TAM receptors mediate the Fpr2-driven pain resolution and fibrinolysis after nerve injury.

Nerve injury causes neuropathic pain and multilevel nerve barrier disruption. Nerve barriers consist of perineurial, endothelial and myelin barriers. So far, it is unclear whether resealing nerve barriers fosters pain resolution and recovery.

VEGF-delivering PEG hydrogels promote vascularization in the porcine subcutaneous space.

For cell therapies, the subcutaneous space is an attractive transplant site due to its large surface area and accessibility for implantation, monitoring, biopsy, and retrieval. However, its poor vascularization has catalyzed research to induce blood vessel formation within the site to enhance cell revascularization and survival. Most studies focus on the subcutaneous space of rodents, which does not recapitulate important anatomical features and vascularization responses of humans.

Hydrolytic hydrogels tune mesenchymal stem cell persistence and immunomodulation for enhanced diabetic cutaneous wound healing.

Diabetes is associated with an altered global inflammatory state with impaired wound healing. Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSC) are being explored for treatment of diabetic cutaneous wounds due to their regenerative properties. These cells are commonly delivered by injection, but the need to prolong the retention of MSC at sites of injury has spurred the development of biomaterial-based MSC delivery vehicles.

Host type 2 immune response to xenogeneic serum components impairs biomaterial-directed osteo-regenerative therapies.

The transformative potential of cells as therapeutic agents is being realized in a wide range of applications, from regenerative medicine to cancer therapy to autoimmune disorders. The majority of these therapies require ex vivo expansion of the cellular product, often utilizing fetal bovine serum (FBS) in the culture media. However, the impact of residual FBS on immune responses to cell therapies and the resulting cell therapy outcomes remains unclear.

Biomaterial-based delivery of antimicrobial therapies for the treatment of bacterial infections.

Unlabelled: The rise in antibiotic-resistant bacteria, including strains that are resistant to last-resort antibiotics, and the limited ability of antibiotics to eradicate biofilms, have necessitated the development of alternative antibacterial therapeutics. Antibacterial biomaterials, such as polycationic polymers, and biomaterial-assisted delivery of non-antibiotic therapeutics, such as bacteriophages, antimicrobial peptides and antimicrobial enzymes, have improved our ability to treat antibiotic-resistant and recurring infections. Biomaterials not only allow targeted delivery of multiple agents, but also sustained release at the infection site, thereby reducing potential systemic adverse effects.

Hydrolytically Degradable Microgels with Tunable Mechanical Properties Modulate the Host Immune Response.

Hydrogel microparticles (microgels) are an attractive approach for therapeutic delivery because of their modularity, injectability, and enhanced integration with the host tissue. Multiple microgel fabrication strategies and chemistries have been implemented, yet manipulation of microgel degradability and its effect on in vivo tissue responses remains underexplored. Here, the authors report a facile method to synthesize microgels crosslinked with ester-containing junctions to afford tunable degradation kinetics.

Bacteriophage-Loaded Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) Microparticles Mitigate Staphylococcus aureus Infection and Cocultures of Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Lung infections caused by Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and coinfections caused by S. aureus and Gram-negative Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P.

Surface-initiated atom-transfer radical polymerization (SI-ATRP) of bactericidal polymer brushes on poly(lactic acid) surfaces.

We have modified the surface of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) by bromination in the presence of N-bromosuccinimide (NBS) under UV irradiation. This new approach to impart functionality to the surface does not effect the bulk of the material. Brominated PLA surfaces served as initiators for atom-transfer radical polymerization (SI-ATRP) of 2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl]trimethylammonium chloride, a quaternary ammonium methacrylate (QMA).

Azide-Substituted Polylactide: A Biodegradable Substrate for Antimicrobial Materials via Click Chemistry Attachment of Quaternary Ammonium Groups.

Polylactide (PL) co-polymers substituted with pendant azide groups (azido-PL) were synthesized by the nucleophilic conjugate addition of 3-azido-1-propanethiol to a co-polymer of PL containing α,β-unsaturated ester units, poly(lactide--methylene glycolide) (ene-PL) that is obtained from the base-promoted dehydrochlorination of poly(lactide--chlorolactide) (chloro-PL). Alternatively, azido-PL was prepared by the treatment of chloro-PL with 3-azido-1-propanethiol without isolation of the ene-PL intermediate. The azido-PL was functionalized by copper-catalyzed [3 + 2] cycloaddition reactions with four alkynes: propargyl 4-methoxybenzoate, ,,-trimethyl--propargylammonium bromide, ,-dimethyl--octyl--propargylammonium bromide, and ,,-trioctyl--propargylammonium bromide.

Lysostaphin and BMP-2 co-delivery reduces infection and regenerates critical-sized segmental bone defects.

is the most common pathogen associated with bacterial infections in orthopedic procedures. Infections often lead to implant failure and subsequent removal, motivating the development of bifunctional materials that both promote repair and prevent failure due to infection. Lysostaphin is an anti-staphylococcal enzyme resulting in bacterial lysis and biofilm reduction.