Gelatin-Based Polymers Can Be Processed to Highly Resilient Biocompatible Porous Hydrogel Scaffolds for Soft Tissue Regeneration Applications.

Tissue regeneration relies on the mechanical properties of the surrounding environment, and it has already been shown that mechanostimulation is highly dependent on the stiffness of the native biological tissue. The main advantage of injectable hydrogels in medical applications is their ability to be delivered through minimally invasive techniques. Natural polymer-based hydrogels have been widely used in biomedical applications, due to their high biocompatibility, low immunogenicity, and similarity to soft tissues.

Double-Chambered Right Ventricle Presenting in Late Adulthood in a Patient With Left Heart Disease.

• DCRV is a rare finding in older adults. • DCRV can be seen in association with a wide range of cardiac abnormalities. • Cardiac imaging characterizes anatomy, hemodynamics, and associated cardiac lesions.

Formulation Effects on the Mechano-Physical Properties of In Situ-Forming Resilient Hydrogels for Breast Tissue Regeneration.

The need for a long-term solution for filling the defects created during partial mastectomies due to breast cancer diagnosis has not been met to date. All available defect-filling methods are non-permanent and necessitate repeat procedures. Here, we report on novel injectable porous hydrogel structures based on the natural polymers gelatin and alginate, which are designed to serve for breast reconstruction and regeneration following partial mastectomy.

Cellulose fibres enhance the function of hemostatic composite medical sealants.

Tissue adhesives and sealants offer promising alternatives to traditional wound closure methods, but the existing trade-off between biocompatibility and strength is still a challenge. The current study explores the potential of a gelatin-alginate-based hydrogel, cross-linked with a carbodiimide, and loaded with two functional fillers, the hemostatic agent kaolin and cellulose fibres, to improve the hydrogel's mechanical strength and hemostatic properties for use as a sealant. The effect of the formulation parameters on the mechanical and physical properties was studied, as well as the biocompatibility and microstructure.

Closure of Long Surgical Incisions with Hemostatic Tissue Adhesive in a Porcine Skin Model.

Objective: Skin adhesives offer many advantages over traditional wound-closure devices. Recently, the current research group reported on tissue adhesives composed of natural polymers (gelatin and alginate), which are biocompatible with mechanical properties suitable for tissue adhesion. The objective of the present study was to conduct clinical and histologic assessment of this hemostatic bioadhesive in the healing of long skin incisions (≥4 cm) in comparison with traditional and commercially available methods.

Injectable metronidazole-eluting gelatin-alginate hydrogels for local treatment of periodontitis.

Infection of the periodontal pocket presents two major challenges for drug delivery: administration into the periodontal pocket and a high fluid clearance rate in the pocket. The current study aimed to develop and study a novel hydrogel system for delivery of the antibiotic drug metronidazole directly into the periodontal pocket via injection followed by in situ gelation. The natural polymers gelatin and alginate served as basic materials, and their crosslinking using a carbodiimide resulted in a dual hydrogel network.

Cell viability of novel composite hydrogels loaded with hydroxyapatite for oral and maxillofacial bone regeneration.

The development of hydrogels for maxillofacial bone regeneration holds vast potential. However, some challenges need to be addressed to further their application in clinical settings. One challenge is optimizing cell viability.

In vivo study of the efficacy of bupivacaine-eluting novel soy protein wound dressings in a rat burn model.

Dealing with wound related pain is an integral part of treatment. Systemic administration of analgesic and anesthetic agents is a common solution for providing pain relief to patients but comes at a risk of severe side effects as well as addiction. To overcome these issues, research efforts were madeto provide a platform for local controlled release of pain killers.

Bupivacaine-eluting soy protein structures for controlled release and localized pain relief: An in vitro and in vivo study.

Burn pain is known to be excruciating, and while burn care has greatly advanced, treatment for burn-related pain is lacking. Current pain relief methods include systemic administration of analgesics, which does not provide high drug concentration at the wound site. In the present study, soy protein was used as the base material for bupivacaine-loaded hybrid wound dressings.

FITC-Dextran Release from Cell-Embedded Fibrin Hydrogels.

Fibrin hydrogel is a central biological material in tissue engineering and drug delivery applications. As such, fibrin is typically combined with cells and biomolecules targeted to the regenerated tissue. Previous studies have analyzed the release of different molecules from fibrin hydrogels; however, the effect of embedded cells on the release profile has yet to be quantitatively explored.

Catheter Injectable Hydrogel-Based Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering Applications in lung disease.

Background: Chronic lung diseases, especially emphysema and pulmonary fibrosis, are the third leading cause of mortality worldwide. Their treatment includes symptom alleviation, slowing of the disease progression, and ultimately organ transplant. Regenerative medicine represents an attractive alternative.

