeutics; nevertheless, their advancement necessitates the precise mapping of the life energy. In contrast to genomics, proteomics, and metabolomics studied on the matter level, omics of frequencies related to medicine should be on the energy level. Herein, starting from the history of frequency medicine, and followed by the introduction of vibrational strong coupling applications in life sciences, we emphasize the significance, necessity, and urgency of studying spatiotemporal omics of medicine frequencies. By decoding the energy atlas of life, we can acquire profound insights into the quantum mechanisms that govern life processes from an energy standpoint. We anticipate that the integration of biomaterials with spatiotemporal frequency omics related to medical research will contribute significantly to advancing the goals of precision medicine, potentially revolutionizing pharmaceuticals, such as terahertz drugs.