Biomimetic Surface Modification Research Articles

Mussel-inspired biomimetic modification to enhance adhesion properties between granite and asphalt: Multi-scales characterizations and molecular mechanisms

Mussel-inspired biomimetic modifiers and amine surface modifiers were used to biomimetic modify granite surface to improve adhesion properties of granite with asphalt. Adhesion properties of granite were characterized at multi-scales, where the fire-scouring effect during hot mixing on adhesion properties of surface modified granite was considered. Meanwhile, adhesion mechanism between surface modified granite and asphalt was explored based on molecular simulation. The results of study were as follows: (1) Mussel-inspired biomimetic surface modification of granite could significantly enhance adhesion properties of granite with asphalt, as demonstrated by 115.59 % increase in tensile fracture strength, 81.18 % increase in surface energy, and 82.77 % increase in adhesion force. (2) Mussel-inspired surface biomimetic modification of granite had better resistance fire-scorching effect. Adhesion properties of surface modification by SCA after fire-scorching decreased by 18.51 %, 34.14 %, and 20.07 % at multi-scales, while adhesion properties of mussel-inspired biomimetic modification after fire-scouring decreased by 14.29 %, 9.14 %, and 12.27 % at multi-scales. (3) Molecular simulations showed that surface modified granite could enhance adhesion properties not only by increasing electrostatic interactions, but also by improving granite-asphalt interaction and attracting heavy components of asphalt to rearrangement. Among them, polarity adhesion induced by mussel-inspired biomimetic modification plays dominant role in enhancing adhesion properties.

Longitudinal healing flow diverting stents with phosphorylcholine surface modification

BackgroundFlow diversion has become a standard treatment for cerebral aneurysms. However, major drawbacks include the need for dual antiplatelet therapy after implant and delayed complete occlusion of the aneurysm, which...

The enhanced tribological performance of fabric‐reinforced resin composites by biomimetic surface modification of fillers

The poor dispersion of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and weak interfacial adhesion of fabric and resin matrix seriously affect the tribological performance of fabric‐reinforcement resin composites. Tannic acid (TA), a plant‐derived compound, which is similar to mussel‐inspired polydopamine, can adhere to various substrates under a weak basic buffer solution. Therefore, in this work, TA‐modified MWCNTs were incorporated into TA functionalized fabric composite to improve the tribological performance of the fabric composite. The results indicate that the MWCNTs and fabric were successfully modified with TA. The wear tests revealed that the TA‐MWCNTs reinforcement TA‐fabric resin composites exhibited the best tribological performance, in which the friction coefficient and volume wear rate decreased by 16.9% and 40%, respectively, compared with pristine fabric composite. The favorable interfacial bonding between fabric and resin is beneficial to the friction force transfer to the load‐bearing fabric, decreasing the stress focus and thus reducing the damage to composite materials. Meanwhile, the good dispersion of MWCNTs contributes to the excellent lubrication performance. This simple and eco‐friendly method of treating fillers with TA provides a new approach to achieve high‐performance tribological materials.

Preparation, Characterization, and Bioactivities of Cobalt, Strontium and Fluorine Co-Doped Oxide Films on Titanium Surface for Clinical Application

Titanium and titanium alloys are receiving widespread attention due to their excellent comprehensive mechanical properties, corrosion resistances, and biocompatibilities. However, titanium metal itself is biologically inert in physiological environments, and after implantation, it is surrounded by a layer of encapsulating fibrous membrane, making it difficult to form solid bonds with the tissue. Plasma electrolytic oxidation is a new technology used to prepare bioactive porous ceramic membranes on the surfaces of titanium and titanium alloys. It has application prospects for biomimetic surface modifications of titanium alloys. In this study, a cobalt, strontium and fluorine codoped oxide film (TAM-CSF) was prepared on a titanium surface via plasma electrolytic oxidation. The surface characteristics of the film were evaluated with field emission scanning electron microscopy, energy spectrum analyses, atomic force microscopy, profilometry and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Additionally, the corrosion performance of the material was evaluated with an electrochemical workstation. The biocompatibility and bioactivity of the film were tested with in vitro cell experiments. The results showed that the TAM-CSF on the titanium surface had a porous morphology, and the CSF was uniformly doped on the film surface. TAM-CSF improved the surface roughness of the titanium. This film exhibited good biocompatibility and promoted the extension and proliferation of MC3T3-E1 cells. It was possible to prepare TAM-CSF on titanium surfaces via plasma electrolytic oxidation. The film exhibited a good morphology and good biological activity and has clinical application prospects.

