Journal of Functional Biomaterials最新文献

Prosthesis loosening due to lack of osteointegration between an implant and surrounding bone tissue is one of the most common causes of implant failure. Further, bacterial contamination and biofilm formation onto implants represent a serious complication after surgery. The enhancement of osteointegration can be achieved by using bioconductive materials that promote biological responses in the body, stimulating bone growth and thus bonding to tissue. Through the incorporation of antibacterial substances in bioconductive, biodegradable calcium phosphate (CaP) coatings, faster osteointegration and bactericidal properties can be achieved. In this study, Cu-doped CaP supraparticles are spray-dried and suspension-sprayed CaP ceramic coatings with antibacterial properties are prepared using high-velocity suspension flame spraying (HVSFS). The objective was to increase the coatings' porosity and investigate which Cu-doped supraparticles have the strongest antibacterial properties when introduced into the coating layers. Biocompatibility was tested on human Osteosarcoma cells MG63. A porosity of at least 13% was achieved and the supraparticles could be implemented, enhancing it up to 16%. The results showed that the addition of Cu-doped supraparticles did not significantly reduce the number of viable cells compared to the Cu-free sample, demonstrating good biocompatibility. The antimicrobial activity was assessed against the bacterial strains Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, with Safe Airborne Antibacterial testing showing a significant reduction in both Gram-positive and Gram-negative strains on the Cu-doped coatings.

Bone tissue regeneration is a rapidly evolving field aimed at the development of biocompatible materials and devices, such as scaffolds, to treat diseased and damaged osseous tissue. Functional scaffolds maintain structural integrity and provide mechanical support at the defect site during the healing process, while simultaneously enabling or improving regeneration through amplified cellular cues between the scaffold and native tissues. Ample research on functionalization has been conducted to improve scaffold-host tissue interaction, including fabrication techniques, biomaterial selection, scaffold surface modifications, integration of bioactive molecular additives, and post-processing modifications. Each of these methods plays a crucial role in enabling scaffolds to not only support but actively participate in the healing and regeneration process in bone and joint surgery. This review provides a state-of-the-art, comprehensive overview of the functionalization of scaffold-based strategies used in tissue engineering, specifically for bone regeneration. Critical issues and obstacles are highlighted, applications and advances are described, and future directions are identified.

3D printing is increasingly used in dentistry, with biocompatible resins playing a key role. This study compared the radioprotective properties of a commonly used 3D-printed resin (Formlabs surgical guide resin) with traditional heat-cured resin and examined the relationship between material thickness and radiation attenuation. The specimens consisted of 3D-printed and heat-cured resin specimens, each measuring 45 × 45 mm², with five different thicknesses (6, 8, 10, 12, and 14 mm), totaling 100 samples. Both types of resin specimens underwent testing with 150 MU external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) and 400 cGy brachytherapy. Radiation experiments indicated that under EBRT conditions, there were no significant differences in radiation attenuation between the 3D-printed and heat-cured resins across all thickness groups. In brachytherapy, the attenuation of the 3D-printed resin was significantly lower than the heat-cured resin in the 6 mm and 8 mm groups. Specifically, attenuation rates were 48.0 ± 0.7 (3D-printed) vs. 45.2 ± 1.9 (heat-cured) in the 6 mm group, and 39.6 ± 1.3 vs. 37.5 ± 1.1 in the 8 mm group. Both resins showed significant positive linear correlations between thickness and attenuation (p < 0.001) within 6-14 mm. Thus, 3D-printed resin shows promising radioprotective properties and is a viable alternative to traditional heat-cured resin.

Wear on the surface of the femoral head increases the risk of hip and femur fractures. Biomechanical experiments conducted on the femur are based on its bending and torsional rigidities. Studies regarding the deflection of the femur bone when the femoral head is coated with microfilms composed of durable and compatible biomaterials are poor. This study aimed to investigate the effects of different biomaterial microfilm coatings over the femoral head on the deflection of the human femur. We utilized 2023 R1 finite element analysis (FEA) software to model the directional deformation on the femoral head and examine the femur's deflection with varying microfilm thicknesses. The deflection of the femur bone was reported when the femoral head was uncoated and coated with titanium, stainless steel, and pure gold microfilms of different thicknesses (namely, 50, 75, and 100 μm). Our results show that the femur's minimum and maximum deflection occurred for stainless steel and gold, respectively. The deformation of the femur was lower when the femoral head was coated with a 50-micrometer microfilm of stainless steel, compared to the deformation obtained with gold and titanium. When the thickness of the microfilm for each of the materials was increased, the deformation continued to decrease. The minimum deformation of the femur occurred for a thickness of 100 μm with stainless steel, followed by titanium and gold. The difference in the directional deformation of the femur between the materials was more significant when the coating was 100 μm, compared to the thicknesses of 50 and 75 μm. The findings of this study are expected to significantly contribute to the development of advanced medical techniques to enhance the quality of life for patients with femur bone-related issues. This information can be used to develop more resilient coatings that can withstand wear and tear.

This study involved a randomized clinical trial that included 140 patients. Alveolar ridge preservation was performed with xenografts. Sealing in the control group consisted of a collagen membrane versus cyanoacrylate in the test group. The dental implants were placed immediately after extraction. The variables were evaluated at 3, 12, and 18 months of follow-up. Pearson's chi-squared test was used for qualitative variables and the Student t-test for related samples was used for quantitative variables. The change in buccolingual alveolar bone width was significantly greater in the CMX group than in the CX group after three months (p < 0.005). However, significance was not reached at the other follow-up timepoints (p > 0.005). CAL showed significantly greater values in the CMX group than in the CX group (p < 0.005), and MBL proved greater in the CMX group than in the CX group, with p < 0.001. Five membrane exposures were recorded in the CMX group. Cyanoacrylate as a sealing method for alveolar ridge preservation seems to afford better clinical and radiological results than collagen membrane.

