Journal of Biomaterials Science, Polymer Edition最新文献

The article provides an in-depth overview of the mechanical, chemical, and biological properties of engineering materials used for orthopedic bone plates, along with their designs and fabrication methods. This review addresses the benefits and drawbacks of various materials that have been utilized as bone plates for the treatment of fractures and bone abnormalities. Due to their excellent mechanical properties, metallic bone plates have traditionally been employed for bone fracture fixation. However, the mismatch in mechanical properties and high density of metallic bone plates can lead to stress shielding and non-union, often requiring revision surgeries. These challenges are highlighted in the review, which then explores the potential of polymeric plates to overcome such issues. Nevertheless, the insufficient mechanical performance of polymeric bone plates often necessitates the development of composite bone plates that are patient-specific, biocompatible, and easily tailorable. Emerging research initiatives in this area are discussed. The article further elaborates on various fabrication processes and their impact on the surface properties of bone plates. Both conventional machining processes for internal fixation devices and 3D printing methods for fabricating patient-specific, customized bone plates are reviewed. The paper concludes by evaluating current advancements and anticipated developments related to bone plate technology.

This work presents antibacterial wound dressing membranes based on a nonisocyanate polyurethane-siloxane framework. These membranes protect wounded skin by providing mechanical strength, maintaining a moist environment, and ensuring hygiene through chemically anchored antibacterial moieties. Methoxysilane-functionalized soybean oil-based polyhydroxyurethane with quaternary ammonium groups was synthesized and combined with GPTMS and TEOS. Hydrolysis-condensation reactions formed membranes with siloxane domains and pendant epoxy groups. Gelatin was incorporated to enhance biocompatibility and mechanical strength. The resulting films demonstrated tensile strengths of 7.9 MPa (dry) and 0.61 MPa (swelled). Fluid handling capacities were 2.66-2.81 g/10 cm²/day (serum) and 0.79-1.10 g/10 cm²/day (serum vapor), making them suitable for light to moderately exuding wounds. Cytocompatibility was confirmed by MTT assays, showing over 80% fibroblast viability on dressings and over 90% viability in leachate-containing media. The blood compatibility of the dressing was confirmed by standard methods. The dressings also exhibited strong antibacterial activity, with 82% killing of Staphylococcus aureus and 52% killing of Escherichia coli. These results highlight the potential of these membranes for advanced wound care applications.

Oral administration, owing to its high patient compliance and favorable controllability, is widely employed in clinical settings; however, the efficacy is often constrained by the gastrointestinal environment's impact on bioavailability. As the demand for biocompatibility and biodegradability in biomedical applications intensifies, natural hydrogel-based oral drug delivery systems have gained substantial attention as promising carriers. In this study, we introduce a variety of natural materials, revealing their advantages in enhancing drug bioavailability and targeting capabilities. Through both physical and chemical crosslinking mechanisms, we successfully demonstrate hydrogels exhibiting excellent mechanical properties and biocompatibility. Furthermore, we analyze the potential applications of diverse natural oral hydrogels across fields such as gastrointestinal, metabolic, oncological, and immunotherapeutic diseases. By synthesizing recent advances in this area, we aim to elucidate the critical role these systems can play in biomedicine. Our findings suggest that natural materials possess broad prospects in drug delivery, advocating for continued exploration of their clinical application to facilitate the development and optimization of novel oral therapeutic modalities. This work provides a vital theoretical foundation and practical guidance for future innovations in drug delivery technologies.

Millions of individuals worldwide suffer from a chronic metabolic disorder, diabetes, defined as a reduction in insulin production or sensitivity, which raises blood glucose levels, weakens the immune system, and results in irregularities in the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. Therefore, there is still a high demand for non-invasive ways to administer insulin and other antidiabetics to treat diabetes and suitable therapeutics for wound healing. This generates a need for novel biomaterials that effectively use diabetes-associated therapy. This article emphasized that some special -features of Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are biocompatible, biodegradable thermoplastic polyesters used in biomedical applications, expanding the options for bioresorbable polymers having antidiabetic and antimicrobial activities. PHAs can be synthesized into scaffolds and nanomaterials that release insulin and other antidiabetic medications in a sustained and controlled way that could improve treatment results. Research analysis on the application of PHAs as scaffold materials for bioartificial pancreas development offers a biocompatible and structurally supportive environment to encapsulate pancreatic cells. Further, challenges including excessive production costs, requirement for additional clinical setting optimization, and the current status of PHAs in the market are emphasized in this review. Further research is needed to explore the therapeutic potential of PHAs exhaustively in diabetes therapeutics and management.