Bioinspired and Multifunctional Tribological Materials for Sliding, Erosive, Machining, and Energy-Absorbing Conditions: A Review.

Friction, wear, and the consequent energy dissipation pose significant challenges in systems with moving components, spanning various domains, including nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS/MEMS) and bio-MEMS (microrobots), hip prostheses (biomaterials), offshore wind and hydro turbines, space vehicles, solar mirrors for photovoltaics, triboelectric generators, etc. Nature-inspired bionic surfaces offer valuable examples of effective texturing strategies, encompassing various geometric and topological approaches tailored to mitigate frictional effects and related functionalities in various scenarios. By employing biomimetic surface modifications, for example, roughness tailoring, multifunctionality of the system can be generated to efficiently reduce friction and wear, enhance load-bearing capacity, improve self-adaptiveness in different environments, improve chemical interactions, facilitate biological interactions, etc. However, the full potential of bioinspired texturing remains untapped due to the limited mechanistic understanding of functional aspects in tribological/biotribological settings. The current review extends to surface engineering and provides a comprehensive and critical assessment of bioinspired texturing that exhibits sustainable synergy between tribology and biology. The successful evolving examples from nature for surface/tribological solutions that can efficiently solve complex tribological problems in both dry and lubricated contact situations are comprehensively discussed. The review encompasses four major wear conditions: sliding, solid-particle erosion, machining or cutting, and impact (energy absorbing). Furthermore, it explores how topographies and their design parameters can provide tailored responses (multifunctionality) under specified tribological conditions. Additionally, an interdisciplinary perspective on the future potential of bioinspired materials and structures with enhanced wear resistance is presented.

The use of biomimetic surfaces to reduce single- and dual-species biofilms of Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas putida

The ability of bacteria to adhere to and form biofilms on food contact surfaces poses serious challenges, as these may lead to the cross-contamination of food products. Biomimetic topographic surface modifications have been explored to enhance the antifouling performance of materials. In this study, the topography of two plant leaves, Brassica oleracea var. botrytis (cauliflower, CF) and Brassica oleracea capitate (white cabbage, WC), was replicated through wax moulding, and their antibiofilm potential was tested against single- and dual-species biofilms of Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas putida. Biomimetic surfaces exhibited higher roughness values (SaWC = 4.0 ± 1.0 μm and SaCF = 3.3 ± 1.0 μm) than the flat control (SaF = 0.6 ± 0.2 μm), whilst the CF surface demonstrated a lower interfacial free energy (ΔGiwi) than the WC surface (−100.08 mJ m−2 and −71.98 mJ m−2, respectively). The CF and WC surfaces had similar antibiofilm effects against single-species biofilms, achieving cell reductions of approximately 50% and 60% for E. coli and P. putida, respectively, compared to the control. Additionally, the biomimetic surfaces led to reductions of up to 60% in biovolume, 45% in thickness, and 60% in the surface coverage of single-species biofilms. For dual-species biofilms, only the E. coli strain growing on the WC surface exhibited a significant decrease in the cell count. However, confocal microscopy analysis revealed a 60% reduction in the total biovolume and surface coverage of mixed biofilms developed on both biomimetic surfaces. Furthermore, dual-species biofilms were mainly composed of P. putida, which reduced E. coli growth. Altogether, these results demonstrate that the surface properties of CF and WC biomimetic surfaces have the potential for reducing biofilm formation.

Vibroacoustics Analysis of Plates with Bioinspired Surface Modifications

This study presents a simplified semi-analytical model to analyze the dynamic behavior of a plate with shark skin biomimetic surface modifications. The base plate is considered to be thin isotropic homogeneous and modeled using a Kirchhoff–Love plate theory, whereas the dermal denticles are modeled as a distributed array of point mass and replicated using a Dirac delta function. A semi-analytical formulation, which takes into account closed-form beam mode shapes, with the Galerkin technique to minimize errors is utilized to study the free and forced vibration response of modified plates. Harmonic analysis is carried out to understand the dynamic behavior of the modified plate both quantitatively as well as qualitatively. A parametric study varying the array spacing and the boundary conditions is carried out to understand the effect of surface modification on power radiation characteristics. It appears that adding dermal denticles reduces the peak velocity amplitude and peak radiated power at all resonance frequencies. A separate study by varying the base plate material reveals that a higher reduction in the dynamic response and the radiated power can be achieved by increasing the mass ratio. Hence, surface modification using such a shark skin layer may prove beneficial to reduce acoustic radiation and dynamic response and to optimize the design.

