The Incorporation of Etanercept into a Porous Tri-Layer Scaffold for Restoring and Repairing Cartilage Tissue.

Cartilage diseases currently affect a high percentage of the world's population. Almost all of these diseases, such as osteoarthritis (OA), cause inflammation of this soft tissue. However, this could be controlled with biomaterials that act as an anti-inflammatory delivery system, capable of dosing these drugs over time in a specific area.

The Effects of Crosslinking on the Rheology and Cellular Behavior of Polymer-Based 3D-Multilayered Scaffolds for Restoring Articular Cartilage.

Polymer-based tri-layered (bone, intermediate and top layers) scaffolds used for the restoration of articular cartilage were prepared and characterized in this study to emulate the concentration gradient of cartilage. The scaffolds were physically or chemically crosslinked. In order to obtain adequate scaffolds for the intended application, the impact of the type of calcium phosphate used in the bone layer, the polymer used in the intermediate layer and the interlayer crosslinking process were analyzed.

Doxorubicin Loaded Poloxamer Thermosensitive Hydrogels: Chemical, Pharmacological and Biological Evaluation.

(1) Background: doxorubicin is a potent chemotherapeutic agent, but it has limitations regarding its side effects and therapy resistance. Hydrogels potentially deal with these problems, but several characterizations need to be optimized to better understand how hydrogel assisted chemotherapy works. Poloxamer 407 (P407) hydrogels were mixed with doxorubicin and physico-chemical, biological, and pharmacological characterizations were considered.

Thermosensitive hydrogels as sustained drug delivery system for CTLA-4 checkpoint blocking antibodies.

Thermosensitive poloxamer 407 (P407) hydrogels were evaluated as slow release system for optimizing CTLA-4 therapy. Slow release reduces systemic antibody levels and potentially mitigates the side effects of CTLA-4 therapy. The 25% P407 hydrogel is injectable at room temperature and depots are established quickly after subcutaneous injection.

Design, construction, and biological testing of an implantable porous trilayer scaffold for repairing osteoarthritic cartilage.

Various tissue engineering systems for cartilage repair have been designed and tested over the past two decades, leading to the development of many promising cartilage grafts. However, no one has yet succeeded in devising an optimal system to restore damaged articular cartilage. Here, the design, assembly, and biological testing of a porous, chitosan/collagen-based scaffold as an implant to repair damaged articular cartilage is reported.

Tissue Engineering: An Alternative to Repair Cartilage.

Herein we review the state-of-the-art in tissue engineering for repair of articular cartilage. First, we describe the molecular, cellular, and histologic structure and function of endogenous cartilage, focusing on chondrocytes, collagens, extracellular matrix, and proteoglycans. We then explore in vitro cell culture on scaffolds, discussing the difficulties involved in maintaining or obtaining a chondrocytic phenotype.

Preparation and characterization of hydrophilic composites AA/EPMA loaded with hydroxyapatite.

Copolymeric composites of acrylamide (AA) and 2,3-epoxypropyl methacrylate (EPMA) with hydroxyapatite (HA) load were studied. Swelling studies reports an anomalous or non-Fickian behavior following a good fitting to a pseudo second order mathematical treatment (α = 0.05, p < 0.