Silica Replicas Derived from Mammalian Cells as an Innovative Approach to Physically Direct Cell Lineage Decisions of Mesenchymal Stem Cells.

By means of a "live-cell" template strategy, silica replicas displaying the same morphology and topography of the mammalian cells used as templates are fabricated. The replicas are used as substrates to direct the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to predefined cell lineages. Upregulation of specific genes shows how the silica replica-based substrates have the ability to induce the molecular characteristics of the mature cell types from which they have been derived from.

Advanced Binary Guanosine and Guanosine 5'-Monophosphate Cell-Laden Hydrogels for Soft Tissue Reconstruction by 3D Bioprinting.

Soft tissue defects or pathologies frequently necessitate the use of biomaterials that provide the volume required for subsequent vascularization and tissue formation as autrografts are not always a feasible alternative. Supramolecular hydrogels represent promising candidates because of their 3D structure, which resembles the native extracellular matrix, and their capacity to entrap and sustain living cells. Guanosine-based hydrogels have emerged as prime candidates in recent years since the nucleoside self-assembles into well-ordered structures like G-quadruplexes by coordinating K ions and π-π stacking, ultimately forming an extensive nanofibrillar network.

Optimization of guanosine-based hydrogels with boric acid derivatives for enhanced long-term stability and cell survival.

Tissue defects can lead to serious health problems and often require grafts or transplants to repair damaged soft tissues. However, these procedures can be complex and may not always be feasible due to a lack of available tissue. Hydrogels have shown potential as a replacement for tissue grafts due to their ability to support cell survival and encapsulate biomolecules such as growth factors.

Polydopamine Incorporation Enhances Cell Differentiation and Antibacterial Properties of 3D-Printed Guanosine-Borate Hydrogels for Functional Tissue Regeneration.

Tissue engineering focuses on the development of materials as biosubstitutes that can be used to regenerate, repair, or replace damaged tissues. Alongside this, 3D printing has emerged as a promising technique for producing implants tailored to specific defects, which in turn increased the demand for new inks and bioinks. Especially supramolecular hydrogels based on nucleosides such as guanosine have gained increasing attention due to their biocompatibility, good mechanical characteristics, tunable and reversible properties, and intrinsic self-healing capabilities.

Nucleoside-Based Supramolecular Hydrogels: From Synthesis and Structural Properties to Biomedical and Tissue Engineering Applications.

Supramolecular hydrogels are of great interest in tissue scaffolding, diagnostics, and drug delivery due to their biocompatibility and stimuli-responsive properties. In particular, nucleosides are promising candidates as building blocks due to their manifold noncovalent interactions and ease of chemical modification. Significant progress in the field has been made over recent years to allow the use of nucleoside-based supramolecular hydrogels in the biomedical field, namely drug delivery and 3D bioprinting.

Antibacterial approaches in tissue engineering using metal ions and nanoparticles: From mechanisms to applications.

Bacterial infection of implanted scaffolds may have fatal consequences and, in combination with the emergence of multidrug bacterial resistance, the development of advanced antibacterial biomaterials and constructs is of great interest. Since decades ago, metals and their ions had been used to minimize bacterial infection risk and, more recently, metal-based nanomaterials, with improved antimicrobial properties, have been advocated as a novel and tunable alternative. A comprehensive review is provided on how metal ions and ion nanoparticles have the potential to decrease or eliminate unwanted bacteria.

Multi-layered polydopamine coatings for the immobilization of growth factors onto highly-interconnected and bimodal PCL/HA-based scaffolds.

For bone tissue engineering applications, scaffolds that mimic the porous structure of the extracellular matrix are highly desirable. Herein, we employ a PCL/HA-based scaffold with a double-scaled architecture of small pores coupled to larger ones. To improve the osteoinductivity of the scaffold, we incorporate two different growth factors via polydopamine (PDA) coating.

Immobilization of BMP-2 and VEGF within Multilayered Polydopamine-Coated Scaffolds and the Resulting Osteogenic and Angiogenic Synergy of Co-Cultured Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells and Human Endothelial Progenitor Cells.

We have previously reported the fabrication of a polycaprolactone and hydroxyapatite composite scaffold incorporating growth factors to be used for bone regeneration. Two growth factors were incorporated employing a multilayered coating based on polydopamine (PDA). In particular, Bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) was bound onto the inner PDA layer while vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) was immobilized onto the outer one.

Antibacterial Properties of Triethoxysilylpropyl Succinic Anhydride Silane (TESPSA) on Titanium Dental Implants.

Infections related to dental implants are a common complication that can ultimately lead to implant failure, and thereby carries significant health and economic costs. In order to ward off these infections, this paper explores the immobilization of triethoxysilylpropyl succinic anhydride (TESPSA, TSP) silane onto dental implants, and the interaction of two distinct monospecies biofilms and an oral plaque with the coated titanium samples. To this end, titanium disks from prior machining were first activated by a NaOH treatment and further functionalized with TESPSA silane.

A dual-component carrier with both non-enzymatic and enzymatic antioxidant activity towards ROS depletion.

While ROS display crucial functions in many physiological processes, elevated ROS levels are also related to the initiation and progression of many severe diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular conditions or neurologic disorders. Research approaches to diminish ROS levels during disease progression are currently being focused on the therapeutic administration of antioxidant enzymes. However, enzyme administration suffers from several limitations including their fast elimination from blood upon administration, thus making crucial the development of enzyme encapsulating platforms.

