Journal of Biomaterials Science, Polymer Edition最新文献

This review provides an in-depth analysis of dental bone regeneration, tracing its evolution and applications. Recent advancements in dental bone regeneration have allowed the utilization of barrier membranes to direct the regeneration process, excluding undesired cell types and fostering the growth of beneficial tissues, particularly in treating periodontal and bone defects. Over the past forty years, bone regeneration has advanced significantly, effectively enhancing periodontal ligament restoration while preventing unwanted soft-tissue growth. It is widely applied in periodontal, oral, implant, and jawbone surgeries, offering benefits such as restoring functionality and aesthetics of damaged tissues. The review also explores the structure of bone, emphasizing its biphasic nature with collagen and hydroxyapatite, which are crucial for maintaining bone strength and mechanical properties. As dental diseases like periodontitis and trauma become more prevalent, bone regeneration has gained prominence. Various graft materials, synthetic biomaterials, and techniques for creating scaffold designs have been explored. Understanding these regeneration mechanisms is key to improving dental treatments, and patient outcomes, and addressing challenges in oral health care.

Puerarin (Pn), a naturally occurring flavonoid, possesses numerous therapeutic qualities, while Dextran (Dn) is a naturally derived polysaccharide. Here, we examined the puerarin-dextran complex (Pn/Dn), characterization to confirming its functional groups through morphological and structural properties. Cytocompatibility assessments on HT22 cell lines along with ROS and MDA content analysis revealed higher cytocompatibility with Pn/Dn complex treatment, when compared to heat-stressed and control groups. Additionally, elevated oxidative stress levels were found to reduce after treatment with Pn/Dn complex. Flow cytometry analysis demonstrated that HT22 cells treated with puerarin, dextran, and the Pn/Dn complex exhibited preserved viability, with a reduced percentage of cells undergoing early and late apoptosis, particularly at concentrations below 20%, indicating effective prevention of cell death. Importantly, In vivo results proposed that neuronal death in various histopathological observations involves both neurons and surrounding glial cells. These findings demonstrate that the Pn/Dn complex effectively influenced in reduced hippocampal neuronal injury in mice, as confirmed by histological examination. Overall, this study highlights the protective effects of Pn/Dn complex against heat-induced neuronal injury and oxidative stress, emphasizing their potential therapeutic applications.

In the study, chitosan (CS)-based Ti₃C₂T_x MXene/Halloysite nanotube (HNT) films were successfully synthesized using the solution casting method. The prepared films were characterized morphologically and structurally. To measure the surface wettability of the films for potential biological applications, contact angles were measured in simulated body fluid. The bacterial viability and antibacterial properties on Gram-negative (E. coli) and Gram-positive (S. aureus) bacteria were evaluated by CFU counting, and statistical analyses were performed using ANOVA. The HNT particles with a size of about 30-40 nm were homogeneously anchored onto MXene layers without partial agglomerations. The presence of micropores and functional end groups in the prepared films contributes to their antibacterial effect. The incorporation of HNT into the chitosan MXene film provided a hydrophilic character by decreasing the contact angle from 82.26° to 49.47°. Antibacterial evaluation revealed that the film exhibited high inhibition for E. coli (34.63%) and S. aureus (63%) due to the synergistic effect between HNT and MXene. These findings highlight the potential of the developed film as an antibacterial material for biomedical applications.

Burn wounds encompass skin injuries resulting from exposure to thermal, cryogenic, electrical, chemical, radioactive, and frictional agents. Disruption of the skin barrier and an exaggerated inflammatory response contribute to the impaired healing of these wounds. With the development of burn wound treatment technology, the importance of comfortable treatment for burn wound is becoming increasingly prominent. In this paper, we designed a multifunctional wound dressing based on silicone gel. This dressing incorporated the analgesic drug prilocaine into the polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) coating to provide pain relief. This ensures prolonged and controlled drug release, achieving effective analgesia and wound protection. We used positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) scanning to compare pain levels in rats, and favorable results were obtained in animal experiments. The PET/CT results showed a significant decrease in pain indicators in the experimental group compared to the control group, confirming that the analgesic function of the dressing designed in this study is effective. In conclusion, our study provides a new perspective on burn wound dressings and offers a potential new approach to alleviating severe pain associated with burn wounds.

