Selection Of Biomaterials Research Articles

Clinical Application for Tissue Engineering Focused on Materials.

Cardiovascular-related medical conditions remain a significant cause of death worldwide despite the advent of tissue engineering research more than half a century ago. Although autologous tissue is still the preferred treatment, donor tissue is limited, and there remains a need for tissue-engineered vascular grafts (TEVGs). The production of extensive vascular tissue (>1 cm3) in vitro meets the clinical needs of tissue grafts and biological research applications. The use of TEVGs in human patients remains limited due to issues related to thrombogenesis and stenosis. In addition to the advancement of simple manufacturing methods, the shift of attention to the combination of synthetic polymers and bio-derived materials and cell sources has enabled synergistic combinations of vascular tissue development. This review details the selection of biomaterials, cell sources and relevant clinical trials related to large diameter vascular grafts. Finally, we will discuss the remaining challenges in the tissue engineering field resulting from complex requirements by covering both basic and clinical research from the perspective of material design.

Functional Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene Composites for Ligament Reconstructions and Their Targeted Applications in the Restoration of the Anterior Cruciate Ligament.

The selection of biomaterials as biomedical implants is a significant challenge. Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) and composites of such kind have been extensively used in medical implants, notably in the bearings of the hip, knee, and other joint prostheses, owing to its biocompatibility and high wear resistance. For the Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) graft, synthetic UHMWPE is an ideal candidate due to its biocompatibility and extremely high tensile strength. However, significant problems are observed in UHMWPE based implants, such as wear debris and oxidative degradation. To resolve the issue of wear and to enhance the life of UHMWPE as an implant, in recent years, this field has witnessed numerous innovative methodologies such as biofunctionalization or high temperature melting of UHMWPE to enhance its toughness and strength. The surface functionalization/modification/treatment of UHMWPE is very challenging as it requires optimizing many variables, such as surface tension and wettability, active functional groups on the surface, irradiation, and protein immobilization to successfully improve the mechanical properties of UHMWPE and reduce or eliminate the wear or osteolysis of the UHMWPE implant. Despite these difficulties, several surface roughening, functionalization, and irradiation processing technologies have been developed and applied in the recent past. The basic research and direct industrial applications of such material improvement technology are very significant, as evidenced by the significant number of published papers and patents. However, the available literature on research methodology and techniques related to material property enhancement and protection from wear of UHMWPE is disseminated, and there is a lack of a comprehensive source for the research community to access information on the subject matter. Here we provide an overview of recent developments and core challenges in the surface modification/functionalization/irradiation of UHMWPE and apply these findings to the case study of UHMWPE for ACL repair.

Meniscus Bioprinting Technology Roadmap

Meniscus lesions represent a challenge for medicine in view of the high occurrence, the limited intrinsic regenerative potential of the meniscus and the economic and social impact associated with the restricted results of current treatments. One of the most promising alternatives is the development of meniscus engineered substitutes (MES) through 3D bioprinting. To define strategies for technologies development, processes, and products necessary for MES bioprinting, innovation management and planning tools, such as roadmaps (RMap), can be used. This research aimed to build an RMap to portray the scientific and technological contemporary status related to tissue engineering strategies for bioinks development (BI) for MES bioprinting. For this, the search for scientific publications were carried out in journals (Science Direct, PubMed, and Web Of Science) and patents (Google patents and EspaceNet) using as strings the combination Meniscus AND Scaffold AND Bioprinting AND Tissue Engineering. The search was restricted to original scientific articles and patents published between 2015 and 2021. The selected publications were carefully analyzed to identify the technologies developed (bioprinting process, biomaterials, and cells). The information was compiled and compared with the biomechanical performance criteria of a meniscus, to infer the degree of biomimicry and the potential of each innovation proposal. 9 articles and 4 patents were selected. Except for one publication using the inkjet printing method, all explored the extrusion method. Only 4 of the publications incorporated cellular contingent, predominantly the use of stem cells derived from fat and bone marrow. Regarding biopolymers, polycaprolactone (PCL) predominated, used alone or in association with collagen, gelatin methacrylate, alginate, poly(lactic‐co‐glycolic acid) and decellularized extracellular matrix. It is noteworthy that PCL generates a rigid matrix, technically incompatible with the biomechanical nature of the meniscus. It means that the proposals under development have at least one characteristic that could impede the future use of the under‐development technologies. This finding reinforces the importance of using technological planning techniques to support biotechnology research. The Rmap obtained describes the frontier technologies of BI knowledge for MES bioprinting, showing incompatibility between the MES biomechanical performance characteristics and the properties necessary to achieve faithful biomimicry concerning biological menisci. The expectation is that this Rmap will contribute to the development of new BI strategies, focusing on the selection and/or modification of biomaterials and cells, to achieve the biomimetic performance of MES.

