Journal of Biomaterials Applications最新文献

Development of surgical sutures coated with antimicrobial agents is a promising strategy to minimize surgical site infection (SSI) and improve wound healing. The antimicrobial features of Hypericum Perforatum and biogenic silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have arised an increasing demand for processing surgical sutures. Herein the results of the animal experiments and mechanical tests of a novel antimicrobial silk suture coated with H. perforatum extract (Hp) and biogenic AgNPs (Hp-AgNP) are reported. The study used in vivo histological, histochemical, and immunohistochemical techniques to illustrate the variations in inflammatory response, re-epithelialization, and collagenization of the coated silk sutures in a rat buccal mucosa incision model. Diameter, knot-pull tensile strength, knot security, tie-down, and needle attachment tests were carried out for evaluating the effects of the coating process on mechanical and handling properties. Histopathological and immunohistochemical evaluations revealed progressive healing in all groups, with variations in wound closure, inflammation, and cytokine expression. Hp-AgNP-coated sutures showed significant improvements in re-epithelialization and reduced TNF-α and IL-6 levels over time, highlighting their potential benefits in enhancing wound healing compared to other materials. The coating process had a remarkable effect on the mechanical and handling properties. Coated sutures exhibited higher values than control groups. Suture diameter, knot-pull tensile strength and knot security revealed the highest values for Hp-AgNP-coated suture. The Hp-AgNP coating on the silk suture significantly improves wound healing, mechanical and handling properties. This implies that it has the potential to be a feasible substitute for commercially available silk sutures in surgical interventions. (Scheme 1).

Gelatin (G) and silk fibroin (SF) are well-established as scaffold materials for bone regeneration; however, their limited binding abilities and mechanical properties often result in less-than-ideal outcomes. In this study, we sought to enhance the stability of a silk fibroin/gelatin biomimetic scaffold by introducing a tyramine bond to the gelatin and incorporating nanohydroxyapatite as a bioactive element. This innovation led to the development of a more robust silk fibroin/nano-hydroxyapatite/gelatin tyramine biomimetic scaffold (SHGT). The biomimetic scaffold was fabricated through an enzymatic reaction catalyzed by horseradish peroxidase/hydrogen peroxide (HRP/H₂O₂), which facilitated the interaction between a high concentration of silk fibroin (17%) and gelatin tyramine (GT). Additionally, nano-hydroxyapatite (nHA) was incorporated as a bioactive filler to promote bone repair. Our findings indicated that the SHG biomimetic scaffold, initially designed as a sponge, was transformed into an SHGT scaffold with improved brittle fracture resistance, thus broadening its potential applications in bone reconstruction. Moreover, the data showed that combining GT with RGD sequences and HA as a bioactive component significantly enhanced the viability of bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) cultured on the scaffold. This synergistic effect highlights the potential of the SHGT scaffold as a promising material for bone tissue engineering.

Healing persistent wounds is a current challenge for healthcare systems. Addressing this type of problem requires new and improved materials that activate regenerative processes without side effects. In this sense, in this study, C-phycocyanin (CPC), a bioactive pigment obtained from Arthrospira platensis, and nopal mucilage (MUC), a traditional Mexican element of ancestral medicine, were incorporated into gelatin (GEL)-based hydrogels and chemically crosslinked. These materials, referred to as HGEL-CPC-MUC, were prepared with varying concentrations of CPC-MUC (0-1 μg/μL of hydrogel), and their structural, physicochemical, rheological and in vitro biocompatibility properties were systematically evaluated. The main findings revealed that the incorporation of CPC-MUC into GEL-based hydrogels, significantly improves their physicochemical, mechanical and biological properties. These hydrogels exhibited a chemical crosslinking, achieving 93% crosslinking efficiency, high swelling behavior (∼1250%), rough porous surfaces, sustained degradation at physiological pH, and high thermal stability. Their rheological behavior showed an improvement in G' (226%) under thermal stress (40 °C), along with high damping capacity under constant load with the addition of CPC-MUC. Notably, the presence of CPC-MUC imparted a hemoprotective effect, with hemolysis percentages decreasing proportionally to the CPC-MUC content and none of the hydrogels interfered with coagulation pathways. Furthermore, all hydrogels demonstrated excellent in vitro biocompatibility with dermal fibroblasts, showing no cytotoxic effects. These features become important in the context of a moist and refractory wounds such as foot ulcers and extensive burns, were moisture control, exceptional hemocompatibility and support for dermal fibroblasts viability are required, as well as the porous structure for nutrients and waste exchange. HGEL-CPC-MUC hydrogels represent a highly promising biocompatible and multifunctional scaffold for advanced wound care and regenerative medicine applications.

