Development of a simple paste for 3D printing of drug formulations containing a mesoporous material loaded with a poorly water-soluble drug.

Poorly soluble drugs represent a substantial portion of emerging drug candidates, posing significant challenges for pharmaceutical formulators. One promising method to enhance the drug's dissolution rate and, consequently, bioavailability involves transforming them into an amorphous state within mesoporous materials. These materials can then be seamlessly integrated into personalized drug formulations using Additive Manufacturing (AM) techniques, most commonly via Fused Deposition Modeling.

Combinatorial 3D printed dosage forms for a two-step and controlled drug release.

Fused deposition modeling (FDM) and selective laser sintering (SLS) are two of the most employed additive manufacturing (AM) techniques within the pharmaceutical research field. Despite the numerous advantages of different AM methods, their respective drawbacks have yet to be fully addressed, and therefore combinatorial systems are starting to emerge. In the present study, hybrid systems comprising SLS inserts and a two-compartment FDM shell are developed to achieve controlled release of the model drug theophylline.

Processability of mesoporous materials in fused deposition modeling for drug delivery of a model thermolabile drug.

The incorporation of drug-loaded mesoporous materials in dosage forms prepared with fused deposition modeling (FDM) has shown the potential to solve challenges relating to additive manufacturing techniques, such as the stability of poorly-soluble drugs in the amorphous state. However, the addition of these non-melting mesoporous materials significantly affects the mechanical properties of the filament used in FDM, which in turn affects the printability of the feedstock material. Therefore, in this study a full-factorial experimental design was utilized to investigate different processing parameters of the hot melt extrusion process, their effect on various mechanical properties and the potential correlation with the filaments' printability.

Bioactive Silicon Nitride Implant Surfaces with Maintained Antibacterial Properties.

Silicon nitride (SiN) is a promising biomaterial, currently used in spinal fusion implants. Such implants should result in high vertebral union rates without major complications. However, pseudarthrosis remains an important complication that could lead to a need for implant replacement.

3D-Printed Mesoporous Carrier System for Delivery of Poorly Soluble Drugs.

Fused deposition modelling (FDM) is the most extensively employed 3D-printing technique used in pharmaceutical applications, and offers fast and facile formulation development of personalized dosage forms. In the present study, mesoporous materials were incorporated into a thermoplastic filament produced via hot-melt extrusion and used to produce oral dosage forms via FDM. Mesoporous materials are known to be highly effective for the amorphization and stabilization of poorly soluble drugs, and were therefore studied in order to determine their ability to enhance the drug-release properties in 3D-printed tablets.

Combined Catalysis for Engineering Bioinspired, Lignin-Based, Long-Lasting, Adhesive, Self-Mending, Antimicrobial Hydrogels.

The engineering of multifunctional biomaterials using a facile sustainable methodology that follows the principles of green chemistry is still largely unexplored but would be very beneficial to the world. Here, the employment of catalytic reactions in combination with biomass-derived starting materials in the design of biomaterials would promote the development of eco-friendly technologies and sustainable materials. Herein, we disclose the combination of two catalytic cycles (combined catalysis) comprising oxidative decarboxylation and quinone-catechol redox catalysis for engineering lignin-based multifunctional antimicrobial hydrogels.

Multifunctional Polymer-Free Mineral Plastic Adhesives Formed by Multiple Noncovalent Bonds.

Supramolecular adhesives have attracted a great deal of attention in recent years, resulting in their development for different applications. However, creating supramolecular adhesives with reversible and reusable properties is still a challenge. Here, a synthesis route to obtain supramolecular adhesives is presented in which no polymeric compounds are involved in the preparation.

Thromboinflammation as bioactivity assessment of HO-alkali modified titanium surfaces.

The release of growth factors from platelets, mediated by the coagulation and the complement system, plays an important role in the bone formation around implants. This study aimed at exploring the thromboinflammatory response of HO-alkali soaked commercially pure titanium grade 2 discs exposed to whole human blood, as a way to assess the bioactivity of the discs. Commercially pure titanium grade 2 discs were modified by soaking in HO, NaOH and Ca(OH).

