Biomaterials Science最新文献

Correction for ‘A bottlebrush-architectured dextran polyprodrug as an acidity-responsive vector for enhanced chemotherapy efficiency’ by Tian Zhang, et al., Biomater. Sci., 2020, 8, 473–484, https://doi.org/10.1039/C9BM01692A.

Despite the potential safety hazards and side effects, small molecular magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents have been generally used in clinical medical imaging. The development of stable, but low-toxicity and high-efficiency magnetic resonance contrast agents has been receiving continuous attention and research interest. With the deepening of studies, the combination of small molecular magnetic resonance contrast agents and albumin-based carriers is an effective strategy to obtain new MRI contrast agents with safety, low toxicity, high relaxation efficiency and targeting capability. In particular, the relaxivity values of some albumin-based nano-magnetic resonance contrast agents are greater than 100 mM⁻¹ s⁻¹, which is much higher than the relaxivity values of some small molecule MRI contrast agents. Therefore, herein, current research on albumin nanoparticle related MRI contrast agents is summarized, which is of great significance for clarifying the development direction of contrast agents.

Expression of concern for ‘An ‘on-demand’ photothermal antibiotic release cryogel patch: evaluation of efficacy on an ex vivo model for skin wound infection’ by Léa Rosselle, et al., Biomater. Sci., 2020, 8, 5911–5919, https://doi.org/10.1039/D0BM01535K.

Although ultrasound therapy is efficacious and safe in clinical oncology, its capacity to elicit an anti-tumor immune response is constrained by ultrasound-induced apoptosis. Pyroptosis, which releases immunogenic damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), can significantly enhance immune activation. It necessitates robust Gasdermin E (GSDME) expression in cancer cells for caspase-3-mediated pyroptosis. An epigenetic strategy is introduced to induce cancer pyroptosis during sonotherapy using a nanocoordinator (HTA) constructed through metal-phenolic coordination involving Aza (a DNA methyltransferase inhibitor), TiO₂ nanoparticles, and polyphenol-modified hyaluronic acid. While Aza restores GSDME expression, TiO₂ generates reactive oxygen species (ROS) under ultrasound stimulation, activating caspase-3 and inducing pyroptosis via GSDME cleavage. In an orthotopic breast cancer model, HTA enhanced anti-tumor immunity and improved the efficacy of sonodynamic therapy (SDT). This approach presents a novel strategy for augmenting SDT through epigenetically induced pyroptosis.

Effective vascularization is crucial for the success of tissue engineering and is influenced by numerous factors. The present work focuses on investigating the effect of a substance, cyanobacteria-loaded oxygen-releasing hydrogel, on vascularization and verifying the effect of photosynthetic-oxygen-releasing biomaterials containing a cyanobacteria hydrogel on angiogenesis, using the chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) as a model system. On the eighth day of embryonic development, cyanobacterial microspheres were placed on the CAM and maintained in a light incubator under appropriate growth and photosynthesis conditions. The effect of cyanobacterial microspheres on vascularization was evaluated from the eighth day of embryonic development. The carrier material used to prepare the microspheres was a calcium alginate hydrogel, which is biocompatible for maintaining embryonic vitality. The article studied the preparation method, the optimal process, and the specific effects of in vivo co-culture on CAM vascularization and development. The data indicate that our prepared photosynthetic oxygen-releasing blue-green algal microspheres have the potential for symbiosis with tissues by supplying oxygen to tissues and inducing vascular growth through photosynthetic oxygen release. This research opens new avenues for applying cyanobacterial microspheres, a novel biological oxygen-releasing material, in regenerative medicine.

Melanoma, characterized by rapid tumour progression and a strong tendency to metastasize, poses significant challenges in clinical treatment. Given the vital role of B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) protein overexpression in inhibiting apoptosis in tumour cells, the suppression of Bcl-2 has emerged as a promising anticancer therapy. Here, we have developed a straightforward and effective delivery system that combines small interfering RNA (siRNA) targeting Bcl-2 (siBcl-2) with ionic liquids (ILs) for treating melanoma. The unique properties of ILs including structural tunability, inherent charge, and chemical stability have garnered significant attention in the biomedical fields; however, their application in siRNA delivery remains nascent. Rather than the weak function of free siBcl-2, our delivery system (1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium-siBcl-2, designated as C6-siBcl-2) demonstrated an outstanding capacity to improve the cellular uptake and lysosomal escape, resulting in robust apoptosis and cytotoxicity in melanoma cells. In addition to exhibiting superior gene silencing activity in vitro, such events were also evident in mice bearing melanoma tumours. In particular, this IL-based delivery system showed advantages in suppressing tumour growth, preventing metastasis, and enhancing the survival time of mice with melanoma tumours. Therefore, our study offered a novel and powerful nanoplatform that integrated ILs and RNA interference therapy, presenting new strategies for cancer treatment.

