Electrospun zein nanofibers loaded with curcumin as a wound dressing: enhancing properties with PSS and PDADMAC layers.

Development of wound dressings with enhanced therapeutic properties is of great interest in the modern healthcare. In this study, a zein-based nanofibrous wound dressing containing curcumin as a therapeutic agent was fabricated through electrospinning technique. In order to achieve desirable properties, such as antibacterial characteristics, reduced contact angle, and enhanced mechanical properties, the layer-by-layer technique was used for coating the surfaces of drug-loaded nanofibers by sequentially incorporating poly (sodium 4-styrene sulfonate) as a polyanion and poly (diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDADMAC) as a polycation.

Nonlinear viscoelastic properties of human dentin under uniaxial tension.

Objective: Dentin is a viscoelastic tissue that contributes to the load distribution in human teeth and leads to their fracture resistance. Despite previous researches on the time-dependent behavior of dentin, it is not very clear whether the viscoelastic behavior of this tissue is linear or nonlinear, and what viscoelastic constitutive equations mechanically characterize it. Therefore, the aim of this study was to describe the viscoelastic behavior of human dentin and determine the best-fitting viscoelastic model for this tissue.

In-vivo characterization of a 3D hybrid scaffold based on PCL/decellularized aorta for tracheal tissue engineering.

Introduction: As common treatments for long tracheal stenosis are associated with several limitations, tracheal tissue engineering is considered as an alternative treatment.

Aim Of Study: This study aimed at preparing a hybrid scaffold, based on biologic and synthetic materials for tracheal tissue engineering.

Materials And Methods: Three electrospun polycaprolactone (PCL) scaffolds, namely E1 (pure PCL), E2 (collagen-coated PCL) and E3 (PCL blended with collagen) were prepared.

Viscoelastic Properties of Human Tracheal Tissues.

The physiological performance of trachea is highly dependent on its mechanical behavior, and therefore, the mechanical properties of its components. Mechanical characterization of trachea is key to succeed in new treatments such as tissue engineering, which requires the utilization of scaffolds which are mechanically compatible with the native human trachea. In this study, after isolating human trachea samples from brain-dead cases and proper storage, we assessed the viscoelastic properties of tracheal cartilage, smooth muscle, and connective tissue based on stress relaxation tests (at 5% and 10% strains for cartilage and 20%, 30%, and 40% for smooth muscle and connective tissue).

Mechanical Characterization and Constitutive Modeling of Human Trachea: Age and Gender Dependency.

Tracheal disorders can usually reduce the free lumen diameter or wall stiffness, and hence limit airflow. Trachea tissue engineering seems a promising treatment for such disorders. The required mechanical compatibility of the prepared scaffold with native trachea necessitates investigation of the mechanical behavior of the human trachea.

Regulation of Endothelial Cell Adherence and Elastic Modulus by Substrate Stiffness.

Although substrate stiffness has been previously reported to affect various cellular aspects, such as morphology, migration, viability, growth, and cytoskeletal structure, its influence on cell adherence has not been well examined. Here, we prepared three soft, medium, and hard polyacrylamide (PAAM) substrates and utilized AFM to study substrate elasticity and also the adhesion and mechanical properties of endothelial cells in response to changing substrate stiffness. Maximum detachment force and cell stiffness were increased with increasing substrate stiffness.

Intermittent hydrostatic pressure enhances growth factor-induced chondroinduction of human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells.

Hydrostatic pressure (HP) plays an essential role in regulating function of chondrocytes and chondrogenic differentiation. The objective of this study was to examine effects of intermittent HP on chondrogenic differentiation of human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hASCs) in the presence or absence of chemical chondrogenic medium. Cells were isolated from abdominal fat tissue and confirmed for expression of ASC surface proteins and differentiation potential.