Controlled oxygen delivery to power tissue regeneration.

Oxygen plays a crucial role in human embryogenesis, homeostasis, and tissue regeneration. Emerging engineered regenerative solutions call for novel oxygen delivery systems. To become a reality, these systems must consider physiological processes, oxygen release mechanisms and the target application.

Wired for Success: Probing the Effect of Tissue-Engineered Neural Interface Substrates on Cell Viability.

This study investigates the electrochemical behavior of GelMA-based hydrogels and their interactions with PC12 neural cells under electrical stimulation in the presence of conducting substrates. Focusing on indium tin oxide (ITO), platinum, and gold mylar substrates supporting conductive scaffolds composed of hydrogel, graphene oxide, and gold nanorods, we explored how the substrate materials affect scaffold conductivity and cell viability. We examined the impact of an optimized electrical stimulation protocol on the PC12 cell viability.

Calcium ions have a detrimental impact on the boundary lubrication property of hyaluronic acid and lubricin (PRG-4) both alone and in combination.

Cartilage demineralisation in Osteoarthritis (OA) patients can elevate calcium ion levels in synovial fluid, as evidenced by the prevalence of precipitated calcium phosphate crystals in OA synovial fluid. Although it has been reported that there is a potential connection between elevated concentrations of calcium ions and a deterioration in the lubrication and wear resistance of cartilage tissues, the mechanism behind the strong link between calcium ion concentration and decreased lubrication performance is unclear. In this work, the AFM friction, imaging, and normal force distance measurements were used to investigate the lubrication performances of hyaluronic acid (HA), Lubricin (LUB), and HA-LUB complex in the presence of calcium ions (5 mM, 15 mM, and 30 mM), to understand the possible mechanism behind the change of lubrication property.

Lubricin (PRG-4) anti-fouling coating for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy biosensing: towards a hierarchical separation system for analysis of biofluids.

Surface-enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) is a powerful optical sensing technique that amplifies the signal generated by Raman scattering by many orders of magnitude. Although the extreme sensitivity of SERS enables an extremely low limit of detection, even down to single molecule levels, it is also a primary limitation of the technique due to its tendency to equally amplify 'noise' generated by non-specifically adsorbed molecules at (or near) SERS-active interfaces. Eliminating interference noise is thus critically important to SERS biosensing and typically involves onerous extraction/purification/washing procedures and/or heavy dilution of biofluid samples.

Antibacterial and Antibiofilm Activity of Endophytic sp. Isolated from .

The threat to public health resulting from the emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is ever rising. One of the major bacterial pathogens at the forefront of this problem is methicillin-resistant , or MRSA, for which there is a great need to find alternative treatments. One of the most promising alternatives is endophytic fungi, which were shown to produce a vast array of bioactive compounds, including many novel antibacterial compounds.

A tissue-engineered neural interface with photothermal functionality.

Neural interfaces are well-established as a tool to understand the behaviour of the nervous system recording and stimulation of living neurons, as well as serving as neural prostheses. Conventional neural interfaces based on metals and carbon-based materials are generally optimised for high conductivity; however, a mechanical mismatch between the interface and the neural environment can significantly reduce long-term neuromodulation efficacy by causing an inflammatory response. This paper presents a soft composite material made of gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) containing graphene oxide (GO) conjugated with gold nanorods (AuNRs).

Reagentless protein-based electrochemical biosensors.

The creation of reagentless protein-based biosensors that are capable of monitoring molecular analytes directly in bodily fluids could revolutionize our understanding of biology and personalized health monitoring. The limited number of molecular sensors that are currently available in the market depends on the specific enzymatic or chemical reactivity of their target analytes and therefore are not applicable to many relevant biomarkers. Aiming to overcome this limited molecular sensing generality, a new class of reagentless protein-based electrochemical sensors has been introduced for the direct measurements of biomarkers in unprocessed biological fluids.