Proteomic Analysis of Silk Fibroin Reveals Diverse Biological Function of Different Degumming Processing From Different Origin.

Silk, as a kind of natural fibrin, has been prepared into various biomaterials due to its excellent biocompatibility and mechanicalness. However, there are some controversies on the biocompatibility of silk fibroin (SF), especially when it coexists with sericin. In this study, two kinds of silk from Jiangsu and Zhejiang were degummed with two concentrations of Na2CO3 solution, respectively, to obtain four kinds of silk fibroin. The effects of different degumming treatments on silk fibroin properties were analyzed by means of color reaction, apparent viscosity measurement, and transmission electron microscope and isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification analyses, and the effects of different silk fibroin membranes on the growth of Schwann cells were evaluated. The results showed that the natural silk from Zhejiang treated with 0.05% Na2CO3 solution had a fuller structure, higher apparent viscosity, and better protein composition. While SF obtained by degumming with 0.5% Na2CO3 solution was more beneficial to cell adhesion and proliferation due to the thorough removal of sericin. This study may provide important theoretical and experimental bases for the selection of biomaterials for fabricating artificial nerve grafts.

Characterization of Five Collagenous Biomaterials by SEM Observations, TG-DTA, Collagenase Dissolution Tests and Subcutaneous Implantation Tests.

Collagenous biomaterials that are clinically applied in dentistry have dermis-type and membrane-type, both of which are materials for promoting bone and soft tissue formation. The properties of materials supplied with different types could affect their biodegradation periods. The purpose of this study was to characterize five of these products by four different methods: scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observation, thermogravimetry-differential thermal analysis (TG-DTA), 0.01 wt% collagenase dissolution test, and subcutaneous implantation test in vivo. SEM micrographs revealed that both dermis and membranous materials were fibrous and porous. The membranous materials had higher specific derivative thermal gravimetry (DTG) peak temperatures in TG-DTA at around 320 °C, longer collagenase dissolution time ranging from about 300 to 500 min, and more longevity in mice exceeding 9 weeks than the dermis materials. There existed a correlation between the peak temperature in TG-DTA and the collagenase dissolution time. It was considered that higher cross-link degree among collagen fibrils of the membrane-type collagenous materials might account for these phenomena. The experimental protocol and numerical results obtained could be helpful for selection and future development of fibrous collagenous biomaterials in clinical use.

Selection of natural biomaterials for micro-tissue and organ-on-chip models.

The desired organ in micro-tissue models of organ-on-a-chip (OoC) devices dictates the optimum biomaterials, divided into natural and synthetic biomaterials. They can resemble biological tissues' biological functions and architectures by constructing bioactivity of macromolecules, cells, nanoparticles, and other biological agents. The inclusion of such components in OoCs allows them having biological processes, such as basic biorecognition, enzymatic cleavage, and regulated drug release. In this report, we review natural-based biomaterials that are used in OoCs and their main characteristics. We address the preparation, modification, and characterization methods of natural-based biomaterials and summarize recent reports on their applications in the design and fabrication of micro-tissue models. This article will help bioengineers select the proper biomaterials based on developing new technologies to meet clinical expectations and improve patient outcomes fusing disease modeling.

An Overview on the Manufacturing of Functional and Mature Cellular Skin Substitutes.

