Smart Materials in Medicine最新文献

Sepsis and sepsis-related organ dysfunction have been identified as significant global life-threatening health threats, with a high mortality rate despite ongoing research in the area. Timely diagnosis is essential such that treatment could be initiated as early as possible to ensure the best outcome, since delayed intervention is associated with a higher mortality. Patient stratification and disease monitoring, present significant challenges in sepsis treatment and management strategies, largely due to the heterogenicity of sepsis signs and symptoms. Hence a focus on potential biomarkers to overcome these challenges is needed. Recently, extracellular vesicles (EVs), mainly the exosome subtype, have been investigated regarding their potential role in sepsis diagnostics, therapeutics and as drug delivery vehicles. Herein, we present an up-to-date review covering the role of circulating exosomes in the diagnosis and monitoring of the progression of sepsis and in therapeutics and drug delivery for sepsis. To provide context, sepsis pathophysiology and the role of circulating exosomes in sepsis have been highlighted. Future prospects, current challenges and recommendations regarding the role of exosomes in sepsis are also identified.

Numerous studies have conducted in-depth research on the biological and chemical properties of tissue-engineered neural graft (TENG) on peripheral nerve regeneration, while the physical properties of the graft also display a significant impact on the regeneration of the injured nerve. Among them, the elasticity properties of TENG show a significant impact on the adhesion, proliferation, migration and bio-functionality of nerve cells in peripheral nerve regeneration. This review summarizes the latest research progress on elastic biomaterials for peripheral nervous system (PNS), including categories of elastic biomaterials, preparation methods and the effect of elasticity on the growth behavior of nerve cells, etc. In addition, the effect of the elastic substrate on the elasticity of the cell itself is also briefly described. Finally, we analyze and discuss the underlying mechanism by which elastic substrate affects nerve cell behavior.

The global morbidity and mortality of cardiovascular diseases are increasing yearly, among which vascular diseases are the main cause of death. Traditional drugs have multiple limitations in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, and there is a lack of effective means to treat cardiovascular diseases. Exosomes, as transmitters of important intercellular information, are involved in normal physiological and pathological processes of blood vessels and are closely associated with intimal hyperplasia, vascular sclerosis and thrombosis. Engineered exosomes are obtained by modification of natural membrane vesicles, and they have the advantages of targeting, extended duration of action and detectability, which can be an excellent alternative for cardiovascular disease treatment. There is an absence of reviews on how exosomes secreted by various cells affect disease regression when vascular homeostasis is disrupted and how engineered exosomes are regulated to maintain vascular homeostasis. Therefore, this paper reviews the regulatory mechanisms of exosomes in diseases related to vascular homeostasis, briefly describes the application of engineered exosomes in vessels, and explores the potential of engineered exosomes in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, providing a new idea for the precise regulation of exosomes in the treatment of vascular diseases.

Diabetes is one of the most common chronic diseases that contribute significantly to global mortality. Effective glucose-sensing platforms might allow for an improved monitoring of disease progression, leading to a better health management. Optical sensors based on smart materials, particularly those that respond to external stimuli, have recently paved the way for diabetes management. Such sensors surpass traditional ones due to their unique label-free, quantitative, continuous measurement capabilities and reusability, and can be paired with equipment-free text or picture display. In the current review, we have thoroughly explored the efficient interaction of the target analyte (glucose) with these smart sensing materials by varying a variety of optical parameters such as wavelength, diffracted and diffused light pattern, signal strength, and refractive index. We also highlight the obstacles and opportunities of using smart materials in biosensing research.

Post-surgical defect repair combined with the elimination of residual cancer cells remains a major clinical challenge for the therapy of malignant bone tumors. As a natural product extracted from green tea, epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) has a wide range of biological activities. In this study, we investigated the anti-osteosarcoma and osteogenic potential of the natural compound EGCG in combination with hydroxyapatite (HA) for the post-operative treatment of osteosarcoma. We have synthesized well-dispersed surface amino-functionalized hydroxyapatite nanoparticles by the template method combined with surface modification techniques. Then, we conjugated EGCG with HA nanoparticles via amido linkage to prevent burst release of the biomolecules and improve their stability. The results showed that the as-prepared HA-EGCG nanoparticles had the same antioxidant activity as pure EGCG. The HA-EGCG nanoparticles demonstrated efficient EGCG release upon enzyme interactions in an acidic tumor environment, facilitating the accumulation of EGCG in tumor tissues and improving its bioavailability. Compared with pure EGCG and HA, HA-EGCG exhibited enhanced anticancer activity in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, HA-EGCG could effectively promote osteogenic differentiation. This covalent strategy provides a simple method to fabricate a pH and enzyme-mediated delivery platform to refine the stability and bioavailability of EGCG. This research provides a strategy into designing biomaterials combined with EGCG for the potential application in bone diseases.