Current alveolar ridge preservation (ARP) materials face unresolved trade-offs between mechanical stability, bioactivity, and clinical operability. To address this, we developed a fish-derived methacrylated gelatin (FGelMA) hydrogel composited with magnesium silicate (MS) microparticles combining the low immunogenicity of FGelMA with the dual osteo-angiogenic potential of MS. To characterize the physical properties of this material, the composite hydrogels (MS/FGelMA) were tested using a mechanical tester and a rheometer, and then its biocompatibility and in vitro osteogenic properties were analyzed using bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) in a three-dimensional environment. In vivo model was further established to evaluate the effect of MS/FGelMA on ARP in SD rats. The results indicated that MS/FGelMA hydrogels exhibited rapid crosslinking within 20 s (365 nm UV, 10 mW/cm²), excellent shear-thinning behavior enabled precise defect adaptation, enhanced mechanical robustness, improved osteogenesis and angiogenesis capacity, especially for the optimized 1%MS/15%FGelMA formulation. 1%MS/15%FGelMA had compressive strength of 231 ± 10.149 kPa (378.69% of pure 15%FGelMA), and 2.3-4.1 folds upregulation of osteogenic markers (RUNX2/ALP/OCN) and angiogenic marker (VEGF) in rat BMSCs cultured in 3D hydrogels compared with that in pristine FGelMA hydrogel. Micro-CT analysis revealed 1%MS/15%FGelMA had socket volume preservation of 61% (vs. 46% in controls) at 3 weeks and had bone density of 75% (vs. 62% in controls) at 6 weeks. In general, this species-independent, chairside-applicable platform demonstrates superior clinical translation potential for complex ARP scenarios.

Embedding natural products into chitosan nanoparticles (CNP) is an effective way to produce a novel combination with better antimicrobial and anticancer activities. Therefore, this study aims to incorporate carob honey (CH) into CNP, determine its potential antimicrobial along with antiproliferative activities, by well diffusion and MTT cell viability assays, respectively. Successful loading of CH in CNP was confirmed after due characterization. The nanoparticles, synthesized by ionic gelation method, produced a small (101.3 ± 4.13 nm), stable (+27.27 ± 0.95 mV), and monodispersed (0.2265 ± 0.0027) CH-loaded CNP (CHCNP). The best antibacterial activity occurred in Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae) (23 ± 0 mm to 16 ± 1.7 mm) followed by Escherichia coli (E. coli) (18 ± 2.0 mm to 10 ± 1 mm). Meanwhile, Aspergillus niger (A. niger) and Aspergillus flavus (A. flavus) were evenly inhibited with inhibition zones in the range of 15 ± 3 mm to 7 ± 0.8 mm and 15 ± 5 mm to 9 ± 1.4 mm, respectively. CHCNP showed a remarkable cytotoxic effect on MDA-MB-231 according to concentration and time, with IC₅₀ of 25 ± 5 to 18 ± 2.6 μg/mL within 24-72 h. These findings demonstrated the feasibility of loading CH in CNP to form a nanoformulation that could potentially serve as a target-specific therapeutic agent in the treatments of microbial infections and breast cancer. However, there is a need for further research on the safety, dosage optimization, in vivo studies and mechanisms of action of the nanoparticles.

4D printing of alginate hydrogels has emerged as a transformative strategy in tissue engineering, enabling the fabrication of stimuli-responsive scaffolds that recapitulate the temporal and spatial complexities of native tissues. Leveraging alginate's tunable crosslinking, biocompatibility, and easy modification, recent research has demonstrated the successful design of constructs capable of programmable shape morphing in response to physiological stimuli. This review highlights recent advances in polymer design, including methacrylated, oxidized, and ligand-functionalized alginate derivatives, and cutting-edge 4D printing technologies such as extrusion-based and photopolymerization-based printing technologies. Notably, these systems have shown promising outcomes in regenerating cartilage, bone, vascular, and neural tissues. However, key challenges remain, including the standardization of shape-morphing quantification, enhancement of mechanical robustness, improvement of host tissue integration, and the replication of native tissue complexity. This review concludes with a critical evaluation of current limitations and future directions, highlighting the potential of integrating 4D alginate hydrogel systems with emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, organoid models, and bioelectronic interfaces to accelerate innovation and broaden their application in tissue engineering. By synthesizing recent advancements and offering insights into the implementation of 4D alginate hydrogels, this review aims to stimulate continued progress in this rapidly evolving field.

