Current Challenges and Emergent Technologies for Manufacturing Artificial Right Ventricle to Pulmonary Artery (RV-PA) Cardiac Conduits.

Despite advances in modern surgery, congenital heart disease remains a medical challenge and major cause of infant mortality. Valved conduits are routinely used to surgically correct blood flow in hearts with congenital malformations by connecting the right ventricle to the pulmonary artery (RV-PA). This review explores the current range of RV-PA conduits and describes their strengths and disadvantages.

Formation of porous biodegradable scaffolds based on poly(propylene carbonate) using gas foaming technology.

Polyester-based scaffolds have been employed in tissue engineering due to their biocompatibility, biodegradability, microstructure, and affordability. However, the acidic degradation byproducts of most common polyesters have the potential to cause inflammation and/or necrosis. In this study, we introduce a porous scaffold with benign degradation byproducts fabricated by gas-foaming based on poly(propylene carbonate) (PPC) blended with starch and bioglass particles.

Sustained Protein Release from a Core-Shell Drug Carrier System Comprised of Mesoporous Nanoparticles and an Injectable Hydrogel.

The manufacture of a biocompatible carrier for controlled delivery of bioactive compounds is described. This carrier is composed of a mesoporous silica nanoparticle as core that is homogenously distributed in an injectable hydrogel. For the synthesis of nanoparticles, a one step sol-gel method is developed to produce pores with the range of 100 nm.

Fabrication of a Biodegradable Implant with Tunable Characteristics for Bone Implant Applications.

Biodegradable polymers are appealing material for the manufacturing of surgical implants as such implants break down in vivo, negating the need for a subsequent operation for removal. Many biocompatible polymers produce acidic breakdown products that can lead to localized inflammation and osteolysis. This study assesses the feasibility of fabricating implants out of poly(propylene carbonate) (PPC)-starch that degrades into CO and water.

Biomedical Applications of Biodegradable Polyesters.

The focus in the field of biomedical engineering has shifted in recent years to biodegradable polymers and, in particular, polyesters. Dozens of polyester-based medical devices are commercially available, and every year more are introduced to the market. The mechanical performance and wide range of biodegradation properties of this class of polymers allow for high degrees of selectivity for targeted clinical applications.

Reinforced Poly(Propylene Carbonate) Composite with Enhanced and Tunable Characteristics, an Alternative for Poly(lactic Acid).

The acidic nature of the degradation products of polyesters often leads to unpredictable clinical complications, such as necrosis of host tissues and massive immune cell invasions. In this study, poly(propylene carbonate) (PPC) and starch composite is introduced with superior characteristics as an alternative to polyester-based polymers. The degradation products of PPC-starch composites are mainly carbon dioxide and water; hence, the associated risks to the acidic degradation of polyesters are minimized.