The impact of electrical stimulation protocols on neuronal cell survival and proliferation using cell-laden GelMA/graphene oxide hydrogels.

The development of electroactive cell-laden hydrogels (bioscaffolds) has gained interest in neural tissue engineering research due to their inherent electrical properties that can induce the regulation of cell behaviour. Hydrogels combined with electrically conducting materials can respond to external applied electric fields, where these stimuli can promote electro-responsive cell growth and proliferation. A successful neural interface for electrical stimulation should present the desired stable electrical properties, such as high conductivity, low impedance, increased charge storage capacity and similar mechanical properties related to a target neural tissue.

Rapid Point-of-Care Electrochemical Sensor for the Detection of Cancer Tn Antigen Carbohydrate in Whole Unprocessed Blood.

Improving outcomes for cancer patients during treatment and monitoring for cancer recurrence requires personalized care which can only be achieved through regular surveillance for biomarkers. Unfortunately, routine detection for blood-based biomarkers is cost-prohibitive using currently specialized laboratories. Using a rapid self-assembly sensing interface amenable to methods of mass production, we demonstrate the ability to detect and quantify a small carbohydrate-based cancer biomarker, Tn antigen (αGalNAc-Ser/Thr) in a small volume of blood, using a test format strip reminiscent of a blood glucose test.

The Impact of Over-The-Counter Lactic Acid Containing Vaginal Gels on the Integrity and Inflammatory State of the Vaginal Epithelium .

The vaginal microbiome influences a wide range of health outcomes in women, where a microbiome dominated by spp. is considered optimal and associated with reduced risk of pre-term birth and acquisition of sexually transmitted infections including HIV. Conversely, replacement of lactobacilli by non-optimal bacteria leads to the development of bacterial vaginosis, which is associated with increased risk of these outcomes.

Exploring the Promise of Endophytic Fungi: A Review of Novel Antimicrobial Compounds.

Over the last few decades, many of the existing drugs used to treat infectious diseases have become increasingly ineffective due to the global emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). As such, there is a constant demand to find new, effective compounds that could help to alleviate some of this pressure. Endophytic fungi have captured the attention of many researchers in this field, as they have displayed a vast ability to produce novel bioactive compounds, many of which possess wide-ranging antimicrobial activities.

Biodegradable bioelectronics for biomedical applications.

Biodegradable polymers have been widely used in tissue engineering with the potential to be replaced by regenerative tissue. While conventional bionic interfaces are designed to be implanted in living tissue and organs permanently, biocompatible and biodegradable electronic materials are now progressing a paradigm shift towards transient and regenerative bionic engineering. For example, biodegradable bioelectronics can monitor physiologies in a body, transiently rehabilitate disease symptoms, and seamlessly form regenerative interfaces from synthetic electronic devices to tissues by reducing inflammatory foreign-body responses.

Novel Boundary Lubrication Mechanisms from Molecular Pillows of Lubricin Brush-Coated Graphene Oxide Nanosheets.

There are numerous biomedical applications where the interfacial shearing of surfaces can cause wear and friction, which can lead to a variety of medical complications such as inflammation, irritation, and even bacterial infection. We introduce a novel nanomaterial additive comprised of two-dimensional graphene oxide nanosheets (2D-NSCs) coated with lubricin (LUB) to reduce the amount of tribological stress in biomedical settings, particularly at low shear rates where boundary lubrication dominates. LUB is a glycoprotein found in the articular joints of mammals and has recently been discovered as an ocular surface boundary lubricant.

Potential Pulse-Facilitated Active Adsorption of Lubricin Polymer Brushes Can Both Accelerate Self-Assembly and Control Grafting Density.

Self-assembled lubricin (LUB) monolayers are an effective antiadhesive coating for biomedical applications. Long deposition times and limited control over the monolayer grafting density remain impediments to commercialization and applications in advanced sensor technologies. This work describes a novel potential pulse-facilitated coating method that reduces coating times to mere seconds while also providing high-level control over the achieved grafting density.

