Exploring the potential of laser-textured metal alloys: Fine-tuning vascular cells responses through and analysis.

Medical stents are vital for treating vascular complications and restoring blood flow in millions of patients. Despite its widespread effectiveness, restenosis, driven by the complex interplay of cellular responses, remains a concern. This study investigated the reactions of vascular cells to nano/microscale wrinkle (nano-W and micro-W) patterns created on laser-textured nitinol (NiTi) surfaces by adjusting laser processing parameters, such as spot overlap ratio and line overlap ratio.

Dual-Layer Nanoengineered Urinary Catheters for Enhanced Antimicrobial Efficacy and Reduced Cytotoxicity.

Catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) is the most common healthcare-associated infection; however, current therapeutic strategies remain insufficient for standard clinical application. A novel urinary catheter featuring a dual-layer nanoengineering approach using zinc (Zn) and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) is successfully fabricated. This design targets microbial resistance, minimizes cytotoxicity, and maintains long-term efficacy.

Fostering tissue engineering and regenerative medicine to treat musculoskeletal disorders in bone and muscle.

The musculoskeletal system, which is vital for movement, support, and protection, can be impaired by disorders such as osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, and muscular dystrophy. This review focuses on the advances in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, specifically aimed at alleviating these disorders. It explores the roles of cell therapy, particularly Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) and Adipose-Derived Stem Cells (ADSCs), biomaterials, and biomolecules/external stimulations in fostering bone and muscle regeneration.

Biomedical Device Surface Treatment by Laser-Driven Hydroxyapatite Penetration-Synthesis Technique for Gapless PEEK-to-Bone Integration.

Polyetheretherketone (PEEK), a bioinert polymer known for its mechanical properties similar to bone, is capable of averting stress shielding. Due to these attributes, it finds applications in diverse fields like orthopedics, encompassing cervical disc replacement for the neck and spine, along with dentistry and plastic surgery. However, due to insufficient bonding with bone, various methods such as hydroxyapatite (HA) coating on the surface are attempted.

Photothermal Lithography for Realizing a Stretchable Multilayer Electronic Circuit Using a Laser.

Photolithography is a well-established fabrication method for realizing multilayer electronic circuits. However, it is challenging to adopt photolithography to fabricate intrinsically stretchable multilayer electronic circuits fully composed of an elastomeric matrix, due to the opacity of thick stretchable nanocomposite conductors. Here, we present photothermal lithography that can pattern elastomeric conductors and via holes using pulsed lasers.

Selective Cell-Cell Adhesion Regulation via Cyclic Mechanical Deformation Induced by Ultrafast Nanovibrations.

The adoption of dynamic mechanomodulation to regulate cellular behavior is an alternative to the use of chemical drugs, allowing spatiotemporal control. However, cell-selective targeting of mechanical stimuli is challenging due to the lack of strategies with which to convert macroscopic mechanical movements to different cellular responses. Here, we designed a nanoscale vibrating surface that controls cell behavior via selective repetitive cell deformation based on a poroelastic cell model.

Lifetime-configurable soft robots via photodegradable silicone elastomer composites.

Developing soft robots that can control their own life cycle and degrade on-demand while maintaining hyperelasticity is a notable research challenge. On-demand degradable soft robots, which conserve their original functionality during operation and rapidly degrade under specific external stimulation, present the opportunity to self-direct the disappearance of temporary robots. This study proposes soft robots and materials that exhibit excellent mechanical stretchability and can degrade under ultraviolet light by mixing a fluoride-generating diphenyliodonium hexafluorophosphate with a silicone resin.

Improving hydroxyapatite coating ability on biodegradable metal through laser-induced hydrothermal coating in liquid precursor: Application in orthopedic implants.

During the past decade, there has been extensive research toward the possibility of exploring magnesium and its alloys as biocompatible and biodegradable materials for implantable applications. Its practical medical application, however, has been limited to specific areas owing to rapid corrosion in the initial stage and the consequent complications. Surface coatings can significantly reduce the initial corrosion of Mg alloys, and several studies have been carried out to improve the adhesion strength of the coating to the surfaces of the alloys.

Biomimetic hydrogel blanket for conserving and recovering intrinsic cell properties.

Background: Cells in the human body experience different growth environments and conditions, such as compressive pressure and oxygen concentrations, depending on the type and location of the tissue. Thus, a culture device that emulates the environment inside the body is required to study cells outside the body.

Methods: A blanket-type cell culture device (Direct Contact Pressing: DCP) was fabricated with an alginate-based hydrogel.

Optimization of the clinically approved mg-Zn alloy system through the addition of ca.

Background: Although several studies on the Mg-Zn-Ca system have focused on alloy compositions that are restricted to solid solutions, the influence of the solid solution component of Ca on Mg-Zn alloys is unknown. Therefore, to broaden its utility in orthopedic applications, studies on the influence of the addition of Ca on the microstructural, mechanical, and corrosion properties of Mg-Zn alloys should be conducted. In this study, an in-depth investigation of the effect of Ca on the mechanical and bio-corrosion characteristics of the Mg-Zn alloy was performed for the optimization of a clinically approved Mg alloy system comprising Ca and Zn.

Rapid Synthesis of Multifunctional Apatite via the Laser-Induced Hydrothermal Process.