Cancer is one of the major threats to human health and lives. However, effective cancer treatments remain a great challenge in clinical medicine. As a common approach for cancer treatment, chemotherapy has saved the life of millions of people; however, patients who have gone through chemotherapy often suffer from severe side effects owing to the inherent cytotoxicity of anti-cancer drugs. Stabilizing the blood concentration of an anti-cancer drug will reduce the occurrence or severity of side effects, and relies on using an appropriate drug delivery system (DDS) for achieving sustained or even on-demand drug delivery. However, this is still an unmet clinical challenge since the mainstay of anti-cancer drugs is small molecules, which tend to be diffused rapidly in the body, and conventional DDSs exhibit the burst release phenomenon. Here, we establish a class of DDSs based on biodegradable core-shell microspheres with encapsulated doxorubicin hydrochloride-loaded gold nanoparticles (DOX@Au@MSs), with the core-shell microspheres being made of poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) in the current study. By harnessing the physical barrier of the biodegradable shell of core-shell microspheres, DOX@Au@MSs can provide a sustained release of the anti-cancer drug in the test duration (which is 21 days in the current study). Thanks to the photothermal properties of the encapsulated gold nanoparticle carriers, the core-shell biodegradable microspheres can be ruptured through remotely controlled near-infrared (NIR) light, thereby achieving an NIR-controlled triggered release of the anti-cancer drug. Furthermore, the route of the DOX-Au@MS-enabled controlled release of the anti-cancer drug can provide durable cancer cell ablation for the long period of 72 h.

Previous studies have highlighted the need for post-treatment of implants due to surface aging. This study investigated the effect of vacuum plasma (VP) treatment on the osseointegration of sandblasted, large grit, acid-etched (SLA) implant surfaces. The hypothesis was that VP might enhance implant stability, measured by implant stability quotient (ISQ) and histological osseointegration through bone-to-implant contact (BIC) and bone area ratio (BA) in rabbit models. Eighteen implants were either untreated or treated with VP and installed into the femurs of six rabbits, which were sacrificed after four weeks. Histological analyses of BIC and BA, along with micro-CT analysis of bone volume and ISQ, were performed. The VP-treated group showed higher levels of BA, bone volume, and ISQ, but no statistically significant differences were observed between the control and experimental groups. Despite limitations, both groups achieved better osseointegration and regeneration, warranting further studies on plasma treatment effects over varying implantation periods.

This study aimed to evaluate the biomechanical compatibility of a modular hemipelvic prosthesis by comparing stress distributions between an implanted pelvis and a healthy pelvis. Finite element analysis was used to simulate bilateral standing loads on both models, analyzing critical regions such as the sacroiliac joints, iliac crest, acetabulum, and prosthesis connection points. Six models with varied displacements of the hip joint rotational center were also introduced to assess the impact of deviations on stress distribution. The implanted pelvis had a stress distribution closely matching that of the intact pelvis, indicating that the prosthesis design maintained the biomechanical integrity of the pelvis. Stress patterns in displacement models with deviations of less than 10 mm were similar to the standard model, with only minor changes in stress magnitude. However, backward, upward, and inward deviations resulted in stress concentrations, particularly in the prosthesis connection points, increasing the likelihood of mechanical failure. The modular hemipelvic prosthesis demonstrated good biomechanical compatibility with minimal impact on pelvic stress distribution, even with moderate deviations in the hip joint's rotational center; outward, forward, and downward displacements are preferable to minimize stress concentration and prevent implant failure in cases where minor deviations in the rotational center are unavoidable during surgery.

This study examined research interest in copper materials for caries management. We conducted an exhaustive literature search of English publications on copper materials for caries management. We removed duplicate publications and screened the titles and abstracts to identify relevant publications. Then, we analyzed the bibliometric data of the publications using the Bibliometrix and VOSviewer programs. This study included 75 laboratory studies, six clinical trials, and 17 reviews. Most of the original research studied copper or copper oxide nanoparticles (45/81, 56%). The materials could be doped into topical agents, restorative fillers, dental adhesives, dental implants, and orthodontic appliances. Since the first paper was published in 1980, publication counts gradually increased and surged in 2019. Among publications on copper materials for caries management, the publication counts and citations from 2019 to 2024 accounted for 65% (64/98) and 74% (1677/2255) over the last 45 years. Cocitation analysis revealed that the two main keywords were nanoparticles and antibacterial activity, and their burst strengths (period) were 3.84 (2021-2024) and 2.21 (2020-2021). The topics of the top two publications with the highest citation burst strength (period) are the antimicrobial effect of copper oxide nanoparticles (3.14, 2021-2022) and the dental application of copper nanoparticles (2.84, 2022-2024). In conclusion, this study revealed a growing interest in copper materials for caries management.

Surgical sutures play a crucial role in wound closure, facilitating the tissue-healing process across various fields of medicine. The objective of this study was to analyse the impact of seasoning time during the initial days/weeks of seasoning in Ringer's solution on the mechanical properties of five commercial absorbable sutures: SafilQuick+^®, Novosyn^®, MonosynQuick^®, Monosyn^® and Monoplus^®, each with different absorption periods. The results demonstrated that the SafilQuick+ and MonosynQuick sutures lost strength within 9-12 days, as evidenced by statistically significant changes in tensile strength. In contrast, the Novosyn and Monoplus sutures did not exhibit significant changes in strength during the study period. Statistical analysis confirmed significant differences in the behaviour of the individual sutures, highlighting the importance of selecting appropriate suture material in the context of the specific medical procedure.