RGD and rhBMP-7 immobilized on zirconia scaffold with interweaved human dental pulp stem cells for promoting bone regeneration

Biomimetic surface modification of scaffolds with osteoinductive molecules is a promising strategy for improving the bioactivity of scaffold and stimulating stem cell signals in bone tissue engineering. Zirconia (ZrO2) offers excellent mechanical properties and biocompatibility, but its bio-inert nature hinders its use in bone regeneration applications. Recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein 7 (rhBMP-7) and arginine-glycine-aspartate (RGD) peptide were investigated for their potential use as surface-modifying biomolecules on the ZrO2 scaffold. Our results showed that human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs) were induced to osteogenic differentiation by rhBMP-7 and RGD in a dose-dependent manner. Significantly enhanced alkaline phosphatase activity and up-regulated expression of osteogenic genes in hDPSCs were associated with rhBMP-7 and RGD grafting onto the ZrO2 scaffold. Western blot analysis revealed that rhBMP-7 and RGD grafting led to activation of the SMAD1/5, p38 MARK, and ERK signaling pathways during hDPSCs differentiation. After 4 and 8 weeks of transplantation, the hDPSCs-seeded ZrO2-RGD-BMP-7 scaffold facilitated osteogenic differentiation and enhanced in vivo bone formation in critical-sized calvarial bone defects. The results support the simultaneous use of rhBMP-7 and RGD as surface-modifying biomolecules and hDPSCs as a source of osteogenic stem cells in conjugation with ZrO2-based porous scaffold for bone tissue engineering.

Functionalization of 3D printed polymeric bioresorbable stents with a dual cell-adhesive peptidic platform combining RGDS and YIGSR sequences.

Biomimetic surface modification with cell-adhesive peptides is a promising approach to improve endothelialization of current bioresorbable stents (BRS). Among them, RGDS and YIGSR sequences have been reported to mediate adhesion and migration of endothelial cells (ECs) while preventing platelet activation. This work presents the functionalization of novel 3D-printed poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA) and poly(L-lactic-co-ε-caprolactone) (PLCL) BRS with linear RGDS and YIGSR sequences, as well as a dual platform (PF) containing both motifs within a single biomolecule. Functionalized surfaces were characterized in terms of static contact angle, biomolecule distribution under confocal fluorescence microscopy and peptide quantification via detachment from the surface, showing a biomolecule density in the range of 0.5 to 3.5 nmol cm-2. Biological evaluation comprised a cell adhesion test on functionalized films with ECs and a blood perfusion assay on functionalized stents to assess ECs response and device hemocompatibility, respectively. Cell adhesion assays evidenced significantly increased cell number and spreading onto functionalized films with respect to control samples. Regarding stents' hemocompatibility, platelet adhesion onto PLCL stents was severely decreased with respect to PLLA. In addition, functionalization with RGDS, YIGSR and the PF rendered BRS stents displaying even further reduced platelet adhesion. In conclusion, the combination of intrinsically less prothrombogenic materials such as PLCL and its functionalization with EC-discriminating adhesive biomolecules paves the way for a new generation of BRS based on accelerated re-endothelialization approaches.

Shark skin biomimetic surface modification for plates: influence on free vibration response

Denticle microstructures in shark skin have intrigued researchers since they can be prospective for various marine applications due to their inherent properties which help in reducing drag as well as do not allow barnacles to form on its surface. However, any such alterations to create surface rivulets will invariably lead to changes in mass and stiffness, and thereby natural frequencies. Subsequently, the dynamic response will also be influenced as these hydrodynamic phenomena are strongly dependent on the natural frequencies. Therefore, in this work, an investigation of the effect of shark skin type biomimetic surface modifications on the free vibration response is investigated. The free vibration response of plates with shark skin is computed first using a high-fidelity numerical simulation in a commercial finite element package ABAQUS and then compared against a simplified semi-analytical model proposed herein. Results from both these methods agreed quite well. It is observed that shark skin denticles significantly influence the natural frequency without altering its mode shapes. It appears that adding shark skin like dermal denticles on the surface of a bare plate as an appendage helps in reducing the natural frequencies in each mode. The study also reveals that the reduction in the spacing between denticles reduces natural frequency even further. Therefore, the effect of these wettability altercations on free vibration response should be known apriori for efficient design.

