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Biomaterials Science Jan 2019DNA as a biomaterial has evoked great interest as a potential platform for therapeutics and diagnostics and as hydrogel scaffolds due to the relative ease of programming... (Review)
Review
DNA as a biomaterial has evoked great interest as a potential platform for therapeutics and diagnostics and as hydrogel scaffolds due to the relative ease of programming its robust and uniform shape, site-specific functionality and controlled responsive behavior. However, for a stable self-assembled product, a relatively high cation concentration is required to prevent denaturation. Physiological and cell-culture conditions do not match these concentrations and present additional nucleases that cause a serious threat to the integrity of DNA-based materials. For the translation of this promising technology towards bioengineering challenges, stability needs to be guaranteed. Over the past years, various methods have been developed addressing the stability-related weaknesses of DNA-origami. This mini-review explains the common stability issues and compares the stabilization strategies recently developed. We present a detailed overview of each method in order to ease the selection process on which method to use for future users of DNA-origami as a biomaterial.
Topics: Animals; Biocompatible Materials; DNA; Engineering; Humans
PubMed: 30534709
DOI: 10.1039/c8bm01249k -
Journal of Materials Chemistry. B Oct 2021X-ray attenuation ability, otherwise known as radiopacity of a material, could be indisputably tagged as the central and decisive parameter that produces contrast in an... (Review)
Review
X-ray attenuation ability, otherwise known as radiopacity of a material, could be indisputably tagged as the central and decisive parameter that produces contrast in an X-ray image. Radiopaque biomaterials are vital in the healthcare sector that helps clinicians to track them unambiguously during pre and post interventional radiological procedures. Medical imaging is one of the most powerful resources in the diagnostic sector that aids improved treatment outcomes for patients. Intrinsically radiopaque biomaterials enable themselves for visual targeting/positioning as well as to monitor their fate and further provide the radiologists with critical insights about the surgical site. Moreover, the emergence of advanced real-time imaging modalities is a boon to the contemporary healthcare systems that allow to perform minimally invasive surgical procedures and thereby reduce the healthcare costs and minimize patient trauma. X-ray based imaging is one such technologically upgraded diagnostic tool with many variants like digital X-ray, computed tomography, digital subtraction angiography, and fluoroscopy. In light of these facts, this review is aimed to briefly consolidate the physical principles of X-ray attenuation by a radiopaque material, measurement of radiopacity, classification of radiopaque biomaterials, and their recent advanced applications.
Topics: Biocompatible Materials; Humans; X-Rays
PubMed: 34585717
DOI: 10.1039/d1tb01513c -
ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering Mar 2024Biomaterials possess distinctive properties, notably their ability to encapsulate active biological products while providing biocompatible support. The immune system... (Review)
Review
Biomaterials possess distinctive properties, notably their ability to encapsulate active biological products while providing biocompatible support. The immune system plays a vital role in preventing cancer recurrence, and there is considerable demand for an effective strategy to prevent cancer recurrence, necessitating effective strategies to address this concern. This review elucidates crucial cellular signaling pathways in cancer recurrence. Furthermore, it underscores the potential of biomaterial-based tools in averting or inhibiting cancer recurrence by modulating the immune system. Diverse biomaterials, including hydrogels, particles, films, microneedles, etc., exhibit promising capabilities in mitigating cancer recurrence. These materials are compelling candidates for cancer immunotherapy, offering in situ immunostimulatory activity through transdermal, implantable, and injectable devices. They function by reshaping the tumor microenvironment and impeding tumor growth by reducing immunosuppression. Biomaterials facilitate alterations in biodistribution, release kinetics, and colocalization of immunostimulatory agents, enhancing the safety and efficacy of therapy. Additionally, how the method addresses the limitations of other therapeutic approaches is discussed.
Topics: Humans; Biocompatible Materials; Tissue Distribution; Drug Delivery Systems; Immunotherapy; Neoplasms; Tumor Microenvironment
PubMed: 38416058
DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.3c01347 -
Advanced Materials (Deerfield Beach,... Jan 2020Stem cell therapy has proven to be an attractive solution for the treatment of degenerative diseases or injury. However, poor cell engraftment and survival within... (Review)
Review
Stem cell therapy has proven to be an attractive solution for the treatment of degenerative diseases or injury. However, poor cell engraftment and survival within injured tissues limits the successful use of stem cell therapy within the clinical setting. Nitric oxide (NO) is an important signaling molecule involved in various physiological processes. Emerging evidence supports NO's diverse roles in modulating stem cell behavior, including survival, migration, differentiation, and paracrine secretion of proregenerative factors. Thus, there has been a shift in research focus to concentrate efforts on the delivery of therapeutic concentration ranges of NO to the target tissue sites. Combinatory therapies utilizing biomaterials that control NO generation and support stem cell delivery can be holistic and synergistic approaches to significantly improve tissue regeneration. Here, the focus is on recent developments of various therapeutic platforms, engineered to both transport NO and to enhance stem-cell-mediated regeneration of damaged tissues. New and emerging revelations of how the stem cell microenvironment can be regulated by NO-releasing biomaterials are also highlighted.