The phytochemicals offer enormous therapeutic promise for treating a variety of illnesses, without serious side effects. Every country is resorting to self-medication in the form of herbal medicines in an effort to obtain healthcare beyond the conventional bounds of modern medicine. Bioavailability and site-specific targeting are the only factors that determine its effectiveness. Poor absorption rate of phytoconstituents is due to low lipid solubility, large molecular weight, and presence of multi-ring polyphenols in their structures. A combination of solid and liquid lipids in an appropriate ratio becomes nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) that overcomes the limitations of poor absorption. In this review, NLC containing various phytoconstituents are overviewed with special emphasis on methods of preparation, various examples of solid and liquid lipids and outcomes which improved absorptions, bioavailability, minimum particle size, appropriate polydispersibility index and entrapment efficiencies. So, to encourage their continued usage in the future, this study will give a synopsis of the present status of NLCs containing phytoconstituents, including their formulations, modern processes, and uses in oral drug administration.

In this study, we fabricated composite scaffolds containing micro-fibrillated cellulose (MFC), chitosan (CS), and hydroxyapatite (HAp) were fabricated using the freeze-drying technique. N-Boc-L-cysteine methyl ester (NBLCME) was synthesized and incorporated into the composite scaffold (CS/MFC/HAp) at different concentrations (20-100µg/ml). The composite scaffolds were characterized by SEM and FTIR results. Interconnected porous structure showed that the scaffolds had 80-90% porosity with a pore diameter range of 100-450µm and fiber lengths of 6.1 -11.87 µm. FTIR analysis confirmed the interaction between CS/MFC/HAp and NBLCME. The treated scaffolds exhibited sustained drug delivery following Fickian diffusion behavior (n ≤ 0.45). The biological study of treated scaffolds on human osteosarcoma cells (MG63 cell line) was evaluated by examining cell viability, ALP, ARS activities, and cell adhesion. The cytotoxicity of the treated scaffolds showed no cytotoxic effects on the MG63 cell line. ALP and ARS activities showed significantly enhanced phosphate and calcium deposition on the scaffold. Taken together, the result suggested that the fabricated composite scaffold (CS/MFC/HAp) incorporated with NBLCME showed excellent properties and its potential for bone-related applications.

Tumor cells usually highly expressed reducing glutathione that can break out disulfide bond. In this article, a novel cyclodextrin-containing thermo/redox dual-responsive polymer, PNIPAM-SS-β-CD, was synthesized by copolymerization between monomers of N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM) and mono-methacrylated β-cyclodextrin mediated by disulfide bond (MA-SS-β-CD). The dual- responsive polymer has a weight-average molecular weight (M_w) of 53.75 kDa with 45.5 wt% β-CD content, and the polymerization degree ratio of the two structural units form NIPAM and MA-SS-β-CD in the polymer is about 9.26. The polymer can dissolve in water to form hydrogel with a regulating phase transition temperature from 33 to 36 °C. Cytotoxicity assays and hemolysis tests respectively demonstrated over 95% cell viability and no significant hemolytic activity, indicating its superior biocompatibility. Curcumin was used as a model to evaluate drug loading and in vitro release behavior of the thermo/redox dual-responsive polymer. It was revealed that the copolymer (PNIPAM-SS-β-CD) shows a 5.5 folds higher loaded amount and a slower drug release over 24 h than that of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM). Notably, the polymer exhibited rapid drug release through disulfide bond cleavage in response to reduced glutathione (GSH, 3 mM), highlighting its potential for targeted cancer therapy.