Biomimetic surface modification of Three-dimensional printed Polylactic acid scaffolds with custom mechanical properties for bone reconstruction.

3D printing has recently emerged as an innovative fabrication method to construct critical-sized and patient-specific bone scaffolds. The ability to control the bulk geometry of scaffolds in both macro and micro-scales distinguishes this technology from other fabrication methods. In this study, bone tissue-specific scaffolds with different pore geometries were printed from polylactic acid (PLA) filaments at three given infill densities ranging from 20 to 30%. A hybrid hydrogel made of synthetic biphasic calcium phosphate (BCP) and collagen was applied to coat 3D printed well-structured triangular samples with 30% infill density. The coating process changed the surface texture, increased the average strand diameter and average pore size, and decreased the open porosity of samples, all of which increased the mechanical strength of biomimetic-coated scaffolds. According to matrix mineralization staining and osteo-related gene expression, the coating of scaffolds significantly facilitates metabolic activity and osteogenic differentiation of dental pulp-derived mesenchymal stem cells (DPSCs). Taken together, these results indicated that the biomimetic coating is a highly promising approach that could be taken into consideration in the design of a porous scaffold for bone tissue engineering.

Fluorescent Magnetic Nanoparticles for Bioimaging through Biomimetic Surface Modification

Nanostructured materials and systems find various applications in biomedical fields. Hybrid organo-inorganic nanomaterials are intensively studied in a wide range of areas, from visualization to drug delivery or tissue engineering. One of the recent trends in material science is biomimetic approaches toward the synthesis or modification of functional nanosystems. Here, we describe an approach toward multifunctional nanomaterials through the biomimetic polymerization of dopamine derivatives. Magnetite nanoparticles were modified with a combination of dopamine conjugates to give multifunctional magneto-fluorescent nanocomposites in one synthetic step. The obtained material showed excellent biocompatibility at concentrations up to 200 μg/mL and an in vivo biodistribution profile typical for nanosized formulations. The synthesized systems were conjugated with antibodies against HER2 to improve their selectivity toward HER2-positive cancer cells. The produced material can be used for dual magneto-optical in vivo studies or targeted drug delivery. The applied synthetic strategy can be used for the creation of various multifunctional hybrid nanomaterials in mild conditions.

Biomimetic Strategy to Enhance Epithelial Cell Viability and Spreading on PEEK Implants.

Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) is a biocompatible material widely used in spinal and craniofacial implants, with potential use in percutaneous implants. However, its inertness prevents it from forming a tight seal with the surrounding soft tissue, which can lead to infections and implant failure. Conversely, the surface chemistry of percutaneous organs (i.e., teeth) helps establish a strong interaction with the epithelial cells of the contacting soft tissues, and hence a tight seal, preventing infection. The seal is created by adsorption of basement membrane (BM) proteins, secreted by epithelial cells, onto the percutaneous organ surfaces. Here, we aim to create a tight seal between PEEK and epithelial tissues by mimicking the surface chemistry of teeth. Our hypothesis is that collagen I, the most abundant tooth protein, enables integration between the epithelial tissue and teeth by promoting adsorption of BM proteins. To test this, we immobilized collagen I via EDC/NHS coupling on a carboxylated PEEK surface modified using diazonium chemistry. We used titanium alloy (Ti-6Al-4V) for comparison, as titanium is the most widely used percutaneous biomaterial. Both collagen-modified PEEK and titanium showed a larger adsorption of key BM proteins (laminin, nidogen, and fibronectin) compared to controls. Keratinocyte epithelial cell viability on collagen-modified PEEK was twice that of control PEEK and ∼1.5 times that of control titanium after 3 days of cell seeding. Both keratinocytes and fibroblasts spread more on collagen-modified PEEK and titanium compared to controls. This work introduces a versatile and biomimetic surface modification technique that may enhance PEEK-epithelial tissue sealing with the potential of extending PEEK applications to percutaneous implants, making it competitive with titanium.

