Article
Environmental Sciences
Rafal Malinowski, Kacper Fiedurek, Piotr Rytlewski, Natalia Puszczykowska, Daniel Kaczor, Andrzej Stasiek
Summary: The study aims to manufacture PCL-based biodegradable composites with high concentration of calcium carbonate (CC) and analyze the changes in properties caused by different amounts of CC. A relatively cheap and unmodified kind of CC is used to determine the cost change of the composites. Qualitative and quantitative analyses, as well as structure analysis, are conducted to investigate the distribution and dimensions of filler particles in the composites. Mechanical, thermal, and economic analyses are also performed. The results show that CC significantly affects the mechanical properties of PCL, reducing its elongation at break and impact strength while increasing flexural modulus and bending strength. The thermal stability of the composites is improved, but phase transition temperatures and crystallinity do not change significantly. Increasing CC content leads to a significant decrease in the unit price of the composites, which is important for obtaining low-cost materials with new properties.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Biophysics
Jingwen Wang, Jing Wang, Shuilai Qiu, Weijian Chen, Liang Cheng, Wenxiang Du, Jinghao Wang, Longfei Han, Lei Song, Yuan Hu
Summary: A black phosphorus-based biodegradable material with enhanced hydrophilicity, shape recovery, and osteodifferentiation properties was proposed in this study. By integrating amino black phosphorous into PLCL, the composite fibers showed excellent shape recovery and osteogenic capabilities, making them suitable for tissue engineering applications.
COLLOIDS AND SURFACES B-BIOINTERFACES
(2022)
Article
Polymer Science
Kenta Hashimoto, Naruki Kurokawa, Atsushi Hotta
Summary: New biodegradable shape-memory polymers (SMPs) were synthesized by blending PLCL and sc-PLA, showing controllable switching temperatures and shape-recovery ratios. The SMPs can be used as biomaterials for medical devices.
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Esperanza Diaz, Marta Delafuente, Sara Delafuente, Sylvie Ribeiro, Senentxu Lanceros-Mendez
Summary: This paper studies the degradation behavior of poly(d,l-lactide-co-glycolide/reduced graphene oxide scaffolds obtained by thermally induced phase separation and lyophilization in phosphate buffered saline solution at 37°C for eight weeks. The addition of rGO particles increases the pore size and improves the morphological definition of the scaffolds. Higher rGO concentrations result in faster degradation and the restriction of movement of macromolecular chain segments. The addition of rGO also leads to a transition from insulating to conductive scaffolds with a percolation value of approximately 0.5 w/w. All PLGA samples with rGO content up to 1% show no cytotoxic behavior and are suitable for biomedical applications.
JOURNAL OF BIOMATERIALS SCIENCE-POLYMER EDITION
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Characterization & Testing
Lidong Feng, Sheng Xiang, Yanlong Liu, Xinchao Bian, Gao Li, Xuesi Chen
Summary: An analytical method using gas chromatography with an internal standard was developed to quantitatively determine residual monomers in PLCL, which showed high precision with RSD less than 5.6% and 4.3% for LA and CL measurements, respectively. The recovery rate of standard addition for LA and CL in PLCL was between 96.5%-101.5% and 98.4%-104.2%, with RSD not exceeding 2.0%, indicating the method was sufficiently accurate.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Xiliang Liu, Song Liu, Youkun Fan, Jin Qi, Xin Wang, Wei Bai, Dongliang Chen, Chengdong Xiong, Lifang Zhang
Summary: By utilizing various crosslinking agents and different radiation doses, rubbery biodegradable PLCL networks with desirable properties were prepared, showing good gel content, tensile strength, and tensile set value suitable for biomedical applications like ureteral stents.
JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL AND ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Polymer Science
Yongjun Cao, Jing Jiang, Yufan Jiang, Zihui Li, Jianhua Hou, Qian Li
Summary: In this study, biodegradable PCL/PLCL porous scaffolds were fabricated successfully, and the effect of blending ratio on scaffold properties was investigated. The results showed that the blending ratio can affect pore structure, mechanical properties, and other characteristics of the scaffolds. Additionally, the addition of a small amount of PLCL was found to improve scaffold flexibility and cell biocompatibility.
