Journal of Biomaterials Science, Polymer Edition最新文献

Nowadays, liver cancer is one of the most disturbing types of cancer that can affect either sex. Nanoparticles (NPs) of zein/sodium caseinate incorporating ibuprofen (IBU) and naringenin (NAR) have improved bioavailability and a high encapsulation efficiency (EE%). These nanoparticles are uniformly spherical. In vitro, cytotoxicity analysis on HepG2 cell lines, which are used to study human liver cancer, shows that encapsulated drugs (86.49% ± 1.90, and 78.52% ± 1.98 for NAR and IBU, respectively) have significantly lower IC₅₀ values than individual drugs or their combined free form. In addition, the combination indices of 0.623 and 0.155 for IBU and NAR, respectively, show that the two have joint beneficial effects. The scratch wound healing assay results also show that the free drugs and the engineered NPs have a more significant anti-migratory effect than the untreated cells. The designed nanoparticles also reduce angiogenesis and proliferation while inducing apoptosis, according to in vitro results. In conclusion, a new approach to treating liver cancer may lie in the nanoencapsulation of numerous drugs within nanoparticles.

Bone defects and injuries are common, and better solutions are needed for improved regeneration and osseointegration. Bioresorbable membranes hold great potential in bone tissue engineering due to their high surface area and versatility. In this context, polymers such as poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) can be combined with osteoconductive materials like hydroxyapatite (HA) nanoparticles (NPs) to create membranes with enhanced bioactivity and bone regeneration. Rotary Jet spinning (RJS) is a powerful technique to produce these composite membranes. This study presents an innovative and efficient method to obtain PLGA-HA(NPs) membranes with continuous fibers containing homogeneous HA(NPs) distribution. The membranes demonstrated stable thermal degradation, allowing HA(NPs) quantification. In addition, the PLGA-HA(NPs) presented osteoconductivity, were not cytotoxic, and had high cell adhesion when cultured with pre-osteoblastic cells. These findings demonstrate the potential of RJS to produce PLGA-HA(NPs) membranes for easy and effective application in bone regeneration.

Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) implants have emerged as a clinically favored alternative to titanium alloy implants for cranial bone substitutes due to their excellent mechanical properties and biocompatibility. However, the biological inertness of PEEK has hindered its clinical application. To address this issue, we developed a dual-functional surface modification method aimed at enhancing both osteogenesis and antibacterial activity, which was achieved through the sustained release of chondroitin sulfate (CS) and levofloxacin (LVFX) from a biomimetic polydopamine (PDA) coating on the PEEK surface. CS was introduced to promote cell adhesion and osteogenic differentiation. Meanwhile, incorporation of antibiotic LVFX was essential to prevent infections, which are a critical concern in bone defect repairing. To our delight, experiment results demonstrated that the SPKD/CS-LVFX specimen exhibited enhanced hydrophilicity and sustained drug release profiles. Furthermore, in vitro experiments showed that cell growth and adhesion, cell viability, and osteogenic differentiation of mouse calvaria-derived osteoblast precursor (MC3T3-E1) cells were significantly improved on the SPKD/CS-LVFX coating. Antibacterial assays also confirmed that the SPKD/CS-LVFX specimen effectively inhibited the growth of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, attributable to the antibiotic LVFX released from the PDA coating. To sum up, this dual-functional PEEK implant showed a promising potential for clinical application in bone defects repairing, providing excellent osteogenic and antibacterial properties through a synergistic approach.