A multitude of autogenous/allogeneic and semi-synthetic bone graft materials have been developed to reconstruct the defective bone tissue but with high bio-cost and potential environmental pollution. With high calcium content and several trace elements, chicken eggshells are no longer considered as wastes but attractive sources of high-value-added biomaterials. This study used chicken eggshells and synthetic hydroxyapatite (HAp) to synthesize amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP) bone graft materials, namely Control and Eggshell. The physiochemical characteristics, biosafety, and immunocompatibility of synthetic ACP particles were inspected. Their osteogenic activity was further investigated in a novel osteoblastic spheroids model. Eggshell ACP particles exhibited ideal cytocompatibility compared to the control ACP and were more resistant to re-crystallization. In osteoblastic spheroids, Eggshell ACP mediated typical osteogenic mRNA profiles of MC-3T3-E1 cells, accompanied by the increased formation of mineralized nodules and boosted synthesis of ECM proteins represented by OPN and collagen I. This study establishes a promising technique to synthesize stable, safe, and osteoinductive ACP graft particles from eggshell waste. Furthermore, the osteoblastic spheroids constructed in the present study provide a more practical model for biomaterial research, which reflect the three-dimensional interaction between host bone tissue and graft materials more realistically.

In recent decades, great progress has been made in regenerative medicine with the development of various functional scaffolds, many of which have been put into practical clinical applications. In this process, biomaterials with excellent properties have played an important role, such as medical metal materials, bioceramics, polymers, etc. Among them, melanin-like polymer polydopamine (PDA) attracts increasing scientific interest and shows good clinical application potential: i) PDA can be used as coating material to facilitate the loading of various bioactive molecules; ii) PDA can be applied as the main constituent material of scaffolds to optimize the performances. In this review, the preparation method and polymerization mechanism of PDA are first outlined, and then the advantages of PDA, including good biocompatibility, strong adhesion, antioxidant property, and excellent photothermal properties, are introduced. Next, this review highlights the significant applications of PDA in regenerative medicine, mainly focusing on wound healing, bone repair and regeneration, as well as different forms of tissue engineering. Finally, challenges and prospects on future clinical applications of PDA in regenerative medicine are discussed.

3D bioprinting technology can rapidly process cell-loaded biomaterials to prepare personalized scaffolds for repairing defective tissues, tissue regeneration, and even printing tissues or organs. 3D bioprinting relies on bioinks with appropriate rheology and cytocompatibility, and hydrogels are among the most promising bioink materials for 3D bioprinting. Among many hydrogel precursor materials, hyaluronic acid (HA) stands out due to its excellent physicochemical and biological properties, such as biocompatibility, hydrophilicity, non-immunogenicity, and complete biodegradability, and has become the most attractive hydrogel precursor for bioinks. In this review, we discuss the strategies adopted for the application of HA-based hydrogels as bioinks, including printability, improving their mechanical properties, and printing with loaded cells. Finally, we summarize the application of 3D bioprinted HA-based hydrogels in various tissue engineering applications in recent years, with the aim to provide fresh inspiration for further development of HA-based hydrogels for 3D bioprinting.

Nanodendrite particles (NDs) with densely branched structures and biomimetic architectures have exhibited great promise in tumor therapy owing to their prolonged in vivo circulation time and exceptional photothermal efficiency. Nevertheless, traditional NDs are deficient in terms of specific surface modification and targeting tumors, which restrict their potential for broader clinical applications. Here, we developed coronavirus-like gold NDs through a seed-mediated approach and using silk fibroin (SF) as a capping agent. Our results demonstrate that these NDs have a favorable drug-loading capacity (∼65.25%) and light-triggered release characteristics of doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX). Additionally, NDs functionalized with specific probes exhibited exceptional surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) characteristics, enabling high-sensitivity Raman imaging of unstained single cells. Moreover, these NDs allowed for real-time monitoring of endocytic NDs for over 24 ​h. Furthermore, ND@DOX conjugated with tumor-targeting peptides exhibited mild hyperthermia, minimal cytotoxicity, and effective targeting towards cancer cells in vitro, as well as responsiveness to the tumor microenvironment (TME) in vivo. These unique properties led to the highest level of synergistic tumor-killing efficiency when stimulated by a near-infrared (NIR) laser at 808 ​nm. Therefore, our virus-like ND functionalized with SF presents a novel type of nanocarrier that exhibits significant potential for synergistic applications in precision medicine.