Decellularized liver scaffolds offer a promising foundation for liver tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. However, several challenges such as poor cell adhesion, inefficient reseeding, inadequate vascularization, and a high risk of blood clot formation continue to hinder their clinical application. While fibronectin (FN) has been widely used to enhance scaffold functionality, its potential for liver-specific applications remains largely unexplored. In this study, we developed a perfusion-assisted FN coating technique to improve the adhesion of endothelial cells (EA.hy926) and hepatocytes (HepG2), thereby enhancing the overall biocompatibility of liver scaffolds. FN was carefully introduced into decellularized rat liver scaffolds, allowing for targeted deposition across both the vascular and parenchymal compartments to optimize cellular attachment. Following portal vein reseeding and 7 days of bioreactor incubation, the FN-coated scaffolds showed significantly better endothelial cell adhesion within blood vessel structures and increased HepG2 cell coverage throughout the liver tissue. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) confirmed enhanced HepG2 proliferation, while TUNEL and RT-qPCR analyses indicated improved cell viability and scaffold functionality. Additionally, ex vivo blood perfusion tests demonstrated reduced thrombogenicity, likely due to improved endothelialization and lower platelet adhesion. These findings highlight FN functionalization as an effective bioengineering approach to overcoming key barriers in vascularization, biocompatibility, and cellular integration for liver scaffolds. By extending the known benefits of FN beyond its previously studied applications in kidney and heart scaffolds, this research introduces a promising strategy for advancing bioengineered liver grafts and potential transplantation models.

The collapsibility of bone cement may cause blood vessel embolism, blocking blood flow and causing serious complications such as pulmonary embolism or spinal cord injury, especially when implantation by injection. Therefore, it is of great significance to develop an artificial bone graft with excellent collapse resistance performance. Calcium sulfate and calcium phosphate complex bone cements can be formulated as injectable materials, making them particularly suitable for treating irregular bone defects. However, its clinical application is limited by poor collapsibility resistance and mechanical strength. This study aimed to develop an injectable bone repair material by integrating a biphasic calcium source, which was achieved by calcium sulfate (CS) and calcium phosphate (CP), and a synergistic network formed by sodium alginate (SA) and carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCS). The results showed that the addition of SA-CMCS as a solidifying liquid significantly improved the compressive strength, injectability, and collapsibility resistance of composite bone cement. At the concentration of 1% SA and 15% CMCS, the peak compressive strength reached 11.53 ± 1.3 MPa. All the composite bone cements did not collapse at 5 h in the static environment, and the collapse times of samples SA1-CMCS15 and SA1-CMCS20 in the dynamic environment were 95.3 ± 5.1 min and 96.7 ± 4.9 min, respectively. At CMCS concentrations of 10-20%, the injectability of composite bone cement was higher than 90% and degradation ratio was less than 15%. ALP activity and alizarin red staining confirmed that the composite bone cement showed excellent cytocompatibility and promoted cell proliferation and osteogenic differentiation. This study successfully developed a bone repair material with enhanced mechanical properties, collapsibility resistance, injectability, and biocompatibility, which may make it a promising candidate for bone regeneration applications in clinical.

High bone-localized concentrations of antimicrobial agents are necessary for the long-term effective treatment of chronic osteomyelitis, particularly in cases of severe infection and bone loss. This study addressed infection control and bone regeneration simultaneously using hydroxyapatite and natural biopolymers. Moxifloxacin hydrochloride was delivered via composite scaffolds produced from polyvinyl alcohol/gelatin and hydroxyapatite with potential applications in osteomyelitis treatment and bone tissue engineering. The composite scaffolds exhibited a well-defined porous architecture, characterised by macropores (≥100 µm) and micropores (≤20 µm), facilitating cellular infiltration and drug loading. Biomineralization and cell culture assays were used to evaluate the scaffold's bioactivity and biocompatibility. Analyses of mineralized scaffolds using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy revealed HA nucleation on the scaffold's surface after immersion in simulated bodily fluid for varied time points. Protein adsorption and haemolysis tests were conducted to confirm the blood compatibility of scaffolds. Cell culture studies using human mesenchymal stem cells indicated non-cytotoxicity and robust cell adhesion. These findings suggest the potential suitability of these scaffolds for future clinical applications in the treatment of chronic osteomyelitis and bone regeneration.