Synthetic biomaterials are used to overcome the limited quantity of human-derived biomaterials and to impart additional biofunctionality. Although numerous synthetic processes have been developed using various phases and methods, currently commonly used processes have some issues, such as a long process time and difficulties with extensive size control and high-concentration metal ion substitution to achieve additional functionality. Herein, we introduce a rapid synthesis method using a laser-induced hydrothermal process.

Development of Organic/Inorganic Hybrid Materials for Fully Degradable Reactive Oxygen Species-Releasing Stents for Antirestenosis.

Despite innovative advances in stent technology, restenosis remains a crucial issue for the clinical implantation of stents. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are known to potentially accelerate re-endothelialization and lower the risk of restenosis by selectively controlling endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells. Recently, several studies have been conducted to develop biodegradable polymeric stents.

On/off switchable physical stimuli regulate the future direction of adherent cellular fate.

The utilization of cell-manipulating techniques reveals information about biological behaviors suited to address a wide range of questions in the field of life sciences. Here, we introduced an on/off switchable physical stimuli technique that offers precise stimuli for reversible cell patterning to allow regulation of the future direction of adherent cellular behavior by leveraging enzymatically degradable alginate hydrogels with defined chemistry and topography. As a proof of concept, targeted muscle cells adherent to TCP exhibited a reshaped structure when the hydrogel-based physical stimuli were applied.

Regulation of cell locomotion by nanosecond-laser-induced hydroxyapatite patterning.

Hydroxyapatite, an essential mineral in human bones composed mainly of calcium and phosphorus, is widely used to coat bone graft and implant surfaces for enhanced biocompatibility and bone formation. For a strong implant-bone bond, the bone-forming cells must not only adhere to the implant surface but also move to the surface requiring bone formation. However, strong adhesion tends to inhibit cell migration on the surface of hydroxyapatite.

Durable and Fatigue-Resistant Soft Peripheral Neuroprosthetics for In Vivo Bidirectional Signaling.

Soft neuroprosthetics that monitor signals from sensory neurons and deliver motor information can potentially replace damaged nerves. However, achieving long-term stability of devices interfacing peripheral nerves is challenging, since dynamic mechanical deformations in peripheral nerves cause material degradation in devices. Here, a durable and fatigue-resistant soft neuroprosthetic device is reported for bidirectional signaling on peripheral nerves.

Femtosecond laser induced nano-textured micropatterning to regulate cell functions on implanted biomaterials.

Posterior capsular opacification (PCO) is the most common complication of cataract surgery. PCO is due to the proliferation, migration, and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition of the residual lens epithelial cells (LECs) within the lens capsule. As surface topography influences cellular response, we investigated the effect of modulating the dimensions of periodic nano-textured patterns on the surface of an intraocular lens material to regulate lens epithelial cell functions such as cell adhesion, migration, orientation, and proliferation.

Biodegradable Magnesium Alloys Promote Angio-Osteogenesis to Enhance Bone Repair.

Biodegradable metallic materials represent a potential step-change technology that may revolutionize the treatment of broken bones. Implants made with biodegradable metals are significantly stronger than their polymer counterparts and fully biodegradable in vivo, removing the need for secondary surgery or long-term complications. Here, it is shown how clinically approved Mg alloy promotes improved bone repair using an integrated state of the art fetal mouse metatarsal assay coupled with in vivo preclinical studies, second harmonic generation, secretome array analysis, perfusion bioreactor, and high-resolution 3D confocal imaging of vasculature within skeletal tissue, to reveal a vascular-mediated pro-osteogenic mechanism controlling enhanced tissue regeneration.

Curved Structure of Si by Improving Etching Direction Controllability in Magnetically Guided Metal-Assisted Chemical Etching.

Metal-assisted chemical etching (MACE) is widely used to fabricate micro-/nano-structured Si owing to its simplicity and cost-effectiveness. The technique of magnetically guided MACE, involving MACE with a tri-layer metal catalyst, was developed to improve etching speed as well as to adjust the etching direction using an external magnetic field. However, the controllability of the etching direction diminishes with an increase in the etching dimension, owing to the corrosion of Fe due to the etching solution; this impedes the wider application of this approach for the fabrication of complex micro Si structures.

Tailoring HO generation kinetics with magnesium alloys for efficient disinfection on titanium surface.

A new antibacterial strategy for Ti has been developed without the use of any external antibacterial agents and surface treatments. By combining Mg alloys with Ti, HO, which is an oxidizing agent that kills bacteria, was spontaneously generated near the surface of Ti. Importantly, the HO formation kinetics can be precisely controlled by tailoring the degradation rates of Mg alloys connected to Ti.

An Ultrastretchable and Self-Healable Nanocomposite Conductor Enabled by Autonomously Percolative Electrical Pathways.

Both self-healable conductors and stretchable conductors have been previously reported. However, it is still difficult to simultaneously achieve high stretchability, high conductivity, and self-healability. Here, we observed an intriguing phenomenon, termed "electrical self-boosting", which enables reconstructing of electrically percolative pathways in an ultrastretchable and self-healable nanocomposite conductor (over 1700% strain).

Reduction of magnetic resonance image artifacts of NiTi implant by carbon coating.

A paramagnetic NiTi substrate was coated with diamagnetic carbon materials, i.e., graphene, graphene oxide (GO), and carbon nanotubes (CNTs), in order to reduce magnetic resonance (MR) image artifacts of NiTi implants.