Titanium surface modification to enhance antibacterial and bioactive properties while retaining biocompatibility.

Bacterial infections associated with metal implants are severe problems affecting a considerable amount of people with dental or orthopedic implants. This study aims to examine the antibacterial effect of a Titanium-peroxy gel layer on the modified surface of commercially pure titanium grade 2. Variations in a multi-step surface modification procedure were tested to determine the best combination that provided an antibacterial effect while enhancing bioactivity without compromising biocompatibility.

Debridement of Bacterial Biofilms with TiO/HO Solutions and Visible Light Irradiation.

Objectives: The aim of the study was to explore the debridement efficacy of different solutions of HO and rutile particles against and biofilms attached to titanium surfaces when exposed to visible light.

Materials And Methods: Titanium discs cultivated with biofilms of or were subjected for 1 min to suspensions consisting of rutile particles mixed with high (950 mM) or low (2 mM) concentrations of HO under visible light irradiation (405 nm; 2.1 mW/cm).

Amorphous magnesium carbonate nanoparticles with strong stabilizing capability for amorphous ibuprofen.

Formulating active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) in the amorphous state can increase their apparent aqueous solubility and dissolution rate and consequently improve their bioavailability. This study demonstrates, for the first time, the ability to stabilize an API in the amorphous state using a solid dispersion of magnesium carbonate nanoparticles within the API. Specifically, high proportions of ibuprofen were able to be stabilized in the amorphous state using as little as 17% wt/wt amorphous magnesium carbonate nanoparticles, and drug release rates 83 times faster than from the crystalline state were achieved.

Ion-crosslinked wood-derived nanocellulose hydrogels with tunable antibacterial properties: Candidate materials for advanced wound care applications.

Development of advanced dressings with antimicrobial properties for the treatment of infected wounds is an important approach in the fight against evolution of antibiotic resistant bacterial strains. Herein, the effects of ion-crosslinked nanocellulose hydrogels on bacteria commonly found in infected wounds were investigated in vitro. By using divalent calcium or copper ions as crosslinking agents, different antibacterial properties against the bacterial strains Staphylococcus epidermidis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were obtained.

Organic degradation potential of a TiO/HO/UV-vis system for dental applications.

Objectives: The combination of TiO and HO under light activation constitutes a promising method for disinfection of dental prosthetics and implants, due to production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The aim of this work was to investigate the organic degradation ability of TiO particles in combination with HO and under light activation utilizing the organic dye rhodamine B (RhB).

Methods: Five different types of TiO particles, consisting of anatase, rutile, or a mixture of these crystalline phases, were combined with HO and RhB, and subsequently exposed to UV (365nm) or visible (405nm) light at an irradiance of 2.

Enhanced release of poorly water-soluble drugs from synergy between mesoporous magnesium carbonate and polymers.

The need to combat poor water solubility has increased interest in supersaturating drug delivery systems. In this study, amorphous mesoporous magnesium carbonate (MMC) was used as a drug carrier to achieve supersaturation of tolfenamic acid and rimonabant, two drug compounds with low aqueous solubility. The potential synergy between MMC and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), a polymer commonly included as a precipitation inhibitor in drug delivery systems, was explored with the aim of extending the time that high supersaturation levels were maintained.

Dynamics of water confined in mesoporous magnesium carbonate.

We have measured the dynamics of water confined in a porous magnesium carbonate material, Upsalite®, using the high-resolution neutron backscattering spectrometer SPHERES. We found quasielastic scattering that does not flatten out up to 360 K, which means that the dynamics of water are much slower than in other matrix materials. Specifically, a single Lorentzian line could be fitted to the quasielastic part of the acquired spectra between 220 and 360 K.

Investigation of the Antibacterial Effect of Mesoporous Magnesium Carbonate.

Mesoporous magnesium carbonate (MMC) was first presented in 2013, and this material is currently under consideration for use in a number of biotechnological applications including topical formulations. This study presents the first evaluation of the antibacterial properties of the material with mesoporous silica and two other magnesium-containing powder materials used as references. All powder materials in this study are sieved to achieve a particle size distribution between 25 and 75 μm.

Supersaturation of poorly soluble drugs induced by mesoporous magnesium carbonate.