Hydrogels are advantageous for wound healing as they provide mechanical support and maintain a moist environment, essential for tissue repair. Although conventional alginate-based hydrogels are commonly used in wound care, they often lack essential properties like antibacterial and antioxidant functionality. To address this limitation, this research focused on synthesizing composite hydrogels combining alginate with lignin and loading them with Vancomycin. The incorporation of lignin and Vancomycin imparted antibacterial and antioxidant properties to the hydrogels, enhancing their therapeutic potential. The hydrogels are dual crosslinked (physically and chemically), where lignin counteracts high levels of reactive oxygen species and reduces excessive inflammation at the wound site. Furthermore, the hydrogels had pores ranging from 100 to 135 μm, which is beneficial to gas and nutrient exchange and wound fluid absorption. Results showed that lignin improved the hydrogels' stability in physiological conditions by 50%. Additionally, the incorporation of lignin led to a 30% increase in antioxidant activity and a 50% boost in antibacterial activity. Vancomycin release from the hydrogels was measured, which showed alginate-only hydrogels releasing 50% and lignin-reinforced hydrogels releasing 35% over the first 24 hours. The MTT test confirmed approximately 90% cell viability across all samples, suggesting that the designed hydrogels are promising candidates for wound dressing applications.

A composite hemostatic sponge consisting of chitosan (CS) with oyster shell powder (OSP) has been developed as a potentially sustainable composite material for controlling hemorrhage at the injury site. The system is designed assuming that Ca⁺ released by OSP will accelerate the effect of chitosan at damage sites, enhancing the overall hemostatic efficacy. The sponge was thoroughly characterized using FTIR, SEM, and EDX analysis. In vitro, blood clotting assays such as clotting time (CT) [188 ± 4 s], prothrombin time (PT) [36 ± 1 s], activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) [51 ± 2 s], and plasma recalcification time (PRT) [58 ± 3 s] demonstrated that the inclusion of CaCO₃ significantly improved clot formation, with the CS-OSP sponge outperforming control sponges without OSP. RT-PCR analysis of vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A), platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), and interleukin growth factor 1 (IGF-1) on fibroblast cell lines evidenced the wound healing-promoting activity of OSP-reinforced CS sponges. This was further supported by in vivo studies using a rabbit femoral artery injury model, where the CaCO₃-enhanced sponge achieved superior hemostasis and reduced blood loss more effectively than the control sponges without CaCO₃. These findings suggest that the oyster shell-derived CaCO₃ enhances the hemostatic activity of chitosan-based sponges, providing a promising candidate for rapid hemorrhage control in clinical settings, particularly in scenarios involving both oozing and pressurized bleeding.

This study evaluates a novel biodegradable magnesium (Mg) mesh for abdominal wall repair. Current synthetic meshes present clinical limitations, while Mg alloys offer favorable mechanical properties and biodegradability that remain underexplored. The Mg mesh was characterized through tensile/burst testing and finite element analysis, demonstrating sufficient strength (initial: 167.2 ± 5.9 N/cm; 1 month: 55.9 ± 1.6 N/cm) to withstand tensile breaking strength of abdominal wall (16 N/cm). Degradation studies revealed faster rates in simulated body fluid (2.62 mm/year) versus Hanks' solution (1.14 mm/year), with 60% structural integrity maintained after 8 weeks in vivo. Biocompatibility assessment using human skin fibroblasts showed >60% viability (Grade 0-1 cytotoxicity) across extract concentrations, with 60% concentration enhancing proliferation. In rat abdominal wall defect models, the Mg mesh exhibited superior performance to polypropylene meshes, demonstrating reduced foreign body reaction and upregulated collagen III/V expression. Proteomic analysis (TMT), PCR, and Western blot confirmed enhanced wound healing mechanisms. The mesh maintained tight tissue integration throughout degradation while providing mechanical support matching physiological demands. These findings collectively indicate that the biodegradable Mg mesh combines: (1) appropriate time-dependent mechanical properties, (2) controlled degradation matching tissue regeneration timelines, (3) excellent cytocompatibility with pro-proliferative effects, and (4) improved healing outcomes compared to standard polypropylene meshes. The results support its potential as a next-generation material for abdominal wall reconstruction, addressing key limitations of permanent synthetic meshes through its optimal balance of biomechanical performance and bioresorbability. Further clinical studies are warranted to validate these promising preclinical outcomes.