Unveiling Nanoparticles: Recent Approaches in Studying the Internalization Pattern of Iron Oxide Nanoparticles in Mono- and Multicellular Biological Structures.

Nanoparticle (NP)-based solutions for oncotherapy promise an improved efficiency of the anticancer response, as well as higher comfort for the patient. The current advancements in cancer treatment based on nanotechnology exploit the ability of these systems to pass biological barriers to target the tumor cell, as well as tumor cell organelles. In particular, iron oxide NPs are being clinically employed in oncological management due to this ability.

Perspectives on Scaffold Designs with Roles in Liver Cell Asymmetry and Medical and Industrial Applications by Using a New Type of Specialized 3D Bioprinter.

Cellular asymmetry is an important element of efficiency in the compartmentalization of intracellular chemical reactions that ensure efficient tissue function. Improving the current 3D printing methods by using cellular asymmetry is essential in producing complex tissues and organs such as the liver. The use of cell spots containing at least two cells and basement membrane-like bio support materials allows cells to be tethered at two points on the basement membrane and with another cell in order to maintain cell asymmetry.

Composite Fibers Based on Polycaprolactone and Calcium Magnesium Silicate Powders for Tissue Engineering Applications.

The present work reports the synthesis and characterization of polycaprolactone fibers loaded with particulate calcium magnesium silicates, to form composite materials with bioresorbable and bioactive properties. The inorganic powders were achieved through a sol-gel method, starting from the compositions of diopside, akermanite, and merwinite, three mineral phases with suitable features for the field of hard tissue engineering. The fibrous composites were fabricated by electrospinning polymeric solutions with a content of 16% polycaprolactone and 5 or 10% inorganic powder.

Processing of Calcium Magnesium Silicates by the Sol-Gel Route.

In this work, calcium magnesium silicate ceramics were processed through the sol-gel method in order to study the crystalline and morphological properties of the resulting materials in correlation with the compositional and thermal parameters. Tetraethyl orthosilicate and calcium/magnesium nitrates were employed as sources of cations, in ratios specific to diopside, akermanite and merwinite; they were further subjected to gelation, calcination (600 °C) and thermal treatments at different temperatures (800, 1000 and 1300 °C). The properties of the intermediate and final materials were investigated by thermal analysis, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and Rietveld refinement.

Ce/Sm/Sr-Incorporating Ceramic Scaffolds Obtained via Sol-Gel Route.

Three different inorganic scaffolds were obtained starting from the oxide system SiO‒PO‒CaO‒MgO, to which Ce/Sm/Sr cations were added in order to propose novel materials with potential application in the field of hard tissue engineering. Knowing the beneficial effects of each element, improved features in terms of mechanical properties, antibacterial activity and cellular response are expected. The compositions were processed in the form of scaffolds by a common sol-gel method, followed by a thermal treatment at 1000 and 1200 °C.

Composite Fiber Networks Based on Polycaprolactone and Bioactive Glass-Ceramics for Tissue Engineering Applications.

In this work, composite fibers connected in three-dimensional porous scaffolds were fabricated by electrospinning, starting from polycaprolactone and inorganic powders synthesized by the sol-gel method. The aim was to obtain materials dedicated to the field of bone regeneration, with controllable properties of bioresorbability and bioactivity. The employed powders were nanometric and of a glass-ceramic type, a fact that constitutes the premise of a potential attachment to living tissue in the physiological environment.

Electrospun Fibre Webs Templated Synthesis of Mineral Scaffolds Based on Calcium Phosphates and Barium Titanate.

The current work focuses on the development of mineral scaffolds with complex composition and controlled morphology by using a polymeric template in the form of nonwoven fibre webs fabricated through electrospinning. By a cross-linking process, gelatine fibres stable in aqueous solutions were achieved, these being further subjected to a loading step with two types of mineral phases: calcium phosphates deposited by chemical reaction and barium titanate nanoparticles as decoration on the previously achieved structures. Thus, hybrid materials were obtained and subsequently processed in terms of freeze-drying and heat treating with the purpose of burning the template and consolidating the mineral part as potential bone implants with improved biological response by external stimulation.