Microencapsulation of growth factors by microfluidic system.

The encapsulation of growth factors is an important component of tissue engineer- ing. Using microspheres is a convenient approach in which the dose of factors can be regulated by increasing or decreasing the number of encapsulated microspheres. Moreover, microspheres offer the possibility of delivering the growth factors directly to the target site.

Towards bioengineered skeletal muscle: recent developments in vitro and in vivo.

Skeletal muscle is a functional tissue that accounts for approximately 40% of the human body mass. It has remarkable regenerative potential, however, trauma and volumetric muscle loss, progressive disease and aging can lead to significant muscle loss that the body cannot recover from. Clinical approaches to address this range from free-flap transfer for traumatic events involving volumetric muscle loss, to myoblast transplantation and gene therapy to replace muscle loss due to sarcopenia and hereditary neuromuscular disorders, however, these interventions are often inadequate.

Near-infrared light-responsive liposomes for protein delivery: Towards bleeding-free photothermally-assisted thrombolysis.

Smart drug delivery systems represent state-of-the-art approaches for targeted therapy of life-threatening diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Stimuli-responsive on-demand release of therapeutic agents at the diseased site can significantly limit serious adverse effects. In this study, we engineered a near-infrared (NIR) light-responsive liposomal gold nanorod-containing platform for on-demand delivery of proteins using a hybrid formulation of ultrasmall gold nanorods (AuNRs), thermosensitive phospholipid (DPPC) and non-ionic surfactant (Brij58).

Cellular Interactions with Lubricin and Hyaluronic Acid-Lubricin Composite Coatings on Gold Electrodes in Passive and Electrically Stimulated Environments.

In the field of bionics, the long-term effectiveness of implantable bionic interfaces depends upon maintaining a "clean" and unfouled electrical interface with biological tissues. Lubricin (LUB) is an innately biocompatible glycoprotein with impressive antifouling properties. Unlike traditional antiadhesive coatings, LUB coatings do not passivate electrode surfaces, giving LUB coatings great potential for controlling surface fouling of implantable electrode interfaces.

Photothermal release and recovery of mesenchymal stem cells from substrates functionalized with gold nanorods.

Mesenchymal stem cell therapies show great promise in regenerative medicine. However, to generate clinically relevant numbers of these stem cells, significant in vitro expansion of the cells is required before transplantation into the affected wound or defect. The current gold standard protocol for recovering in vitro cultured cells involves treatment with enzymes such as trypsin which can affect the cell phenotype and ability to interact with the environment.

Antifouling Strategies for Electrochemical Biosensing: Mechanisms and Performance toward Point of Care Based Diagnostic Applications.

Although there exist numerous established laboratory-based technologies for sample diagnostics and analyte detection, many medical and forensic science applications require point of care based platforms for rapid on-the-spot sample analysis. Electrochemical biosensors provide a promising avenue for such applications due to the portability and functional simplicity of the technology. However, the ability to develop such platforms with the high sensitivity and selectivity required for analysis of low analyte concentrations in complex biological samples remains a paramount issue in the field of biosensing.

Lubricin as a tool for controlling adhesion in vivo and ex vivo.

The ability to prevent or minimize the accumulation of unwanted biological materials on implantable medical devices is important in maintaining the long-term function of implants. To address this issue, there has been a focus on materials, both biological and synthetic, that have the potential to prevent device fouling. In this review, we introduce a glycoprotein called lubricin and report on its emergence as an effective antifouling coating material.

Formation of alginate microspheres prepared by optimized microfluidics parameters for high encapsulation of bioactive molecules.

Drug delivery systems such as microspheres have shown potential in releasing biologicals effectively for tissue engineering applications. Microfluidic systems are especially attractive for generating microspheres as they produce microspheres of controlled-size and in low volumes, using micro-emulsion processes. However, the flow rate dependency on the encapsulation of molecules at a microscale is poorly understood.