There are different types of skin diseases due to chronic injuries that impede the natural healing process of the skin. Tissue engineering has focused on the development of bioengineered skin or skin substitutes that cover the wound, providing the necessary care to restore the functionality of injured skin. There are two types of substitutes: acellular skin substitutes, which offer a low response to the body, and cellular skin substitutes (CSSs), which incorporate living cells and appear as a great alternative in the treatment of skin injuries due to their greater interaction and integration with the rest of the body. For the development of a CSS, it is necessary to select the most suitable biomaterials, cell components, and methodology of biofabrication for the wound to be treated. Moreover, these CSSs are immature substitutes that must undergo a maturing process in specific bioreactors, guaranteeing their functionality. The bioreactor simulates the natural state of maturation of the skin by controlling parameters such as temperature, pressure, or humidity, allowing a homogeneous maturation of the CSSs in an aseptic environment. The use of bioreactors not only contributes to the maturation of the CSSs but also offers a new way of obtaining large sections of skin substitutes or natural skin from small portions acquired from the patient, donor, or substitute. Based on the innovation of this technology and the need to develop efficient CSSs, this work offers an update on bioreactor technology in the field of skin regeneration. Impact Statement The manufacture of functional cellular skin substitutes (CSSs) is one of the current goals in the field of tissue engineering to improve the treatment of chronic skin injuries, thus favoring skin repair and regeneration. The main advances in the development of innovative and effective CSSs are largely focused on the selection of more adequate cellular components, biomaterials, and biofabrication techniques to be used in their biofabrication. However, the maturation of CSSs should be an essential step in obtaining a functional substitute capable of replacing the native skin. The sequential procedure from the design of the CSS to its maturation process will be reviewed. In the context of the manufacturing of novel CSSs, different technologies to biofabricate functional structures and how their maturation can be carried out by specific devices are addressed, as well as key challenges facing the design and development of CSSs.

Advances in Engineered Three-Dimensional (3D) Body Articulation Unit Models

Indeed, the body articulation units, commonly referred to as body joints, play significant roles in the musculoskeletal system, enabling body flexibility. Nevertheless, these articulation units suffer from several pathological conditions, such as osteoarthritis (OA), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), ankylosing spondylitis, gout, and psoriatic arthritis. There exist several treatment modalities based on the utilization of anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs, which can reduce or control the pathophysiological symptoms. Despite the success, these treatment modalities suffer from major shortcomings of enormous cost and poor recovery, limiting their applicability and requiring promising strategies. To address these limitations, several engineering strategies have been emerged as promising solutions in fabricating the body articulation as unit models towards local articulation repair for tissue regeneration and high-throughput screening for drug development. In this article, we present challenges related to the selection of biomaterials (natural and synthetic sources), construction of 3D articulation models (scaffold-free, scaffold-based, and organ-on-a-chip), architectural designs (microfluidics, bioprinting, electrospinning, and biomineralization), and the type of culture conditions (growth factors and active peptides). Then, we emphasize the applicability of these articulation units for emerging biomedical applications of drug screening and tissue repair/regeneration. In conclusion, we put forward the challenges and difficulties for the further clinical application of the in vitro 3D articulation unit models in terms of the long-term high activity of the models.

Knee Prosthesis Biomaterial Selection by Using MCDM Solver

Biomaterials are a special class of contemporary materials used to make prostheses, parts of organs or to replace entire organs. They are used to replace soft and hard tissues. Metal biomaterials are mostly used to replace hard bone tissues and joints. There is no ideal substitution for natural biological material, but each of the biomaterials has a number of advantages and disadvantages. The problem of choosing the most favorable biomaterial is a complex process of multi‐criteria decision‐making, which requires a lot of knowledge and experience. In order to help decision makers in solving this complex task, a decision support system named MCDM Solver is proposed. MCDM Solver is used in decision‐making process to rank the biomaterials with respect to several criteria. In this paper, MCDM Solver was used to select knee prosthesis material.

Tresca Stress Simulation of Metal-on-Metal Total Hip Arthroplasty during Normal Walking Activity.