Adhesive tissue engineering scaffold (ATES) devices can be secured on tissues by relying on their intrinsic adhesive properties, hence, avoiding the complications such as host tissue/scaffold damage that are associated with conventional scaffold fixation methods like suturing or bioglue. This study introduces a new generation of three-dimensional (3D) bioprinted ATES systems for use as cardiac patches to regenerate the adult human heart. Tyramine-modified methacrylated hyaluronic acid (HAMA-tyr), gelatin methacrylate (GelMA), and gelatin were used to create the hybrid bioink formulation with self-adhesive properties. ATESs were bioprinted and further modified to improve the adhesion properties. In-depth characterization of printing fidelity, pore size, mechanical properties, swelling behavior, as well as biocompatibility was used to create ATESs with optimal biological function. Following in vitro testing, the ATESs were tested in a mouse model of myocardial infarction to study the scaffold adhesive strength in biological milieu. The method developed in this study can be used to manufacture off-the-shelf ATESs with complex cellular and extracellular architecture, with robust potential for clinical translation into a variety of personalized tissue engineering and regenerative medicine applications.

Adipocytes play a critical role in energy storage and endocrine signaling and are associated with various diseases such as cancer and diabetes. Facile strategies to engineer adipocytes have long been pursued for elucidating adipocyte biology and developing adipocyte-based therapies. Herein, we report metabolic glycan labeling of adipocytes and subsequent targeted modulation of adipocytes via click chemistry. We show that azido tags expressed on the surface of adipocytes can persist for over 4 days. By conjugating dibenzocyclooctyne (DBCO)-cargos onto azido-labeled adipocytes via click chemistry, the cargos can be retained on the adipocyte membrane for over 12 hours. We further show that signaling molecules including adiponectin, calreticulin, mannose-binding lectin 2, and milk fat globule-EGF factor 8 protein can be conjugated to adipocytes to orchestrate their phagocytosis by macrophages. The azido-labeled adipocytes grafted into mice can also mediate targeted conjugation of DBCO-cargos in vivo. This adipocyte labeling and targeting technology will facilitate the development of adipocyte-based therapies and provides a new platform for manipulating the interaction between adipocytes and other types of cells.

Silk fibroin (SF), a pivotal biomaterial, holds immense promise for diverse applications within the realm of bone tissue engineering. SF is an ideal scaffold material with exceptional biocompatibility, mechanical robustness, biodegradability, and bioactivity. A plethora of investigations have corroborated SF's efficacy in supporting bone tissue repair and regeneration. This comprehensive review delves into the structural attributes, physicochemical characteristics, and extraction methodologies of SF. Moreover, it elucidates the strides taken in harnessing SF across a spectrum of forms, including films, hydrogels, scaffolds, electrospun fibers, and composites for bone tissue engineering applications. Moreover, the application bottleneck of SF as a bone repair material is highlighted, and its development prospects and potential biomedical applications are also presented in this review. We expect that this review can inspire the broad interest of a wide range of readers working in the fields of materials science, tissue engineering, biomaterials, bioengineering, and biomedicine.

Cationic polymers have been widely developed as carriers for intracellular protein delivery, but face tough challenges such as poor serum tolerance and inevitable material toxicity. Here, we present a type of phase-separating polymer with an anionic surface to address the above issues. A cationic dendrimer is first modified with a hydrophobic moiety to obtain a pH-responsive amphiphilic polymer, which is further conjugated with anionic benzenesulphonate at different grafting degrees. The benzenesulphonate modification facilely changes the hydrophobicity of the polymer and reduces the material cytotoxicity. Interestingly, the polymer can co-assemble with cargo proteins to form nanovesicles for intracellular protein delivery. The benzenesulphonate on the polymer surface bolsters the resistance of polymers to serum proteins, allowing the materials to maintain high delivery efficacy in culture media containing abundant serum proteins. This study provides a facile strategy to design materials with high serum tolerance for intracellular protein delivery.