Topics: Animals; Biocompatible Materials; Humans; Nitric Oxide; Paracrine Communication; Regeneration; Regenerative Medicine; Stem Cell Niche; Stem Cells; Tissue Engineering
PubMed: 31423672
DOI: 10.1002/adma.201805818 -
Journal of Biomedical Materials... Dec 2021Collagen is an insoluble fibrous protein that composes the extracellular matrix in animals. Although collagen has been used as a biomaterial since 1881, the properties... (Review)
Review
Collagen is an insoluble fibrous protein that composes the extracellular matrix in animals. Although collagen has been used as a biomaterial since 1881, the properties and the complex structure of collagen are still extensive study subjects worldwide. In this article, several topics of importance for understanding collagen research are reviewed starting from its historical milestones, followed by the description of the collagen superfamily and its complex structures, with a focus on type I collagen. Subsequently, some of the superior properties of collagen-based biomaterials, such as biocompatibility, biodegradability, mechanical properties, and cell activities, are pinpointed. These properties make collagen applicable in biomedicine, such as wound healing, tissue engineering, surface coating of medical devices, and skin supplementation. Moreover, some antimicrobial strategies and the general host tissue responses regarding collagen as a biomaterial are presented. Finally, the current status and clinical application of the three-dimensional (3D) printing techniques for the fabrication of collagen-based scaffolds and the reconstruction of the human heart's constituents, such as capillary structures or even the entire organ, are discussed. Besides, an overall outlook for the future of this unique biomaterial is provided.
Topics: Animals; Biocompatible Materials; Collagen; Humans; Printing, Three-Dimensional; Tissue Engineering; Tissue Scaffolds
PubMed: 34028179
DOI: 10.1002/jbm.b.34881 -
International Journal of Biological... Nov 2020Chitosan is a natural biopolymer derived from deacetylation of chitin and it has been investigated with interdisciplinary approaches for multitude applications. Chitosan... (Review)
Review
Chitosan is a natural biopolymer derived from deacetylation of chitin and it has been investigated with interdisciplinary approaches for multitude applications. Chitosan biomaterials possess unique properties such as biocompatibility, biodegradability, non-toxicity, muco-adhesion and a wide range of antibacterial and antifungal activity. Additionally, chitosan is the only cationic polysaccharide in nature and can be chemically modified to derivatives, based on the aim of function and application. The distinctive properties of chitosan and its derivatives have aroused interest in pharmaceutical industries and biomedical fields worldwide. This review discusses the crucial role of chitosan in production of bio-dental materials and accentuates its current profitable utilizations in oral drug delivery system, bone tissue engineering for treatment of periodontitis and dentin-pulp regeneration. Chemical modifications and incorporation of diverse bioactive molecules in order to improve the mechanical and biological characteristics of chitosan have also been discussed.
Topics: Biocompatible Materials; Chitosan; Dental Pulp; Dentin; Dentistry; Drug Delivery Systems; Periodontitis; Tissue Engineering
PubMed: 32599234
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2020.06.211 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Dec 2018Cells are the smallest living units of a human body's structure and function, and their behaviors should not be ignored in human physiological and pathological metabolic... (Review)
Review
Cells are the smallest living units of a human body's structure and function, and their behaviors should not be ignored in human physiological and pathological metabolic activities. Each cell has a different scale, and presents distinct responses to specific scales: Vascular endothelial cells may obtain a normal function when regulated by the 25 µm strips, but de-function if the scale is removed; stem cells can rapidly proliferate on the 30 nm scales nanotubes surface, but stop proliferating when the scale is changed to 100 nm. Therefore, micro and nano scales play a crucial role in directing cell behaviors on biomaterials surface. In recent years, a series of biomaterials surface with micro and/or nano scales, such as micro-patterns, nanotubes and nanoparticles, have been developed to control the target cell behavior, and further enhance the surface biocompatibility. This contribution will introduce the related research, and review the advances in the micro/nano scales for biomaterials surface functionalization.
Topics: Animals; Biocompatible Materials; Cell Culture Techniques; Cell Physiological Phenomena; Humans; Materials Testing; Nanostructures; Nanotechnology; Surface Properties
PubMed: 30587800
DOI: 10.3390/molecules24010075 -
Advanced Healthcare Materials Mar 2024Bone tissue constitutes 15-20% of human body weight and plays a crucial role in supporting the body, coordinating movement, regulating mineral homeostasis, and... (Review)
Review
Bone tissue constitutes 15-20% of human body weight and plays a crucial role in supporting the body, coordinating movement, regulating mineral homeostasis, and hematopoiesis. The maintenance of bone homeostasis relies on a delicate balance between osteoblasts and osteoclasts. Osteoclasts, as the exclusive "bone resorbers" in the human skeletal system, are of paramount significance yet often receive inadequate attention. When osteoclast activity becomes excessive, it frequently leads to various bone metabolic disorders, subsequently resulting in secondary bone injuries, such as fractures. This not only reduces life quality of patients, but also imposes a significant economic burden on society. In response to the pressing need for biomaterials in the treatment of osteoclast dysregulation, there is a surge of research and investigations aimed at osteoclast regulation. Promising progress is achieved in this domain. This review seeks to provide a comprehensive understanding of how to modulate osteoclast activities. It summarizes bioactive substances that influence osteoclasts and elucidates strategies for constructing related biomaterial systems. It offers practical insights and ideas for the development and application of biomaterials and tissue engineering, with the hope of guiding the clinical treatment of osteoclast-related bone diseases using biomaterials in the future.
Topics: Humans; Osteoclasts; Bone and Bones; Osteoblasts; Bone Diseases; Biocompatible Materials
PubMed: 38009952
DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202302807 -
Seminars in Immunology Jun 2016Therapeutic medicine today includes a vast number of procedures involving the use of biomaterials, transplantation of therapeutic cells or cell clusters, as well as of... (Review)
Review
Therapeutic medicine today includes a vast number of procedures involving the use of biomaterials, transplantation of therapeutic cells or cell clusters, as well as of solid organs. These treatment modalities are obviously of great benefit to the patient, but also present a great challenge to the innate immune system, since they involve direct exposure of non-biological materials, cells of non-hematological origin as well as endothelial cells, damaged by ischemia-perfusion in solid organs to proteins and cells in the blood. The result of such an exposure may be an inappropriate activation of the complement and contact/kallikrein systems, which produce mediators capable of triggering the platelets and PMNs and monocytes, which can ultimately result in thrombotic and inflammatory (i.e., a thrombo-inflammatory) response to the treatment modality. In this concept review, we give an overview of the mechanisms of recognition within the innate immunity system, with the aim to identify suitable points for intervention. Finally, we discuss emerging and promising techniques for surface modification of biomaterials and cells with specific inhibitors in order to diminish thromboinflammation and improve clinical outcome.
Topics: Biocompatible Materials; Blood Platelets; Complement Activation; Complement System Proteins; Humans; Immunity, Innate; Immunotherapy; Inflammation; Molecular Targeted Therapy; Thrombocytosis
PubMed: 27211838
DOI: 10.1016/j.smim.2016.04.006 -
Journal of the Royal Society, Interface May 2017Polymeric biomaterials are of specific relevance in medical and pharmaceutical applications due to their wide range of tailorable properties and functionalities. The... (Review)
Review
Polymeric biomaterials are of specific relevance in medical and pharmaceutical applications due to their wide range of tailorable properties and functionalities. The knowledge about interactions of biomaterials with their biological environment is of crucial importance for developing highly sophisticated medical devices. To achieve optimal performance, a description at the molecular level is required to gain better understanding about the surface of synthetic materials for tailoring their properties. This is still challenging and requires the comprehensive characterization of morphological structures, polymer chain arrangements and degradation behaviour. The review discusses selected aspects for evaluating polymeric biomaterial-environment interfaces by Langmuir monolayer methods as powerful techniques for studying interfacial properties, such as morphological and degradation processes. The combination of spectroscopic, microscopic and scattering methods with the Langmuir techniques adapted to polymers can substantially improve the understanding of their behaviour.
Topics: Biocompatible Materials; Materials Testing; Membranes, Artificial
PubMed: 28468918
DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2016.1028