This study aims to formulate and evaluate Eudragit nanoparticles-laden hydrogel contact lenses for controlled delivery of acetazolamide (ACZ) using experimental design. Eudragit S-100 was selected for the preparation of nanoparticles. The optimization of Eudragit S100 concentration (X1), polyvinyl alcohol concentration (X2), and the sonication time (X3) was attempted by applying a central composite experimental design. Mean size of nanoparticles (nm), percent in vitro drug release and drug leaching from the ACZ-ENs laden contact lens were considered as dependent variables. Nanoparticles-laden contact lens was prepared through the direct loading method and characterized. Optimum check-point formulation was selected based on validated quadratic polynomial equations developed using response surface methodology. The optimized formulation of ACZ-ENs exhibited spherical shape with a size of 244.3 nm and a zeta potential of -13.2 mV. The entrapment efficiency of nanoparticles was found to be 82.7 ± 1.21%. Transparent contact lenses loaded ACZ-ENs were successfully prepared using the free radical polymerization technique. ACZ-ENs incorporated in contact lens exhibited a swelling of 83.4 ± 0.82% and transmittance of 80.1 ± 1.23%. ACZ-ENs showed a significantly lower burst release of the drug when incorporated in the contact lens and release was sustained over a period of 24 h. The sterilized formulation of ACZ-ENs laden contact lens did not show any sign of toxicity in rabbit eyes. ACZ-ENs incorporated in contact lens could be considered as a potential alternative in glaucoma patients due to their ability to provide sustained drug release and thus enhance patient compliance.

The objective of this study is to collect the significant advancements of 3D printed medical devices in the biomedical area in recent years. Especially related to a range of diseases and the polymers employed in drug administration. To address the existing limitations and constraints associated with the method used for producing 3D printed medical devices, in order to optimize their suitability for degradation. The compilation and use of research papers, reports, and patents that are relevant to the key keywords are employed to improve comprehension. According to this thorough investigation, it can be inferred that the 3D Printing method, specifically Fuse Deposition Modeling (FDM), is the most suitable and convenient approach for preparing medical devices. This study provides an analysis and summary of the development trend of 3D printed implantable medical devices, focusing on the production process, materials specially the polymers, and typical items associated with 3D printing technology. This study offers a comprehensive examination of nanocarrier research and its corresponding discoveries. The FDM method, which is already facing significant challenges in terms of achieving optimal performance and cost reduction, will experience remarkable advantages from this highly valuable technology. The objective of this analysis is to showcase the efficacy and limitations of 3D-printing applications in medical devices through thorough research, highlighting the significant technological advancements it offers. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the most recent research and discoveries on 3D-printed medical devices, offering significant insights into their study.

The main focus of this study was to create a stable and efficient nanoemulsion (NE) using Callistemon citrinus essential oil (EO). Various factors affecting the NE's stability were optimized including oil %, Tween 80%, time of sonication, and its accelerated stability was examined. The research also considered the antibacterial, antifungal, and larvicidal effects of the optimized NE (B10). The optimum NE stood out for its stability, featuring a particle size of 33.15 ± 0.32 nm. Analysis via IR spectroscopy confirmed successful EO encapsulation in B10. The formulation remained stable for six months, with B10 showing significantly higher antibacterial and antifungal potency compared to the pure oil. When samples were subjected to tests against Fusarium oxysporum, B10 exhibited a MIC value of 62.5 mg/mL, whereas the pure oil showed a MIC value of 250 mg/mL. This indicates that the B10 formulation was 50 times more effective than the EO. In terms of antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli, the MIC value was 0.256 mg/mL for B10 and 4 mg/mL for the EO. Also, pure oil and B10 displayed larvicidal effects against Chilo suppressalis (Walker) larvae, with B10 eliminating 95.2% of larvae in 48 h. Overall, stable and optimum C. citrinus NE with its strong antimicrobial qualities, shows promise as an effective fungicide and insecticide.

The skin is at risk for injury to external factors since it serves as the body's first line of defense against the external environment. Hydrogels have drawn much interest due to their intrinsic extracellular matrix (ECM) properties and their biomimetic, structural, and durable mechanical characteristics. Hydrogels have enormous potential use in skin wound healing due to their ability to deliver bioactive substances easily. In this study, composite hydrogels were developed by blending guar gum (GG), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) with crosslinker TEOS for skin wound treatment. The structural, surface morphology, surface roughness, and stability features of the composite hydrogels were characterized by several techniques, such as FTIR, SEM-EDX, AFM, and DSC. The increasing ZiF-8 causes more surface roughness, with decreased swelling in different media (Aqueous > PBS > NaCl). The increasing ZiF-8 amount causes less hydrophilic behavior and biodegradation with increasing gel fraction. The cytocompatibility of Zinc imidazolate framework-8 (ZiF-8) based composites was evaluated against fibroblast cell lines by cell viability, proliferation, and cell morphology. The increasing ZiF-8 caused more cell viability and proliferation with proper cell morphology. Hence, the results show that synthesized composite hydrogels may be a potential candidate for numerous wound repair applications.