In vitro characterization of novel multidrug-eluting soy protein wound dressings.

Polymers derived from natural sources are of interest in the scientific and medical communities, especially soy protein which exhibits low immunogenicity and good mechanical properties, and supports cell proliferation. Soy protein is cost-effective compared to other natural polymers and is attractive also due to its non-animal origin and relatively long storage stability. In the current study, hybrid film structures were developed and studied as a novel wound dressing platform with controlled release of three bioactive agents.

Inferior Vena Cava Diameter Predicts Nephropathy in Patients Late After Fontan Palliation.

Single ventricle congenital heart defect patients have improved survival with Fontan palliation. However, they remain at risk for nephropathy, as indicated by pathologic microalbuminuria. We sought to investigate whether echocardiographic measures of the inferior vena cava diameter (a surrogate for elevated CVP) indexed to the body surface area (iIVC) or cardiac index (CI) can predict the presence of nephropathy in Fontan patients.

Pathological jealousy and pathological love: Apples to apples or apples to oranges?

Pathological jealousy evokes emotions, thoughts, and behaviors that cause damage to social and interpersonal relationships. On the other hand, pathological love is the uncontrollable behavior of caring for a partner that results in neglecting the needs of the self. The aim of the present research was to assess the similarities and differences between the two psychopathologies of love.

Structuring of composite hydrogel bioadhesives and its effect on properties and bonding mechanism.

Unlabelled: Bioadhesives are polymeric hydrogels that can adhere to a tissue after crosslinking and are an essential element in nearly all surgeries worldwide. Several bioadhesives are commercially available. However, none of them are ideal.

Microstructure and in vitro cellular response to novel soy protein-based porous structures for tissue regeneration applications.

Interest in the development of new bioresorbable structures for various tissue engineering applications is on the rise. In the current study, we developed and studied novel soy protein-based porous blends as potential new scaffolds for such applications. Soy protein has several advantages over the various types of natural proteins employed for biomedical applications due to its low price, non-animal origin and relatively long storage time and stability.

Novel porous soy protein-based blend structures for biomedical applications: Microstructure, mechanical, and physical properties.

Use of naturally derived materials for biomedical applications is steadily increasing. Soy protein has advantages over various types of natural proteins employed for biomedical applications due to its low price, nonanimal origin, and relatively long storage time and stability. In the current study, blends of soy protein with other polymers (gelatin, alginate, pectin, polyvinyl alcohol, and polyethylene glycol) were developed and studied.

Biodegradable soy wound dressings with controlled release of antibiotics: Results from a guinea pig burn model.

There is growing interest in the development of biodegradable materials from renewable biopolymers, such as soy protein, for biomedical applications. Soy protein is a major fraction of natural soybean and has the advantages of being economically competitive, biodegradable and biocompatible. It presents good water resistance as well as storage stability.

Drug delivery from gelatin-based systems.

Introduction: Carriers for controlled drug release offer many advantages compared with conventional dosage forms. Gelatin has been investigated extensively as a drug delivery carrier, due to its properties and history of safe use in a wide range of medical applications.

Areas Covered: Gelatin was shown to be versatile due to its intrinsic features that enable the design of different carrier systems, such as microparticles and nanoparticles, fibers and even hydrogels.

Hybrid wound dressings with controlled release of antibiotics: Structure-release profile effects and in vivo study in a guinea pig burn model.

Over the last decades, wound dressings have evolved from a crude traditional gauze dressing to tissue-engineered scaffolds. Many types of wound dressing formats are commercially available or have been investigated. We developed and studied hybrid bilayer wound dressings which combine a drug-loaded porous poly(dl-lactic-co-glycolic acid) top layer with a spongy collagen sublayer.

Pathological jealousy: romantic relationship characteristics, emotional and personality aspects, and social adjustment.

Background: The aim of this study was to identify romantic relationship characteristics, emotional and personality aspects and social adjustment in subjects with pathological jealousy (PJ) and to compare them to control group.

Methods: The participants, 32 individuals with PJ and 31 healthy volunteers completed measures of jealousy intensity, attachment type, love and relationship styles, personality, impulsivity, aggressiveness and social adjustment. Socio-demographic profiles were also obtained.

Ectopia cordis with a double outlet right ventricle, large ventricular septal defect, malposed great arteries and left ventricular hypoplasia.

Ectopia cordis, defined as partial or complete displacement of the heart outside of the thoracic cavity, is a rare congenital malformation. If not surgically corrected during the early years of life, ectopia cordis can prove to be a fatal abnormality. However, due to the presence of multiple intracardiac and extracardiac malformations, a corrective surgery might not always be successful.