Advancements in Materials for 3D-Printed Microneedle Arrays: Enhancing Performance and Biocompatibility.

The rapid advancement of 3D printing technology has revolutionized the fabrication of microneedle arrays (MNAs), which hold great promise in biomedical applications such as drug delivery, diagnostics, and therapeutic interventions. This review uniquely explores advanced materials used in the production of 3D-printed MNAs, including photopolymer resins, biocompatible materials, and composite resins, designed to improve mechanical properties, biocompatibility, and functional performance. Additionally, it introduces emerging trends such as 4D printing for programmable MNAs.

Granular Porous Nanofibrous Microspheres Enhance Cellular Infiltration for Diabetic Wound Healing.

Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) are a significant challenge in the clinical care of diabetic patients, often necessitating limb amputation and compromising the quality of life and life expectancy of this cohort. Minimally invasive therapies, such as modular scaffolds, are at the forefront of current DFU treatment, offering an efficient approach for administering therapeutics that accelerate tissue repair and regeneration. In this study, we report a facile method for fabricating granular nanofibrous microspheres (NMs) with predesigned structures and porosities.

Current and Future Directions in Fluorescence Imaging-Guided Debridement.

Sterility and reduction of the bioburden are crucial for healing in chronic wounds such as diabetic foot ulcers. Although there are methods for measuring bioburdens, such as semiquantitative analysis of swab/biopsy samples, microbiological sampling, and molecular diagnostics, these tools are less accessible owing to costs or not being as quick as other methods. These methods are also dependent on clinical assessment by the clinician, and high bacterial burden may appear asymptomatic.

Stimuli-Responsive Codelivery System-Embedded Polymeric Nanofibers with Synergistic Effects of Growth Factors and Low-Intensity Pulsed Ultrasound to Enhance Osteogenesis Properties.

The present work aims to develop optimized scaffolds for bone repair by incorporating mesoporous nanoparticles into them, thereby combining bioactive factors for cell growth and preventing rapid release or loss of effectiveness. We synthesized biocompatible and biodegradable scaffolds designed for the controlled codelivery of curcumin (CUR) and recombinant human bone morphogenic protein-2 (rhBMP-2). Active agents in dendritic silica/titania mesoporous nanoparticles (DSTNs) were incorporated at different weight percentages (0, 2, 5, 7, 9, and 10 wt %) into a matrix of polycaprolactone (PCL) and polyethylene glycol (PEG) nanofibers, forming the CUR-BMP-2@DSTNs/PCL-PEG delivery system (S0, S2, S5, S7, S9, and S10, respectively, with the number showing the weight percentage).

Remote-Controlled Sensing and Drug Delivery via 3D-Printed Hollow Microneedles.

Remote health monitoring and treatment serve as critical drivers for advancing health equity, bridging geographical and socioeconomic disparities, ensuring equitable access to quality healthcare for those in underserved or remote regions. By democratizing healthcare, this approach offers timely interventions, continuous monitoring, and personalized care independent of one's location or socioeconomic status, thereby striving for an equitable distribution of health resources and outcomes. Meanwhile, microneedle arrays (MNAs), revolutionize painless and minimally invasive access to interstitial fluid for drug delivery and diagnostics.

Development of bioactive short fiber-reinforced printable hydrogels with tunable mechanical and osteogenic properties for bone repair.

Personalized bone-regenerative materials have attracted substantial interest in recent years. Modern clinical settings demand the use of engineered materials incorporating patient-derived cells, cytokines, antibodies, and biomarkers to enhance the process of regeneration. In this work, we formulated short microfiber-reinforced hydrogels with platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) to engineer implantable multi-material core-shell bone grafts.

3D-Printed Tumor-on-a-Chip Model for Investigating the Effect of Matrix Stiffness on Glioblastoma Tumor Invasion.

Glioblastoma multiform (GBM) tumor progression has been recognized to be correlated with extracellular matrix (ECM) stiffness. Dynamic variation of tumor ECM is primarily regulated by a family of enzymes which induce remodeling and degradation. In this paper, we investigated the effect of matrix stiffness on the invasion pattern of human glioblastoma tumoroids.

The Effect of 3D Printing Tilt Angle on the Penetration of 3D-Printed Microneedle Arrays.

Microneedle arrays (MNAs) are emerging devices that are mainly used for drug delivery and diagnostic applications through the skin. Different methods have been used to fabricate MNAs. Recently developed fabrication methods based on 3D printing have many advantages compared to conventional fabrication methods, such as faster fabrication in one step and the ability to fabricate complex structures with precise control over their geometry, form, size, and mechanical and biological properties.

3D Printed Hydrogel Microneedle Arrays for Interstitial Fluid Biomarker Extraction and Colorimetric Detection.

To treat and manage chronic diseases, it is necessary to continuously monitor relevant biomarkers and modify treatment as the disease state changes. Compared to other bodily fluids, interstitial skin fluid (ISF) is a good choice for identifying biomarkers because it has a molecular composition most similar to blood plasma. Herein, a microneedle array (MNA) is presented to extract ISF painlessly and bloodlessly.

In-silico study of asymmetric remodeling of tumors in response to external biochemical stimuli.

Among different hallmarks of cancer, understanding biomechanics of tumor growth and remodeling benefits the most from the theoretical framework of continuum mechanics. Tumor remodeling initiates when cancer cells seek new homeostasis in response to the microenvironmental stimuli. Cells within a growing tumor are capable to remodel their inter- and intra-connections and become more mobile to achieve a new homeostasis.

Prospects for hypoxia-based drug delivery platforms for the elimination of advanced metastatic tumors: From 3D modeling to clinical concepts.

Hypoxia is a unique characteristic of the solid tumor microenvironment. Hypoxia contributes to multi-drug resistance, metastasis and cancer relapse through numerous molecular pathways, but at the same time provides an opportunity for the development of novel drugs or modalities specifically targeting hypoxic tumor regions. Given the high significance of tumor hypoxia in therapeutic results, we here discuss a variety of hypoxia-adopted strategies, and their potential and utility in the treatment of deep-seated hypoxic tumor cells.

Cellulose-based composite scaffolds for bone tissue engineering and localized drug delivery.

Natural bone constitutes a complex and organized structure of organic and inorganic components with limited ability to regenerate and restore injured tissues, especially in large bone defects. To improve the reconstruction of the damaged bones, tissue engineering has been introduced as a promising alternative approach to the conventional therapeutic methods including surgical interventions using allograft and autograft implants. Bioengineered composite scaffolds consisting of multifunctional biomaterials in combination with the cells and bioactive therapeutic agents have great promise for bone repair and regeneration.