POLYMERS FOR ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Begum Canan Yildiz, Asgar Kayan
Summary: Titanium (IV) silyliminophenolate complexes were synthesized and shown to be active catalysts for the ring-opening polymerization of epsilon-caprolactone and L-lactide. The structures of compounds were elucidated using spectroscopic and thermal analysis methods, and resulting polymers were characterized using gel permeation chromatography.
SUSTAINABLE CHEMISTRY AND PHARMACY
(2021)
Article
Polymer Science
Zhanxin Jing, Xiaolan Huang, Guifeng Li, Mingneng Liao, Pengzhi Hong, Yong Li, Xuetao Shi
Summary: A novel biodegradable supramolecular polymer with tunable mechanical properties and degradation, as well as good biocompatibility, was successfully synthesized via self-complementary quadruple hydrogen bonding. It shows potential for tissue regeneration application.
EUROPEAN POLYMER JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Polymer Science
Martin Castillo-Santillan, Jose Roman Torres-Lubian, Antonio Martinez-Richa, Silvia T. Huerta-Marcial, Maria C. Gutierrez, Katja Loos, Maria Guadalupe Perez-Garcia, Josue D. Mota-Morales
Summary: This work provides new insights into the ring-opening polymerization of L-lactide and e-caprolactone, leading to the synthesis of polymer blends and a block copolymer. The selection of parameters and catalysts allows for the production of polyesters with tunable properties and controlled degradation profiles.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Maxim V. V. Zabalov, Badma N. N. Mankaev, Mikhail P. P. Egorov, Sergey S. S. Karlov
Summary: Density functional theory simulations were conducted to investigate the ring-opening copolymerization of epsilon-caprolactone and L-lactide using a novel gallium complex with an aminobis(phenolate) ligand. The results show that the copolymerization with this catalyst exhibits a faster polymerization rate for epsilon-caprolactone than for L-lactide, suggesting the formation of a predominantly block copolymer composed of epsilon-caprolactone and L-lactide.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Rahime Soylemez, Zafer Uyar, Mustafa Degirmenci, Ahmet Kilic
Summary: In this study, tri-coordinated boron-based biodegradable polymers and their tetra-coordinated forms were synthesized. The properties and functionalities of the boron polymers were modified by introducing different ligands. The newly synthesized boron compounds were characterized and their thermal, morphological, and fluorescence behaviors were studied.
MATERIALS TODAY COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Kazuro L. Fujimoto, Aika Yamawaki-Ogata, Koichiro Uto, Akihiko Usui, Yuji Narita, Mitsuhiro Ebara
Summary: A novel biodegradable and elastic P(CL-DLLA) copolymer material was developed for RVOT replacement surgery. The material showed enhanced cell infiltration at 8 weeks, complete absorption at 24 weeks, and induced cardiac regeneration at 48 weeks.
ACTA BIOMATERIALIA
(2021)
Article
Polymer Science
C. Greant, B. Van Durme, L. Van Damme, J. Brancart, J. Van Hoorick, S. Van Vlierberghe
Summary: Digital light processing (DLP) is a promising 3D printing technique for tissue engineering, but the lack of 'smart' photoresponsive polymers limits its potential. This study combines biodegradable shape memory polymers with DLP printing to create thermoresponsive porous scaffolds. The developed photosensitive resins exhibit excellent properties and the 3D printed scaffolds are biocompatible and show shape memory behavior, making them suitable for minimally invasive tissue engineering strategies.
EUROPEAN POLYMER JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Raquel Sanchez Diaz, Jong-Ryul Park, Leona L. Rodrigues, Paul D. Dalton, Elena M. De-Juan-Pardo, Tim R. Dargaville
Summary: This study introduces a rapid and efficient system to adapt commercially available polymers for melt electrowriting (MEW) for the fabrication of micro-fibrous scaffolds. By pre-treating PLCL at 150 degrees C for 24-48 h, it can be printed into scaffolds at 110 degrees C with fiber diameters of 14-40 μm, becoming the first low-temperature MEW scaffolds of its kind. This approach requires no modification of the MEW machine and can be readily adopted by any MEW user with minimal polymer manipulation.