Tyrosinase-Loaded Multicompartment Microreactor toward Melanoma Depletion.

Melanoma is malignant skin cancer occurring with increasing prevalence with no effective treatment. A unique feature of melanoma cells is that they require higher concentrations of ltyrosine (l-tyr) for expansion than normal cells. As such, it has been demonstrated that dietary l-tyr restriction lowers systemic l-tyr and suppresses melanoma advancement in mice.

Shear stress regulated uptake of liposome-decorated microgels coated with a poly(dopamine) shell.

Advanced multicompartment drug delivery platforms ensure the co-localization of several drugs within the same carrier, thus making it possible to achieve a more effective and safe therapeutic outcome. Herein, we report a novel multicompartment architecture by combining two intrinsically different systems, i.e.

Recent Progress in Micro/Nanoreactors toward the Creation of Artificial Organelles.

Artificial organelles created from a bottom up approach are a new type of engineered materials, which are not designed to be living but, instead, to mimic some specific functions inside cells. By doing so, artificial organelles are expected to become a powerful tool in biomedicine. They can act as nanoreactors to convert a prodrug into a drug inside the cells or as carriers encapsulating therapeutic enzymes to replace malfunctioning organelles in pathological conditions.

Multicompartment Artificial Organelles Conducting Enzymatic Cascade Reactions inside Cells.

Cell organelles are subcellular structures entrapping a set of enzymes to achieve a specific functionality. The incorporation of artificial organelles into cells is a novel medical paradigm which might contribute to the treatment of various cell disorders by replacing malfunctioning organelles. In particular, artificial organelles are expected to be a powerful solution in the context of enzyme replacement therapy since enzymatic malfunction is the primary cause of organelle dysfunction.

Intracellular Microreactors as Artificial Organelles to Conduct Multiple Enzymatic Reactions Simultaneously.

The creation of artificial organelles is a new paradigm in medical therapy that aims to substitute for missing cellular function by replenishing a specific cellular task. Artificial organelles tackle the challenge of mimicking metabolism, which is the set of chemical reactions that occur within a cell, mainly catalyzed by enzymes. So far, the few reported carriers able to conduct enzymatic reactions intracellularly are based on single-compartment carriers.

Evaluation of bone loss in antibacterial coated dental implants: An experimental study in dogs.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the in vivo effect of antibacterial modified dental implants in the first stages of peri-implantitis. Thirty dental implants were inserted in the mandibular premolar sites of 5 beagle dogs. Sites were randomly assigned to Ti (untreated implants, 10units), Ti_Ag (silver electrodeposition treatment, 10units), and Ti_TSP (silanization treatment, 10units).

Anhydride-functional silane immobilized onto titanium surfaces induces osteoblast cell differentiation and reduces bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation.

Bacterial infection in dental implants along with osseointegration failure usually leads to loss of the device. Bioactive molecules with antibacterial properties can be attached to titanium surfaces with anchoring molecules such as silanes, preventing biofilm formation and improving osseointegration. Properties of silanes as molecular binders have been thoroughly studied, but research on the biological effects of these coatings is scarce.

The effect of unsaturated fatty acid and triglyceride oil addition on the mechanical and antibacterial properties of acrylic bone cements.

Acrylic bone cements have an elastic modulus several times higher than the surrounding trabecular bone. This has been hypothesized to contribute to certain clinical complications. There are indications that the addition of specific fatty acids and triglyceride oils may reduce the elastic modulus of these types of cements.

Antibacterial coatings on titanium surfaces: a comparison study between in vitro single-species and multispecies biofilm.

Dental plaque is a biofilm that causes dental caries, gingivitis, and periodontitis. Most of the studies in antibacterial coatings have been conducted by in vitro single-species biofilm formation, but oral biofilm involves more than 700 different bacterial species that are able to interact. Therefore, new studies are focused on in vitro multispecies biofilm models that mimic in vivo biofilms.

Antibacterial properties of hLf1-11 peptide onto titanium surfaces: a comparison study between silanization and surface initiated polymerization.

Dental implant failure can be associated with infections that develop into peri-implantitis. In order to reduce biofilm formation, several strategies focusing on the use of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have been studied. To covalently immobilize these molecules onto metallic substrates, several techniques have been developed, including silanization and polymer brush prepared by surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP), with varied peptide binding yield and antibacterial performance.

Silver deposition on titanium surface by electrochemical anodizing process reduces bacterial adhesion of Streptococcus sanguinis and Lactobacillus salivarius.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the antibacterial properties of silver-doped titanium surfaces prepared with a novel electrochemical anodizing process.

Material And Methods: Titanium samples were anodized with a pulsed process in a solution of silver nitrate and sodium thiosulphate at room temperature with stirring. Samples were processed with different electrolyte concentrations and treatment cycles to improve silver deposition.

Covalent immobilization of hLf1-11 peptide on a titanium surface reduces bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation.

Bacterial infection represents a major cause of implant failure in dentistry. A common approach to overcoming this issue and treating peri-implant infection consists in the use of antibiotics. However, the rise of multidrug-resistant bacteria poses serious concerns to this strategy.

S. sanguinis adhesion on rough titanium surfaces: effect of culture media.

Bacterial colonization plays a key role in dental implant failure, because they attach directly on implant surface upon implantation. Between different types of bacteria associated with the oral environment, Streptococcus sanguinis is essential in this process since it is an early colonizer. In this work the relationship between titanium surfaces modified by shot blasting treatment and S.