A Selective Review on the Novel Approaches and Potential Control Agents of Anti-biofouling and Anti-biofilming.

Specific aggregates of bacterial colonies, which, when embedded in a self-produced matrix, are known to cause biofouling. These complex structures are highly resistant to extreme stress conditions like antibiotics, complex cleaning strategies, or even the human immune system. The formation of biofilm matrices and biofouling is chosen as the preferred microbial environment owing to the advantages offered for the embedded cells for their long-term survival. This increased resistance and virulence emphasizes the urgency of finding newer alternatives for its complete eradication. Combined approaches using enzymes, biomimetic surface modification, and a fusion of physical and chemical methods are gaining more prominence. In brief, this review discusses the structure and biology of biofilms, their mechanism of action, and the new-age anti-biofilm and biofouling agents in food industries, bioelectric, and medical devices. Current anti-biofouling methods, including engineered polymers, surface coatings to antimicrobials, and antibiotics, have also been described.

A Review of Biomimetic Topographies and Their Role in Promoting Bone Formation and Osseointegration: Implications for Clinical Use.

The use of metallic and polymeric materials for implants has been increasing over the past decade. This trend can be attributed to a variety of factors including a significant increase in basic science research focused on implant material characteristics and how various surface modifications may stimulate osseointegration and, ultimately, fusion. There are many interbody fusion devices and dental implants commercially available; however, detailed information about their surface properties, and the effects that various materials and surface modifications may have on osteogenesis, is lacking in the literature. While the concept of bone-implant osseointegration is a relatively recent addition to the spine fusion literature, there is a comparatively large body of literature related to dental implants. The purpose of this article is to summarize the science of surface modified bone-facing implants, focusing on biomimetic material chemistry and topography of titanium implants, to promote a better understanding of how these characteristics may impact bone formation and osseointegration. This manuscript has the following aspects: highlights the role of titanium and its alloys as potent osteoconductive bioactive materials; explores the importance of biomimetic surface topography at the macro-, micro- and nano-scale; summarizes how material surface design can influence osteogenesis and immune responses in vitro; focuses on the kinds of surface modifications that play a role in the process. Biomimetic surface modifications can be varied across many clinically available biomaterials, and the literature supports the hypothesis that those biomaterial surfaces that exhibit physical properties of bone resorption pits, such as roughness and complex hierarchical structures at the submicron and nanoscale, are more effective in supporting osteoblast differentiation in vitro and osteogenesis in vivo.

3D Finite Element Simulation and Experimental Validation of a Mole Rat’s Digit Inspired Biomimetic Potato Digging Shovel

To reduce the draught force of a traditional planar potato digging shovel (DZ), a biomimetic potato digging shovel (YS), inspired by the mole rat’s digits, is designed, using the biomimetic macroscopic surface modification method. The finite element simulations, soil bin experiments, and field experiments for DZ and YS are conducted to explore the factors affecting draught force and to verify the feasibility and effectiveness of the biomimetic potato digging shovel. Results show that the soil–shovel interaction models predict the draught force well, but the simulations for the soil rupture distance ratio need to be further improved. The studied factors all have a great influence on the draught force of DZ and YS and they follow the order of cutting speed > digging depth > mounting angle. For the single shovels, YS, compared with DZ, increases the draught force at a low mounting angle but decreases the draught force by over 8.41% when the mounting angle is higher than 30°; for the grouped shovels, the draught force and fuel consumption of YS, compared with those of DZ, decline by over 13.33% and 9.18%, respectively. The reasons for the reduction in the draught force of YS are to make the soil mass tend to move upward and to change the soil’s state of motion and stress continually; thus, the compaction to the soil is reduced, and the soil becomes easier to be broken.