Podophyllotoxin (PPT), a bioactive compound, shows promise as a potential cancer treatment drug. Nevertheless, low solubility and bioavailability of PPT necessitate a drug delivery system to improve its effectiveness. PPT was extracted from Linum album and delivered into HepG2 cancer cells using mPEG-PCL nanoparticles. Copolymers were synthesized and confirmed by UV-Vis, FTIR, ¹HNMR, XRD, FESEM analyses, and the other physicochemical properties were also characterized. The critical micelle concentration of the copolymers was calculated, and the ratio of 1:10 with a CMC of 0.055 µg. mL^-1 was selected as the optimal ratio. The average size and surface charge of micelles were 186 ± 12 nm and -5.13 ± 0.61 mV, respectively. FESEM analysis showed a uniform and spherical structure of nanoparticles. PPT was loaded into mPEG-PCL micelles in various ratios (w/w) of drug: copolymer using the nanoprecipitation method, and the ratio of 1:1 was selected as the optimal ratio with encapsulation and loading efficiency of 79.89 ± 1.28% and 10.15 ± 2.16%, respectively. The PPT release profile demonstrated a significant difference between the sustained release of PPT from the nanoparticles and the rapid release of free PPT. Cellular uptake studies revealed that the polymersomes effectively deliver the PPT to the HepG2 cells. The in vitro cytotoxicity assay showed increased cytotoxicity of PPT/mPEG-PCL NPs compared to the free drug. Based on the overall results, these nanoparticles show promise as a delivery system for controlled release of PPT in cancer therapy.

This study aimed to develop a novel polymeric complex composed of Mimosa pudica gum (MMG) and chitosan (CH) and to explore its potential as a delivery system for targeting drugs to the colon. The method of extraction of MMG was optimized, resulting in a maximum yield of 12.41%. The molecular weight of the gum was determined to be 5.07 × 10⁶ Da, and it was characterized for its physicochemical and rheological properties. A species distribution profile was constructed using the pKa values of both polymers, and polyelectrolyte complexes (PECs) were prepared at a pH value of 5.25 ± 0.10. The 40:60 (MMG: CH) PECs exhibited the highest yield (99%), minimal viscosity, and near-neutral zeta potential. Microflora biodegradation studies of PECs in pH 6.8 buffer containing rat cecal contents showed a pH decrease, likely due to degradation products of the PECs. In vitro drug release studies revealed 16.6% capecitabine release (model drug) from PECs without rat cecal contents, compared to 88.5% release after 24h with rat cecal contents. These findings suggest that MMG-CH PECs could serve as promising vehicles for microbially triggered, colon-targeted drug delivery systems.

This work aimed to improve the peroral bioavailability of capecitabine (CPB) by developing and assessing solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs). SLNs were made using the modified nanoprecipitation method. Particle size, zeta potential, entrapment efficiency, drug loading, in-vitro drug release, TEM, in-vivo pharmacokinetic study, stability study, histopathological evaluation and cytotoxicity study were assessed. The TEM revealed that the SLNs were transparent, with a mean particle size ranging from 13.06 ± 0.09 to 86.10 ± 0.15 nm. The F-3 formulation demonstrated the highest drug entrapment efficiency at 45.49 ± 0.28. The zeta potential and polydispersity index of all SLNs ranged from -15.53 ± 0.17 to 17.55 ± 0.18 mV and from 0.1356 ± 0.11 to 0.2678 ± 0.13, respectively. The drug entrapment efficiency and drug loading of all SLNs ranged from 18.45 ± 0.36 to 45.49 ± 0.28 and from 21.75 ± 0.64 to 59.49 ± 0.38, respectively. The CPB-SLNs showed sustained drug release with prolonged plasma retention, delayed Tmax, and extended half-life compared to raw CPB. In vivo pharmacokinetic studies suggest that developed SLNs may enhance therapeutic efficacy by maintaining drug concentrations in plasma for longer periods. Toxicity was observed at 200 mg/kg/day, indicated by changes in clinical biochemistry, organ weights, and histopathology, particularly affecting the liver and kidneys. Therefore, it can be said that these developed SLNs may be among the best preparations for the delivery of anti-cancer drugs for improved therapeutic efficacy.