Composite scaffolds based on calcium phosphates and barium titanate obtained through bacterial cellulose templated synthesis.

Taking into account the potential of barium titanate to deliver electrical stimulation to the physiological microenvironment and offer beneficial conditions for the cellular metabolism, this mineral phase was selected for the development of new composites. In this context, calcium phosphates and barium titanate were deposited on bacterial cellulose membranes under ultrasonic irradiation, the resulting system being subjected to a thermal treatment in optimized conditions in order to remove the polymeric template and achieve 3D porous architectures. The complex characterization performed on the intermediate and final samples demonstrated the suitability of such materials for hard tissue engineering applications.

PCL-ZnO/TiO/HAp Electrospun Composite Fibers with Applications in Tissue Engineering.

The main objective of the tissue engineering field is to regenerate the damaged parts of the body by developing biological substitutes that maintain, restore, or improve original tissue function. In this context, by using the electrospinning technique, composite scaffolds based on polycaprolactone (PCL) and inorganic powders were successfully obtained, namely: zinc oxide (ZnO), titanium dioxide (TiO) and hydroxyapatite (HAp). The novelty of this approach consists in the production of fibrous membranes based on a biodegradable polymer and loaded with different types of mineral powders, each of them having a particular function in the resulting composite.

Improvement of silicate cement properties with bacterial cellulose powder addition for applications in dentistry.

The goal of this paper was to synthesize a new family of composites starting from mineral binder powders and biocellulose membranes, with applications in endodontics. An important achievement consisted in the crushing of biocellulose 3D structure in a polygranular powder via an hydrothermal treatment. Afterwards, the polymer powder was mixed with silicate cement powders synthesized through the sol-gel technique.

Box-Behnken experimental design for chromium(VI) ions removal by bacterial cellulose-magnetite composites.

In this study bacterial cellulose-magnetite composites were synthesised for the removal of chromium(VI) from aqueous solutions. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) were used to characterize the bacterial cellulose-magnetite composites and to reveal the uniform dispersion of nanomagnetite in the BC matrix. Magnetic properties were also measured to confirm the magnetite immobilization on bacterial cellulose membrane.

New Coll-HA/BT composite materials for hard tissue engineering.

The integration of ceramic powders in composite materials for bone scaffolds can improve the osseointegration process. This work was aimed to the synthesis and characterization of new collagen-hydroxyapatite/barium titanate (Coll-HA/BT) composite materials starting from barium titanate (BT) nanopowder, hydroxyapatite (HA) nanopowder and collagen (Coll) gel. BT nanopowder was produced by combining two wet-chemical approaches, sol-gel and hydrothermal methods.

Drug release kinetics from carboxymethylcellulose-bacterial cellulose composite films.

Composite films of sodium carboxymethyl cellulose and bacterial cellulose (NaCMC-BC) cross-linked with citric acid (CA) were prepared by solution casting method. Ibuprofen sodium salt (IbuNa) has been used to study the mechanism of drug release from composite films. Surface morphology was investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and proved that the BC content influences the aspect of the films.

Vitroceramic interface deposited on titanium substrate by pulsed laser deposition method.

Pulsed laser deposition (PLD) method was used to obtain biovitroceramic thin film coatings on titanium substrates. The composition of the targets was selected from SiO2-CaO-P2O5-(CaF2) systems and the corresponding masses were prepared using the sol-gel method. The depositions were performed in oxygen atmosphere (100mTorr), while the substrates were heated at 400°C.

Plackett-Burman experimental design for bacterial cellulose-silica composites synthesis.

Bacterial cellulose-silica hybrid composites were prepared starting from wet bacterial cellulose (BC) membranes using Stöber reaction. The structure and surface morphology of hybrid composites were examined by FTIR and SEM. The SEM pictures revealed that the silica particles are attached to BC fibrils and are well dispersed in the BC matrix.

Composite films of poly(vinyl alcohol)-chitosan-bacterial cellulose for drug controlled release.

Mono and multilayer composite films of poly(vinyl alcohol)-chitosan-bacterial cellulose (PVA/chitosan/BC) have been prepared to achieve controlled release of ibuprofen sodium salt (IbuNa) as model drug. The composite films have been characterized by Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Surface morphology was investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM).