Preparation of Interconnected Pickering Polymerized High Internal Phase Emulsions by Arrested Coalescence.

Emulsion templating is a method that enables the production of highly porous and interconnected polymer foams called polymerized high internal phase emulsions (PolyHIPEs). Since emulsions are inherently unstable systems, they can be stabilized either by surfactants or by particles (Pickering HIPEs). Surfactant-stabilized HIPEs form materials with an interconnected porous structure, while Pickering HIPEs typically form closed pore materials.

Thiolene- and Polycaprolactone Methacrylate-Based Polymerized High Internal Phase Emulsion (PolyHIPE) Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering.

Highly porous emulsion templated polymers (PolyHIPEs) provide a number of potential advantages in the fabrication of scaffolds for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Porosity enables cell ingrowth and nutrient diffusion within, as well as waste removal from, the scaffold. The properties offered by emulsion templating alone include the provision of high interconnected porosity, and, in combination with additive manufacturing, the opportunity to introduce controlled multiscale porosity to complex or custom structures.

Considerations Using Additive Manufacture of Emulsion Inks to Produce Respiratory Protective Filters Against Viral Respiratory Tract Infections Such as the COVID-19 Virus.

This review paper explores the potential of combining emulsion-based inks with additive manufacturing (AM) to produce filters for respiratory protective equipment (RPE) in the fight against viral and bacterial infections of the respiratory tract. The value of these filters has been highlighted by the current severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 crisis where the importance of protective equipment for health care workers cannot be overstated. Three-dimensional (3D) printing of emulsions is an emerging technology built on a well-established field of emulsion templating to produce porous materials such as polymerized high internal phase emulsions (polyHIPEs).

Combined Porogen Leaching and Emulsion Templating to produce Bone Tissue Engineering Scaffolds.

Bone has a hierarchy of porosity that is often overlooked when creating tissue engineering scaffolds where pore sizes are typically confined to a single order of magnitude. High internal phase emulsion (HIPE) templating produces polymerized HIPEs (polyHIPEs): highly interconnected porous polymers which have two length scales of porosity covering the 1-100 μm range. However, additional larger scales of porosity cannot be introduced in the standard emulsion formulation.

UV-Casting on Methacrylated PCL for the Production of a Peripheral Nerve Implant Containing an Array of Porous Aligned Microchannels.

Peripheral nerves are basic communication structures guiding motor and sensory information from the central nervous system to receptor units. Severed peripheral nerve injuries represent a large clinical problem with relevant challenges to successful synthetic nerve repair scaffolds as substitutes to autologous nerve grafting. Numerous studies reported the use of hollow tubes made of synthetic polymers sutured between severed nerve stumps to promote nerve regeneration while providing protection for external factors, such as scar tissue formation and inflammation.

Assessment of the Angiogenic Potential of 2-Deoxy-D-Ribose Using a Novel 3D Dynamic Model in Comparison With Established Assays.

Angiogenesis is a highly ordered physiological process regulated by the interaction of endothelial cells with an extensive variety of growth factors, extracellular matrix components and mechanical stimuli. One of the most important challenges in tissue engineering is the rapid neovascularization of constructs to ensure their survival after transplantation. To achieve this, the use of pro-angiogenic agents is a widely accepted approach.

Porous microspheres support mesenchymal progenitor cell ingrowth and stimulate angiogenesis.

Porous microspheres have the potential for use as injectable bone fillers to obviate the need for open surgery. Successful bone fillers must be able to support vascularisation since tissue engineering scaffolds often cease functioning soon after implantation due to a failure to vascularise rapidly. Here, we test the angiogenic potential of a tissue engineered bone filler based on a photocurable acrylate-based high internal phase emulsion (HIPE).

A methodology for the production of microfabricated electrospun membranes for the creation of new skin regeneration models.

The continual renewal of the epidermis is thought to be related to the presence of populations of epidermal stem cells residing in physically protected microenvironments (rete ridges) directly influenced by the presence of mesenchymal fibroblasts. Current skin in vitro models do acknowledge the influence of stromal fibroblasts in skin reorganisation but the study of the effect of the rete ridge-microenvironment on epidermal renewal still remains a rich topic for exploration. We suggest there is a need for the development of new in vitro models in which to study epithelial stem cell behaviour prior to translating these models into the design of new cell-free biomaterial devices for skin reconstruction.

Photocurable high internal phase emulsions (HIPEs) containing hydroxyapatite for additive manufacture of tissue engineering scaffolds with multi-scale porosity.

Porous composites containing hydroxyapatite (HA) were templated from high internal phase emulsions (HIPEs) and were further structured using direct-write UV stereolithography to produce composite scaffolds with multi-scale porosity. FTIR, TGA and SEM analyses confirmed that HA was retained after photocuring and subsequent treatments and was incorporated within the polymerised HIPE (polyHIPE). The addition of HA particles to the polyHIPE caused changes in the mechanical properties of the material.

Data for the analysis of PolyHIPE scaffolds with tunable mechanical properties for bone tissue engineering.

This article presents data related to the research article titled, 'Emulsion templated scaffolds with tunable mechanical properties for bone tissue engineering' (Owen et al., in press) [1]. This data article contains excel files with the results obtained during the mechanical characterisation of 20 acrylate-based PolyHIPE compositions, giving the Young's modulus, ultimate tensile stress and strain at failure for each specimen tested.

Emulsion templated scaffolds with tunable mechanical properties for bone tissue engineering.

Polymerised High Internal Phase Emulsions (PolyHIPEs) are manufactured via emulsion templating and exhibit a highly interconnected microporosity. These materials are commonly used as thin membranes for 3D cell culture. This study uses emulsion templating in combination with microstereolithography to fabricate PolyHIPE scaffolds with a tightly controlled and reproducible architecture.

Macrostructuring of emulsion-templated porous polymers by 3D laser patterning.

Micro-stereolithography (μSL) is used to produce 3D porous polymer structures by templating high internal phase emulsions. A variety of structures are produced, including lines, squares, grids, and tubes. The porosity matches that of materials produced by conventional photopolymerization.