Biomimetic trace metals improve bone regenerative properties of calcium phosphate bioceramics.

The bone regenerative capacity of synthetic calcium phosphates (CaPs) can be enhanced through the enrichment with selected metal trace ions. However, defining the optimal elemental composition required for bone formation is challenging due to many possible concentrations and combinations of these elements. We hypothesized that the ideal elemental composition exists in the inorganic phase of the bone extracellular matrix (ECM).

Bone extracts immunomodulate and enhance the regenerative performance of dicalcium phosphates bioceramics.

Immunomodulation strategies are believed to improve the integration and clinical performance of synthetic bone substitutes. One potential approach is the modification of biomaterial surface chemistry to mimic bone extracellular matrix (ECM). In this sense, we hypothesized that coating synthetic dicalcium phosphate (DCP) bioceramics with bone ECM proteins would modulate the host immune reactions and improve their regenerative performance.

Comparative adsorption profiles of basal lamina proteome and gingival cells onto dental and titanium surfaces.

Unlabelled: Titanium (Ti) dental implants are susceptible to bacterial infections and failure due to lack of proper epithelial seal. Epithelial cells establish a strong epithelial seal around natural teeth by the deposition of basal lamina (BL) proteins that adsorb on the tooth surface. This seal can even be re-established onto cementum or dentin following injury or periodontal therapy.

Extracellular Matrices for Bone Regeneration: A Literature Review.

The gold standard material for bone regeneration is still autologous bone, a mesenchymal tissue that consists mainly of extracellular matrix (ECM) (90% v/v) and little cellular content (10% v/v). However, the fact that decellularized allogenic bone grafts often present a clinical performance comparable to autologous bone grafts demonstrates the crucial role of ECM in bone regeneration. For long, the mechanism by which bone allografts function was not clear, but recent research has unveiled many unique characteristics of ECM that seem to play a key role in tissue regeneration.

Biomaterial surface proteomic signature determines interaction with epithelial cells.

Unlabelled: Cells interact with biomaterials indirectly through extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins adsorbed onto their surface. Accordingly, it could be hypothesized that the surface proteomic signature of a biomaterial might determine its interaction with cells. Here, we present a surface proteomic approach to test this hypothesis in the specific case of biomaterial-epithelial cell interactions.

Hydrogen bonding vs. molecule-surface interactions in 2D self-assembly of [C60]fullerenecarboxylic acids.

The adsorption of C-malonic derivatives C(COH) and C(COH) on Au(111) and a pentafluorobenzenethiol-modified Au substrate (PFBT@Au) has been investigated using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) at a liquid-solid interface. Monofunctionalized C(COH) forms a hexagonal close-packed overlayer on Au(111) and individual aligned dimers on PFBT@Au(111). The difference is attributed to the nature of the substrateC(COH) interaction (isotropic π-Au bonding vs.

A Molecular Necklace: Threading β-Cyclodextrins onto Polymers Derived from Bile Acids.

A molecular necklace of polypseudorotaxanes was prepared by threading β-cyclodextrins (β-CD) onto biodegradable and thermoresponsive polyurethanes derived from bile acids. These polyurethanes were synthesized via a simple step condensation of bile acid-based dicarbonate with poly(ethylene glycol)-diamine. The β-CD rings slide onto the poly(ethylene glycol) segments and selectively recognize the bile acid units of the polyurethane chains, whereas the poly(ethylene glycol) segments remain crystalline with a lower crystallinity.

Tridentate benzylthiols on Au(111): control of self-assembly geometry.

A set of hexasubstituted benzene derivatives with three thiol groups in the 1, 3, 5 positions and varied aliphatic substituents in the 2, 4, 6 positions (Me3-BTMT, Et3-BTMT, ODe3-BTMT) has been synthesized and self-assembled on Au(111). The resulting self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) are characterized by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and electrochemistry. The molecular orientation and long-range order are affected by the “gear effect” of the hexasubstituted benzene ring and van der Waals interactions between the physisorbed alkyl chains drive.

High thermal stability of block copolymer-capped Au and Cu nanoparticles.

Producing solution-based metal nanoparticles that do not agglomerate at elevated temperatures remains challenging. We show that thermally stable Au and Cu nanoparticles can be prepared using polystyrene-poly(4-vinylpyridine) diblock copolymers as capping agents. These materials remain stable when their solutions are subjected to prolonged heating up to 160 °C for more than 48 h.

Directing the assembly of gold nanoparticles with two-dimensional molecular networks.

Lamellar patterns resulting from the adsorption of p-dialkoxybenzene derivatives on HOPG have been investigated as molecular templates for directing the assembly of thiol-capped gold nanoparticles (AuNP). STM characterization at the liquid-solid interface reveals the periodic arrangement of AuNP on top of the self-assembled molecular network (SAMN), spanning hundreds of nanometers. The resulting superlattices are notably different from the close-packed structures formed by spherical nanoparticles during evaporative drying.

Assessing multidrug resistance protein 1-mediated function in cancer cell multidrug resistance by scanning electrochemical microscopy and flow cytometry.

Cancer cell multidrug resistance is a molecular signature that highly influences the outcome of chemotherapy treatment and for which there is currently no robust method to monitor in vitro its activity. Herein, we demonstrate that ferrocenemethanol (FcCH(2)OH) and its oxidized form ([FcCH(2)OH](+)) affect the redox state of cancer cells. Specifically, the interaction of FcCH(2)OH with the glutathione couple (GSH/GSSG) is shown in human adenocarcinoma cervical cancer cells HeLa and a multidrug resistant variant overexpressing the multidrug resistant associated protein 1 (MRP1) using bioanalytical techniques, such as flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy.

Fabrication and characterization of laser pulled platinum microelectrodes with controlled geometry.

The development of a reproducible procedure for the fabrication of Pt disk-shaped microelectrodes with characteristic dimensions ranging from 50 nm to 1 μm in diameter was carried out using a laser pulling technique. The governing physical phenomena involved in their fabrication are discussed, and the importance of adding a critical quartz thinning step in the general procedure is demonstrated. The preparation of the microelectrodes involves sealing a platinum wire inside a quartz tubing using a pipet puller, thinning the composite material (platinum/quartz assembly), and laser pulling it to obtain two microelectrodes.

Detection of hydrogen peroxide produced during the oxygen reduction reaction at self-assembled thiol-porphyrin monolayers on gold using SECM and nanoelectrodes.

Porphyrin molecules were immobilized on polycrystalline gold and glassy carbon by coordinating cobalt(II) 5,10,15,20-tetraphenyl-21H,23H-porphine to a 4-aminothiophenol self-assembled monolayer. The resulting electrocatalytic activity of the metalloporphyrin-modified substrates with regard to the oxygen reduction reaction was characterized by means of cyclic voltammetry and scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) using nanoelectrodes of well-defined geometry. From substrate generation tip collection (SG-TC) mode SECM measurements performed under steady-state conditions and at different applied substrate potentials, it is possible to extract kinetic information relevant to electrocatalyst substrates such as metalloporphyrin-modified gold and glassy-carbon electrodes.