The selection of biomaterials for bearing in total hip arthroplasty is very important to avoid various risks of primary postoperative failure for patients. The current investigation attempts to analyze the Tresca stress of metal-on-metal bearings with three different materials, namely, cobalt chromium molybdenum (CoCrMo), stainless steel 316L (SS 316L), and titanium alloy (Ti6Al4V). We used computational simulations using a 2D axisymmetric finite element model to predict Tresca stresses under physiological conditions of the human hip joint during normal walking. The simulation results show that Ti6Al4V-on-Ti6Al4V has the best performance to reduce Tresca stress by 45.76% and 39.15%, respectively, compared to CoCrMo-on-CoCrMo and SS 316L-on-SS 316L.

Thrombogenicity of biomaterials depends on hemodynamic shear rate.

While it is well recognized that different biomaterials induce thrombosis at low shear rates, the effect of high shear rates may be quite different. We hypothesize that the amount of thrombus formation on a given material can be greatly influenced by the local shear rate. We tested this hypothesis with two different whole blood perfusion loop assays to quantify biomaterial thrombogenicity as a function of shear stress. One assay uses obstructive posts (pins) of material positioned centrally in a tube perfused at high shear rate of >5000/s for 24h. A second assay uses a parallel plate chamber to perfuse low (<150/s), medium (~500/s), and high shear rates over 96h. We evaluated the thrombogenicity of seven different biomaterials including stainless steel, acrylic, ceramic, Dacron, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), silicone, and polyvinyl chloride (PVC). For the pin assay, thrombus mass was significantly greater for stainless steel than either zirconia ceramic or acrylic (p<0.001). Similarly, the parallel plate chamber at high shear showed that steel and PTFE (p<0.02) occluded the chamber faster than acrylic. In contrast, a low shear parallel plate chamber revealed that stainless steel and PTFE were least thrombogenic, while silicone, Dacron, and other plastics such as acrylic were most thrombogenic. Histology revealed that high shear thrombi had a large proportion of platelets not seen in the low shear fibrin-rich thrombi. This differential thrombogenicity based on shear rate conditions may be important in the selection of biomaterials for blood-contacting devices.

The personalized application of biomaterials based on age and sexuality specific immune responses

Although biomaterials are widely utilized in clinics, it still follows the “one-fits-all” strategy. Biological variables such as age and sexuality have an impact on the host immune response and are not fully considered in the practice guidelines of the biomaterial implantation. In this study, we investigated the immuno-material interactions of six commonly used biomaterials (agarose, alginate, chitosan, CMC, GelMA and collagen type I) and constructed a population (with different ages and sexes) based transcriptome atlas. Protein and polysaccharide-based biomaterials elicited distinctive immune responses that protein-based materials preferred the NKT pathway to activate innate and adaptive immune response, whereas polysaccharide-based materials activated the cDCs to present antigen. The atlas further revealed the sex/age-related variabilities on the immune response followed by the polysaccharide treatment. As for sex bias, alginate and agarose stimulation significantly increased the proportion of naive CD4+ T cells in the female group, accompanied by the Th1 differentiation tendency, compared to the male group. Age-biased transcript showed alginate and chitosan would impair the extracellular matrix remodeling and up-regulate the apoptosis process in the elderly groups, compared to the young group. More attentions on the ingredient, age and sexuality effect of biomaterial implants should be paid during the clinical practice, especially for the polysaccharide-based materials. This experimental result is of great significance for the selection of biomaterials, particularly the blood contact materials, such as vessel or cardiac device, drug vehicles and hemostatic materials.