The development of advanced biopolymer-based wound dressings is critical for enhancing tissue repair and reducing inflammation. This study presents a dual-crosslinked hydrogel composed of alginate and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), enriched with bioactive seagrass extract, synthesized through a freeze-thawing technique to improve mechanical integrity and biocompatibility for potential applications in wound healing. Structural characterization was conducted using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermal analysis and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) confirmed the successful integration of the extract and the uniformity of the hydrogel matrix. Invitro cytotoxicity assessment utilizing normal human dermal fibroblast (NHDF) cell lines showed high cell viability across all concentrations, with PVAS-treated cells exhibiting over 90% viability at 100 µg/mL (p < 0.01). In vivo wound healing studies in murine models demonstrated significantly enhanced outcomes in the PVAS group compared to controls, including improved epidermal regeneration, collagen deposition, and tissue remodeling. Notably, the PVAS group achieved approximately 85% wound closure by day 21, in contrast to around 60% in untreated controls (p < 0.001). These findings underscore the potential of alginate/PVA hydrogels enriched with seagrass extract as effective, biocompatible wound dressings and support their continued development for applications in regenerative medicine.

This study focuses on the development and evaluation of solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) as an efficient carrier for the co-delivery of paclitaxel (PTX) and kaempferol (KMF) in breast cancer treatment. PTX, a BCS (Biopharmaceutics Classification System)-IV class drug, was combined with KMF, a flavonoid extracted and isolated from bee pollen, to enhance therapeutic efficacy. The optimal synergistic ratio of PTX and KMF was incorporated into SLNs using a hot homogenization technique, resulting in PTX-KMF-SLNs with a stable core-shell structure, narrow size distribution (166.1 ± 3.2 nm), and high encapsulation efficiency (86.15 ± 4.52%). In vitro studies demonstrated that PTX-KMF-SLNs exhibited five times greater cytotoxicity against breast cancer cells compared to the free drug combination while minimizing systemic toxicity. Preclinical evaluation further confirmed a significant reduction in tumor volume, highlighting the enhanced therapeutic potential of the nanoformulation. The antioxidant properties of KMF contributed to improved drug stability and targeted delivery, making PTX-KMF-SLNs a promising nanocarrier system for breast cancer therapy. The nanoformulation SLNs effectively reduced tumor volume in preclinical models, showing strong therapeutic potential. Future prospects include clinical translation, personalized therapy, application to other cancers, and development of targeted or stimuli-responsive delivery systems. This formulation represents a promising strategy for safe and effective breast cancer therapy.

Piperine (PRN) is a water-insoluble alkaloidal drug reported for different biological activities. As part of this study, Kollidone VA64 (KLD) and Soluplus (SLP) were used as carriers to develop piperine solid dispersions (PRN SDs) to enhance their solubility. The stability constant of the drug-polymer composition was determined by the phase solubility study. PRN SDs were evaluated for dissolution and saturation solubility studies to select the optimized composition. SDs were evaluated for drug-polymer compatibility by Infra-red and nuclear magnetic spectroscopy. The drug crystallinity was evaluated by scanning electron microscopy and X-Ray diffraction method. Finally, a comparative cell viability assay was performed on the breast cancer cell line. The ternary system (PRN-KLD-SLP) depicted a significantly (p < 0.05) higher stability constant value than the binary system [PRN-KLD; (2.1 folds) and PRN-SLP (2.5-folds)]. An enhanced drug release (about 1.4-folds) was found from the ternary PRN SDs (F7-F9) than binary PRN SDs (F1-F6) and free PRN. The spectral analysis and molecular docking results confirm the formation of stable SDs. SEM and XRD results revealed conversion of crystalline PRN into an amorphous form. Cell viability data demonstrated a higher viability assay than the free PRN. Based on the study, we can say that the formation of ternary solid dispersion makes PRN more soluble and shows a better dissolution rate than the binary SDs.