This study focuses on encapsulating and characterizing essential oils such as thyme and calendula oils, which are known for their therapeutic properties but are limited in pharmaceutical formulations due to their low water solubility and instability, with alginate microspheres. Alginate presents an excellent option for microencapsulation due to its biocompatibility and biological degradability. The ionic gelation (IG) technique, based on the ionic binding between alginate and divalent cations, allows the formation of hydrogel materials with high water content, mechanical strength, and biocompatibility. The microspheres were characterized using FT-IR, SEM, and swelling analyses. After determining the encapsulation efficiency and drug loading capacity, the microspheres were subjected to dissolution studies under simulated digestion conditions. It was observed that the swelling percentage of the microspheres in simulated gastric fluid (SGF) ranged from ∼15% to 100%, while in simulated intestinal fluid (SIF) it ranged from ∼150% to 325%. Thyme oil, with low viscosity, exhibited higher encapsulation efficiency than marigold oil. The highest encapsulation efficiency was observed in A-TO-2 microspheres, while the highest drug loading capacity was observed in A-TO-5 microspheres. During the examination of the dissolution profiles of the microspheres, dissolution rates ranging from 10.98% to 23.56% in SGF and from 52.44% to 63.20% in SIF were observed.

Bacterial infections present a major global challenge. Penicillin, a widely used antibiotic known for its effectiveness and safety, is frequently prescribed. However, its short half-life necessitates multiple high-dose daily administrations, leading to severe side-effects. Therefore, this study aims to address these issues by developing hydrogels which control the release of penicillin and alleviate its adverse effects. Various combinations of aspartic acid and acrylamide were crosslinked by N', N'-methylene bisacrylamide through a free radical polymerization process to prepare aspartic acid/acrylamide (Asp/Am) hydrogels. The fabricated hydrogels underwent comprehensive characterization to assess physical properties and thermal stability. The soluble and insoluble fractions and porosity of the synthesized matrix were evaluated by sol-gel and porosity studies. Gel fraction was estimated at 88-96%, whereas sol fraction was found 12-4% and porosity found within the 63-78% range for fabricated hydrogel formulations. Maximum swelling and drug release were seen at pH 7.4, demonstrating a controlled drug release from hydrogel networks. The results showed that swelling, porosity, gel fraction, and drug release increased with higher concentrations of aspartic acid and acrylamide. However, integration of N', N'-methylene bisacrylamide exhibited the opposite effect on swelling and porosity, while increasing gel fraction. All formulations followed the Korsymer-Peppas model of kinetics with 'r' values within the range of 0.9740-0.9980. Furthermore, the cytotoxicity study indicated an effective and safe use of hydrogel because the cell viability was higher than 70%. Therefore, these prepared hydrogels show promise candidates for controlled release of Penicillin and are anticipated to be valuable in clinical applications.

Three-dimensional (3D) porous scaffolds based on polycaprolactone (PCL)/chitosan (CS)/bioactive glass (BG) nanoparticle composites were fabricated by the freeze-drying technique for bone tissue engineering. The physiochemical properties of the developed PCL/CS/BG scaffolds were studied using FTIR, XRD, EDX and SEM. Furthermore, the swelling degree, porosity, water retention ability, compression strength, in vitro biodegradation, bioactivity and biocompatibility of the scaffolds were examined. The PCL/CS/BG scaffolds with 4 wt. % of BG content presented adequate pore size (106 μm), porosity (156%), water swelling degree (128%), water retention ability (179%), compressive strength (3.7 MPa) and controlled degradation behavior, which could be ideal for bone tissue engineering. The PCL/CS/BG composite scaffolds showed good antimicrobial activity against both test bacteria and fungi. The MTT assay demonstrated the biocompatibility of PCL/CS/BG scaffolds against C3H10T1/2 cell line. The Alizarin red staining assay confirmed the osteogenic activity of the PCL/CS/BG scaffolds.