Эндопротезирование голеностопного сустава

Abstract. Introduction Total ankle replacement is definitely a tough issue for both orthopedic surgeons treating patients with ankle pathology and engineers who develop optimal implant constructs. Extreme short-time kinetic loads, complex motion biomechanics, anatomic features of the ankle result in high demands for ankle joint implants. In general, there is a positive tendency in an annual increase of the number of total ankle replacements. Alongside, a significant lagging in performing this procedure and the tendency for ankle arthrodesis has been observed in Russia. Aim To review the literature data about development and current status of total ankle replacement. To evaluate the use of modern implants for distal tibia replacement. Material and methods The given literature review includes analysis of foreign and domestic publications focused on issues of treatment of osteoarthritis of the ankle joint and tumors of the distal tibia. The information was searched for using GoogleScholar, PubMed, eLIBRARY, PubMedCentral in the Russian and English languages with the following keywords: total ankle replacement, ankle arthrodesis, ankle osteoarthritis, distal tibia replacement. Discussion Currently, there are controversies in selection of biomaterials and constructive parameters for ankle implants. Separately, there is an unsolved issue of selecting the optimal friction pair for bearing surfaces, as well as of operative technique features, such as implant fixation, surgical approach, modeling and restoration of the capsular-ligamentous complex. Conclusion Total ankle replacement is an effective alternative procedure to ankle arthrodesis and limb-sacrificing operations. To improve treatment results, optimal implant construction, fixation methods, selecting appropriate friction pair and capsular-ligamentous complex restoration should be further investigated in complex studies.

Photo-crosslinkable chitosan and gelatin-based nanohybrid bioinks for extrusion-based 3D-bioprinting

In the last decade, 3D-bioprinting has attracted attention due to its capability to produce complex scaffolds. The selection of suitable biomaterials for the bioink design is very important for the success of 3D-bioprinting. In this study, chitosan and gelatin were chemically modified into methacrylated chitosan (ChiMA) and methacrylated gelatin (GelMA) with the methacrylic anhydride in order to obtain crosslinking points on the polymeric backbone. The eligible bioinks were formulated with the layered double hydroxide nanoparticles (LDHs). The effect of changing the amount of LDHs on the printability of the bioinks was evaluated by using rheological analysis and printability test with the extrusion-based 3D-bioprinting. The bioinks were crosslinked under UV light. Mechanical, swelling, degradation properties, and cell-adhesion behaviors of the obtained ChiMA/GelMA nanohybrid scaffolds containing LDHs were investigated. Based on the rheology and the printing results, ChiMA/GelMA nanohybrid scaffold containing 5% LDHs (ChiMA-G5) was found to be the optimal bioink. Notably, compression strength, elongation at break, and elastic modulus of ChiMA-G5 scaffold were higher than neat and other ChiMA/GelMA scaffolds. In vitro cell culture studies showed that LDHs do not have any negative effects. These findings indicate that the developed ChiMA-G5 bioink has great potential as a bioink to utilize for tissue engineering applications.

Biomimetic Scaffolds Obtained by Electrospinning of Collagen-Based Materials: Strategies to Hinder the Protein Denaturation.

The use of biomaterials and scaffolds to boost bone regeneration is increasingly gaining interest as a complementary method to the standard surgical and pharmacological treatments in case of severe injuries and pathological conditions. In this frame, the selection of biomaterials and the accurate assessment of the manufacturing procedures are considered key factors in the design of constructs able to resemble the features of the native tissue and effectively induce specific cell responses. Accordingly, composite scaffolds based on type-I-collagen can mimic the composition of bone extracellular matrix (ECM), while electrospinning technologies can be exploited to produce nanofibrous matrices to resemble its architectural organization. However, the combination of collagen and electrospinning reported several complications due to the frequent denaturation of the protein and the variability of results according to collagen origin, concentration, and solvent. In this context, the strategies optimized in this study enabled the preparation of collagen-based electrospun scaffolds characterized by about 100 nm fibers, preserving the physico-chemical properties of the protein thanks to the use of an acetic acid-based solvent. Moreover, nanoparticles of mesoporous bioactive glasses were combined with the optimized collagen formulation, proving the successful design of composite scaffolds resembling the morphological features of bone ECM at the nanoscale.