ADVANCED MATERIALS TECHNOLOGIES
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Mohamed M. Elshemy, Medhat Asem, Khaled S. Allemailem, Koichiro Uto, Mitsuhiro Ebara, Ahmed Nabil
Summary: The study compared the therapeutic effects of liver and adipose MSC-CM in diabetic endothelial dysfunction compared to standard insulin therapy. The results showed that liver MSC-CM therapy had the most significant improvements in blood glucose levels, renal function, liver function, and other parameters compared to insulin and adipose MSCs-CM. Liver MSC-CM also promoted the conversion of alpha cells to beta cells, improved insulin resistance, and showed potential as a promising therapeutic target.
OXIDATIVE MEDICINE AND CELLULAR LONGEVITY
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Ahmed Nabil, Koichiro Uto, Faten Zahran, Reham Soliman, Ayman A. Hassan, Mohamed M. Elshemy, Islam S. Ali, Mitsuhiro Ebara, Gamal Shiha
Summary: The combined therapy of Nilotinib and liver mesenchymal stem cells conditioned medium showed significantly potent antifibrotic and anti-inflammatory effects on activated hepatic stellate cells compared to Nilotinib alone, while demonstrating the best safety profile with minimal cytotoxicity on different normal cell lines.
BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL
(2021)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Laszlo Szabo, Xingtao Xu, Koichiro Uto, Joel Henzie, Yusuke Yamauchi, Izumi Ichinose, Mitsuhiro Ebara
Summary: The study focuses on the relationship between the structure and electrochemical performance of porous carbon nanofibers (PCNFs) derived from the biobased building block chitosan. The researchers found that by varying the amount and molecular weight of the sacrificial pore-forming polymer, they could tailor the structure of the PCNFs to have a high surface area and hierarchical pore network, resulting in fast ion diffusion, high specific capacitance, and rate capability. The chitosan-based materials demonstrated high stability and charge efficiency, making them promising for use in charge storage devices.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Erika Yoshihara, Makoto Sasaki, Ahmed Nabil, Michihiro Iijima, Mitsuhiro Ebara
Summary: In this study, a temperature-responsive polymer-protein conjugate was synthesized by introducing a chain transfer agent (CTA) into bovine serum albumin (BSA). The research findings showed that the thermally responsive behavior of the polymer was controlled by the monomer ratio to CTA and the amount of CTA introduced to BSA. Furthermore, a human serum albumin (HSA)-poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) conjugate was synthesized, which could specifically absorb the uremic toxin indoxyl sulfate (IS) and decrease its concentration by thermal precipitation.
Article
Polymer Science
Yasuhiro Nakagawa, Jeonggyu Lee, Yihua Liu, Saed Abbasi, Taehun Hong, Horacio Cabral, Satoshi Uchida, Mitsuhiro Ebara
Summary: This study demonstrates the microglial polarization effect of PtdSer-exposing polymeric particles (PSPs), which can upregulate anti-inflammatory microglia and suppress inflammatory microglia through specific receptor activation. This highlights the potential of PSPs for anti-inflammatory therapy.
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Ailifeire Fulati, Koichiro Uto, Masanobu Iwanaga, Miho Watanabe, Mitsuhiro Ebara
Summary: This article reports a novel shape-memory polymeric string that is ultra-stretchable, strong, tough, and highly recoverable. The contraction force of this string can be customized by adjusting the energy storage capacity, and it displays a controllable shape-memory response time. It has potential applications in blood vessel contraction in minimally invasive surgeries.
ADVANCED HEALTHCARE MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Terufumi Yoshida, Masaki Kaibori, Nanami Fujisawa, Mariko Ishizuka, Fusao Sumiyama, Masahiko Hatta, Hisashi Kosaka, Kosuke Matsui, Kensuke Suzuki, Tomoya O. Akama, Tayo Katano, Kengo Yoshii, Mitsuhiro Ebara, Mitsugu Sekimoto
Summary: In this study, lenvatinib sheets incorporating a drug delivery system showed significant antitumor effects in a murine HCC model, inhibiting tumor growth and improving survival rates. The sustained release of lenvatinib from the sheets maintained stable serum levels and effectively suppressed tumor proliferation, indicating their potential as a novel and effective treatment strategy for advanced HCC.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Lili Chen, Nanami Fujisawa, Masato Takanohashi, Mitsuhiro Ebara
Summary: Researchers developed a smart nanofiber mesh with anticancer abilities, injectability, and fast recovery, which can modulate and control anticancer effects by loading chemotherapeutic drugs and magnetic nanoparticles.