This work investigates whether the solubility of poorly soluble compounds can be improved by using mesoporous magnesium carbonate (MMC) as the drug delivery system. A solvent evaporation method was used to load structurally diverse model drugs (celecoxib, cinnarizine and griseofulvin) into the pores of MMC. The drug-loaded carrier system was then characterized in terms of porosity, crystallinity, and release profiles by a variety of experimental techniques, including X-ray diffraction, nitrogen adsorption analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, infrared spectroscopy, UV absorption spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis.

In vitro antibacterial properties and UV induced response from Staphylococcus epidermidis on Ag/Ti oxide thin films.

Implanted materials are susceptible to bacterial colonization and biofilm formation, which can result in severe infection and lost implant function. UV induced photocatalytic disinfection on TiO2 and release of Ag(+) ions are two promising strategies to combat such events, and can be combined for improved efficiency. In the current study, a combinatorial physical vapor deposition technique was utilized to construct a gradient coating between Ag and Ti oxide, and the coating was evaluated for antibacterial properties in darkness and under UV light against Staphylococcus epidermidis.

Reactive combinatorial synthesis and characterization of a gradient Ag-Ti oxide thin film with antibacterial properties.

The growing demand for orthopedic and dental implants has spurred researchers to develop multifunctional coatings, combining tissue integration with antibacterial features. A possible strategy to endow titanium (Ti) with antibacterial properties is by incorporating silver (Ag), but designing a structure with adequate Ag(+) release while maintaining biocompatibility has been shown difficult. To further explore the composition-structure-property relationships between Ag and Ti, and its effects against bacteria, this study utilized a combinatorial approach to manufacture and test a single sample containing a binary Ag-Ti oxide gradient.

Bacteria-material surface interactions: methodological development for the assessment of implant surface induced antibacterial effects.

The choice of material for implanted prostheses is of great importance concerning bacterial colonization and biofilm formation. Consequently, methods to investigate bacterial behavior are needed in order to develop new infection resistant surfaces. In this study, different methodological setups were used to evaluate the antimicrobial effect of photocatalytic titanium oxide and silver surfaces.

Gold nanowire based electrical DNA detection using rolling circle amplification.

We present an electrical sensor that uses rolling circle amplification (RCA) of DNA to stretch across the gap between two electrodes, interact with metal nanoparticle seeds to generate an electrically conductive nanowire, and produce electrical signals upon detection of specific target DNA sequences. RCA is a highly specific molecular detection mechanism based on DNA probe circularization. With this technique, long single-stranded DNA with simple repetitive sequences are produced.

Bacteria viability assessment after photocatalytic treatment.

The aim of the present work was to evaluate several methods for analyzing the viability of bacteria after antibacterial photocatalytic treatment. Colony-forming unit (CFU) counting, metabolic activity assays based on resazurin and phenol red and the Live/Dead BacLight™ bacterial viability assay (Live/Dead staining) were employed to assess photocatalytically treated Staphylococcus epidermidis and Streptococcus mutans. The results showed conformity between CFU counting and the metabolic activity assays, while Live/Dead staining showed a significantly higher viability post-treatment.

Photocatalytic antibacterial effects are maintained on resin-based TiO2 nanocomposites after cessation of UV irradiation.

Photocatalysis induced by TiO2 and UV light constitutes a decontamination and antibacterial strategy utilized in many applications including self-cleaning environmental surfaces, water and air treatment. The present work reveals that antibacterial effects induced by photocatalysis can be maintained even after the cessation of UV irradiation. We show that resin-based composites containing 20% TiO2 nanoparticles continue to provide a pronounced antibacterial effect against the pathogens Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Streptococcus pyogenes, Streptococcus mutans and Enterococcus faecalis for up to two hours post UV.

Synergetic inactivation of Staphylococcus epidermidis and Streptococcus mutansin a TiO2/H2O2/UV system.

TiO 2 photocatalysis can be used to kill surface adherent bacteria on biomaterials, and is particularly interesting for use with percutaneous implants and devices. Its efficiency and safety, however, depend on the activation energy required. This in vitro study investigates synergetic effects against the clinically relevant strains S.