Biomimetic surface modification of UHMWPE fibers to enhance interfacial adhesion with rubber matrix via constructing polydopamine functionalization platform and then depositing zinc oxide nanoparticles

Aimed at enhancing the interfacial adhesion property of ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fibers reinforced rubber composites, a biomimetic surface modification strategy was put forward by constructing polydopamine (PDA) functionalization platform and then depositing zinc oxide nanoparticles (nano-ZnO). Inspired by the mechanism of mussel adhesion, a layer of PDA film was coated onto the fiber surface by dopamine oxidative self-polymerization reaction. Subsequently, through the coordination interaction between nano-ZnO and PDA, the deposition of nano-ZnO was realized. The results of characterization analysis, including fiber surface morphologies, chemical compositions and structures, not only confirmed the process of the proposed modification but also elucidated the interactions among UHMWPE, PDA and nano-ZnO. The H-pull test showed that the maximum H-pull force of modified UHMWPE fibers to rubber matrix was up to 34.3 N, increased by 85.4% compared with that of pristine UHMWPE fibers, which could be mainly attributed to the combined action of interfacial physicochemical interactions and mechanical interlocking. Moreover, it was found that the reaction time should be controlled to avoid the degradation of adhesion due to excessive modification.

Bio-clickable mussel-inspired peptides improve titanium-based material osseointegration synergistically with immunopolarization-regulation

Upon the osteoporotic condition, sluggish osteogenesis, excessive bone resorption, and chronic inflammation make the osseointegration of bioinert titanium (Ti) implants with surrounding bone tissues difficult, often lead to prosthesis loosening, bone collapse, and implant failure. In this study, we firstly designed clickable mussel-inspired peptides (DOPA-N3) and grafted them onto the surfaces of Ti materials through robust catechol-TiO2 coordinative interactions. Then, two dibenzylcyclooctyne (DBCO)-capped bioactive peptides RGD and BMP-2 bioactive domain (BMP-2) were clicked onto the DOPA-N3-coated Ti material surfaces via bio-orthogonal reaction. We characterized the surface morphology and biocompatibility of the Ti substrates and optimized the osteogenic capacity of Ti surfaces through adjusting the ideal ratios of BMP-2/RGD at 3:1. In vitro, the dual-functionalized Ti substrates exhibited excellent promotion on adhesion and osteogenesis of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), and conspicuous immunopolarization-regulation to shift macrophages to alternative (M2) phenotypes and inhibit inflammation, as well as enhancement of osseointegration and mechanical stability in osteoporotic rats. In summary, our biomimetic surface modification strategy by bio-orthogonal reaction provided a convenient and feasible method to resolve the bioinertia and clinical complications of Ti-based implants, which was conducive to the long-term success of Ti implants, especially in the osteoporotic or inflammatory conditions.

Influence of surface modification of titanium implants on improving osseointegration: An in vitro study

Statement of problemThe effect of aging and the surface treatment of implants on osseointegration needs to be evaluated. PurposeThe purpose of this in vitro study was to evaluate the effects of aging and the surface treatment of titanium with ultraviolet (UV) radiation and fibroblast growth factor (FGF) on hydrophilicity and cell growth and thus on osseointegration. Material and methodsA total of 28 specimens were divided into 2 groups to measure hydrophilicity (n=14) and cell growth (n=14). Each group was further divided into 4 groups according to surface modification. These include the control group (CG) (nascent specimens), aged group (AG) (nascent specimens aged for 4 weeks), photofunctionalized group (PG) (aged specimens UV-A treated), and mimed group (MG) (aged specimens UV-A and FGF2 treated). The PG and MG specimens were treated with UV-A light for 40 minutes. The biomimetic surface modification was performed for MG. Hydrophilicity was measured by using the contact angle in relation to the surface of titanium disks with the help of a drop shape analyzing device (KRUSS), and cell growth was measured by calculating the number of stem cells per cm2 with the help of a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The data obtained were subjected to statistical analysis with a statistical software program (α=.05). ResultsThe lowest contact angle values were found in PG (13.52 ±0.90 degrees) and the highest in AG (70.54 ±1.72 degrees). The highest number of cells per cm2 (2880 ±99.33) were found for MG, and the lowest number of cells per cm2 (760 ±9.17) for AG. ConclusionsAging decreased the hydrophilicity and cell adhesion, migration, and growth on the titanium surface. UV treatment improved the hydrophilicity, cell adhesion, migration, and growth for both CG and AG. FGF2 treatment increased the cell adhesion, migration, and growth for CG, AG, and PG.

Up around the bend: progress and promise of intravascular imaging in neurointerventional surgery

Endovascular treatment in peripheral and coronary circulations has been greatly advanced with the aid of intravascular imaging such as optical coherence tomography (OCT) and intravascular ultrasound (IVUS).1 2 Studies have...