Silk gel recruits specific cell populations for scarless skin regeneration

Scarless skin regeneration is not achieved although various biomaterials have been investigated on trial-and-error manner. There is no predictable way to link a specific biomaterial with in vivo cell populations which dominate the skin repair. In this study, single-cell RNA sequencing was conducted to investigate the cellular mechanism of two prevailing biomaterials used in skin regeneration, silk fibroin gel and alginate gel. We found that these two gels induced different cell population structures in vivo. Compared with the alginate-derived hydrogel, silk fibroin-derived hydrogel induced more pro-regenerative macrophages and recruited more hair follicle stem cells, which contributed to almost scarless skin regeneration. Besides, an off-the-shelf silk gel scaffold was fabricated and exhibited more efficacy than autologous skin grafts in porcine models. These findings exhibited the promises of the silk gel for skin regeneration and illustrated a predictable strategy for biomaterial selection based on cell populations recruitment.

Scaffold-based developmental tissue engineering strategies for ectodermal organ regeneration.

Tissue engineering (TE) is a multidisciplinary research field aiming at the regeneration, restoration, or replacement of damaged tissues and organs. Classical TE approaches combine scaffolds, cells and soluble factors to fabricate constructs mimicking the native tissue to be regenerated. However, to date, limited success in clinical translations has been achieved by classical TE approaches, because of the lack of satisfactory biomorphological and biofunctional features of the obtained constructs. Developmental TE has emerged as a novel TE paradigm to obtain tissues and organs with correct biomorphology and biofunctionality by mimicking the morphogenetic processes leading to the tissue/organ generation in the embryo. Ectodermal appendages, for instance, develop in vivo by sequential interactions between epithelium and mesenchyme, in a process known as secondary induction. A fine artificial replication of these complex interactions can potentially lead to the fabrication of the tissues/organs to be regenerated. Successful developmental TE applications have been reported, in vitro and in vivo, for ectodermal appendages such as teeth, hair follicles and glands. Developmental TE strategies require an accurate selection of cell sources, scaffolds and cell culture configurations to allow for the correct replication of the in vivo morphogenetic cues. Herein, we describe and discuss the emergence of this TE paradigm by reviewing the achievements obtained so far in developmental TE 3D scaffolds for teeth, hair follicles, and salivary and lacrimal glands, with particular focus on the selection of biomaterials and cell culture configurations.

A new biomaterial selection approach using reference ideal method

A new biomaterial selection approach using reference ideal method

Crosstalk between Macrophages and Mesenchymal Stem Cells Regulated by Biomaterials and Its Role in Bone Regeneration

Impaired bone healing caused by severe trauma, infection, and tumor resection is an extremely common phenomenon. Therefore, the treatment of bone defects represents a major clinical challenge worldwide. In such situations, the application of biomaterials is necessary for filling defects and promoting bone regeneration. Bone repair biomaterials having osteoconductive and osteoinductive properties can act as an appropriate template for the formation of new bone and induce the osteogenic differentiation of preosteocytes and stem cells. Thus, the influence of biomaterials on the regulation of osteogenesis of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) has been widely studied. However, immune response is also critical in bone healing; macrophages play pivotal and dynamic roles in bone regeneration. The interfacial properties of biomaterials that affect the adsorption of proteins and the adhesion function of cells require great attention in the field of bone tissue engineering because they are related to the crosstalk with the immune and bone or stem cells. Thus, selection of biomaterials or specific surface coatings may reduce local undesirable inflammatory responses and promote bone regeneration. This review provides a detailed overview of bone regeneration mechanisms and the interaction between immune cells and MSCs. Moreover, the influence of biomaterials on the regulation of functions of MSCs and macrophages and the macrophage‐related inflammatory response triggered by biomaterials and its specific role in osteogenesis are discussed.

Fabrication and selection of suitable biomaterials for acetabular liner of hip implants by using TOPSIS method

This study presents the fabrication of three polymer blends coded as HDHA-10, 20, 30 from the mixture of high density polyethylene and hydroxyapatite with different proportions followed by mechanical test and surface characterization. A popular decision making technique called ‘Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS)’ was applied to select the best one from these results. Atomic force microscopic images revealed the average roughness of ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene surface as 1100 nm and HDHA-30 as 296 nm. Hence HDHA-30 is recommended as best blend for acetabular liners of metal-on-plastic hip implants due to its promising features.