In vitro and in vivo investigation of a zonal microstructured scaffold for osteochondral defect repair.

Articular cartilage is comprised of zones that vary in architecture, extracellular matrix composition, and mechanical properties. Here, we designed and engineered a porous zonal microstructured scaffold from a single biocompatible polymer (poly [ϵ-caprolactone]) using multiple fabrication strategies: electrospinning, spherical porogen leaching, directional freezing, and melt electrowriting. With this approach we mimicked the zonal structure of articular cartilage and produced a stiffness gradient through the scaffold which aligns with the mechanics of the native tissue.

Development of 3D Printed Biodegradable Mesh with Antimicrobial Properties for Pelvic Organ Prolapse.

To address the increasing demand for safe and effective treatment options for pelvic organ prolapse (POP) due to the worldwide ban of the traditional polypropylene meshes, this study introduced degradable polycaprolactone (PCL)/polyethylene glycol (PEG) composite meshes fabricated with melt-electrowriting (MEW). Two PCL/PEG mesh groups: 90:10 and 75:25 (PCL:PEG, wt%) were fabricated and characterized for their degradation rate and mechanical properties, with PCL meshes used as a control. The PCL/PEG composites showed controllable degradation rates by adjusting the PEG content and produced mechanical properties, such as maximal forces, that were higher than PCL alone.

Radiosynthesis of a novel antisense imaging probe targeting LncRNA HOTAIR in malignant glioma.

Background: Long non-coding RNA (LncRNA) HOTAIR was amplified and overexpressed in many human carcinomas, which could serve as a useful target for cancer early detection and treatment. The Tc radiolabeled antisense oligonucleotides (ASON) could visualize the expression of HOTAIR and provide a diagnostic value for malignant tumors. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether liposome-coated antisense oligonucleotide probe Tc-HYNIC-ASON targeting HOTAIR can be used in in vivo imaging of HOTAIR in malignant glioma xenografts.

Ultrasound Imaging Offers Promising Alternative to Create 3-D Models for Personalised Auricular Implants.

Three-dimensional imaging and advanced manufacturing are being applied in health care research to create novel diagnostic and surgical planning methods, as well as personalised treatments and implants. For ear reconstruction, where a cartilage-shaped implant is embedded underneath the skin to re-create shape and form, volumetric imaging and segmentation processing to capture patient anatomy are particularly challenging. Here, we introduce 3-D ultrasound (US) as an available option for imaging the external ear and underlying auricular cartilage structure, and compare it with computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) against micro-CT (µCT) as a high-resolution reference (gold standard).

Poly-ε-Caprolactone/Fibrin-Alginate Scaffold: A New Pro-Angiogenic Composite Biomaterial for the Treatment of Bone Defects.

We hypothesized that a composite of 3D porous melt-electrowritten poly-ɛ-caprolactone (PCL) coated throughout with a porous and slowly biodegradable fibrin/alginate (FA) matrix would accelerate bone repair due to its angiogenic potential. Scanning electron microscopy showed that the open pore structure of the FA matrix was maintained in the PCL/FA composites. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry showed complete coverage of the PCL fibres by FA, and the PCL/FA crystallinity was decreased compared with PCL.

Novel resin tissue array system reduces sample preparation time, labour and reagent costs in bone tissue histology.

Resin histology plays an essential role in the analysis of hard tissues, such as bone and teeth, as well as in the context of metallic implant analysis. However, the techniques of resin embedding, followed by ground sectioning, are very costly due to significantly increased reagent cost and labour time when compared to the conventional paraffin histology approach. In the present study, a novel resin array system was developed to increase the affordability of a project analysing rat femur tissues containing metallic or polymeric implants.

Development of Mechanically Enhanced Polycaprolactone Composites by a Functionalized Titanate Nanofiller for Melt Electrowriting in 3D Printing.

Three-dimensional (3D) printing technologies are widely applied in various industries and research fields and are currently the subject of intensive investigation and development. However, high-performance materials that are suitable for 3D printing are still in short supply, which is a major limitation for 3D printing, particularly for biomedical applications. The physicochemical properties of single constituent materials may not be sufficient to meet the needs of modern biotechnology development and production.

The Patenting and Technological Trends in Hernia Mesh Implants.

Described as a projection (prolapse) of tissue through a fascial defect in the abdominal wall, hernias are associated with significant rates of complications, recurrence, and reoperations. This literature review is aimed at providing an overview of the prosthetic surgical meshes used for the repairing of hernia defects. The review was carried out using two specialized online databases: Espacenet, from the European Patent Office (EPO), and WIPO from the World Intellectual Property Organization.

Investigation of Sustained BMP Delivery in the Prevention of Medication-Related Osteonecrosis of the Jaw (MRONJ) in a Rat Model.

Medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) poses an ongoing challenge for clinicians and researchers. Currently, there is a lack of preventative measures available for at-risk patients undergoing tooth extractions, especially those with prior bisphosphonate treatment due to osteoporosis or bone metastasis diagnoses. Here, these issues are addressed using a preventative tissue engineering strategy against MRONJ development.

Microenvironment engineering of osteoblastic bone metastases reveals osteomimicry of patient-derived prostate cancer xenografts.

Representative in vitro models that mimic the native bone tumor microenvironment are warranted to support the development of more successful treatments for bone metastases. Here, we have developed a primary cell 3D model consisting of a human osteoblast-derived tissue-engineered construct (hOTEC) indirectly co-cultured with patient-derived prostate cancer xenografts (PDXs), in order to study molecular interactions in a patient-derived microenvironment context. The engineered biomimetic microenvironment had high mineralization and embedded osteocytes, and supported a high degree of cancer cell osteomimicry at the gene, protein and mineralization levels when co-cultured with prostate cancer PDXs from a lymph node metastasis (LuCaP35) and bone metastasis (BM18) from patients with primary prostate cancer.

Rheological Characterization of Biomaterials Directs Additive Manufacturing of Strontium-Substituted Bioactive Glass/Polycaprolactone Microfibers.

Additive manufacturing via melt electrowriting (MEW) can create ordered microfiber scaffolds relevant for bone tissue engineering; however, there remain limitations in the adoption of new printing materials, especially in MEW of biomaterials. For example, while promising composite formulations of polycaprolactone with strontium-substituted bioactive glass have been processed into large or disordered fibres, from what is known, biologically-relevant concentrations (>10 wt%) have never been printed into ordered microfibers using MEW. In this study, rheological characterization is used in combination with a predictive mathematical model to optimize biomaterial formulations and MEW conditions required to extrude various PCL and PCL/SrBG biomaterials to create ordered scaffolds.

Improved fabrication of melt electrospun tissue engineering scaffolds using direct writing and advanced electric field control.

Direct writing melt electrospinning is an additive manufacturing technique capable of the layer-by-layer fabrication of highly ordered 3d tissue engineering scaffolds from micron-diameter fibers. The utility of these scaffolds, however, is limited by the maximum achievable height of controlled fiber deposition, beyond which the structure becomes increasingly disordered. A source of this disorder is charge build-up on the deposited polymer producing unwanted coulombic forces.

Melt-electrospun polycaprolactone strontium-substituted bioactive glass scaffolds for bone regeneration.

Polycaprolactone (PCL) is a resorbable polymer used extensively in bone tissue engineering owing to good structural properties and processability. Strontium-substituted bioactive glass (SrBG) has the ability to promote osteogenesis and may be incorporated into scaffolds intended for bone repair. Here, we describe for the first time, the development of a PCL-SrBG composite scaffold incorporating 10% (weight) of SrBG particles into PCL bulk, produced by the technique of melt electrospinning.