FRONTIERS IN BIOENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Mazaya Najmina, Mitsuhiro Ebara, Takahito Ohmura, Koichiro Uto
Summary: This study explores the possibility of promoting the permanent cell cycle arrest of breast cancer cells on a viscoelastic liquid substrate, and highlights the role of rapid bulk stress relaxation in generating reactive oxygen species in semi-3D multicellular aggregates of breast cancer cells.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Dentistry, Oral Surgery & Medicine
M. Watanabe, M. Okamoto, S. Komichi, H. Huang, S. Matsumoto, K. Moriyama, J. Ohshima, S. Abe, M. Morita, M. Ali, K. Takebe, I. Kozaki, A. Fujimoto, K. Kanie, R. Kato, K. Uto, M. Ebara, A. Yamawaki-Ogata, Y. Narita, Y. Takahashi, M. Hayashi
Summary: This study investigates the effects of functional peptides derived from the S100A8 protein on dental pulp tissue. It found that one of the peptides can promote tertiary dentin formation and inhibit inflammatory responses. These findings provide important insights for the development of next-generation biological vital pulp therapies.
JOURNAL OF DENTAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Ailifeire Fulati, Koichiro Uto, Mitsuhiro Ebara
Summary: This study investigates the effects of crystallinity and crosslinking density on the mechanical properties and shape recovery force of shape-memory polymers (SMPs). The experimental results reveal that the crosslinking density affects the shape recovery force, which is crucial for understanding the energy storage capacity of the polymers.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yinuo Li, Yoshitaka Matsumoto, Lili Chen, Yu Sugawara, Emiho Oe, Nanami Fujisawa, Mitsuhiro Ebara, Hideyuki Sakurai
Summary: This study proposes a new treatment model for glioblastoma (GBM) using a safe and non-toxic drug-releasing composite Nanofiber mesh (NFM). The NFM combines chemotherapy, molecular targeted therapy, and radiotherapy in a highly simultaneous manner. The combination of temozolomide (TMZ) and 17-allylamino-17-demethoxygeldanamycin (17AAG) in the NFM showed synergistic cytotoxicity and radiation-sensitization effects. The NFM has the potential to address the challenge of high recurrence of GBM post-operatively due to its sustained drug release.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Gyeongwoo Lee, Taishu Iwase, Shunsuke Matsumoto, Ahmed Nabil, Mitsuhiro Ebara
Summary: This study successfully synthesized an antibody-drug conjugate with anti-inflammatory effects and optimized the antibody-polymer ratio. The introduction of p(HEMA-co-MPS) to IgG did not decrease the polymer's anti-inflammatory potential while maintaining its targeting ability. It is suggested to adjust the antibody-polymer ratio appropriately for effective therapy.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Biomaterials
Sosuke Ouchi, Eri Niiyama, Ken Sugo, Koichiro Uto, Satoshi Takenaka, Akihiko Kikuchi, Mitsuhiro Ebara
Summary: This study introduces a shape-memory balloon made of biodegradable materials for improving bone cement injection efficiency and providing postoperative local thermo/chemotherapy for bone tumors. The balloon can be safely inflated, deliver drugs effectively, and maintain constant local dosing with a prolonged effect. It shows a promising killing effect on osteosarcoma cells through controlled drug release and heat generation mechanisms.
BIOMATERIALS SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ahmed Nabil, Erika Yoshihara, Keita Hironaka, Ayman A. Hassan, Gamal Shiha, Mitsuhiro Ebara
Summary: This study developed a novel preanalytical strategy for SARS-CoV-2 specimen enrichment to avoid misdiagnosis and increase screening sensitivity, contributing to accurate and rapid diagnostic tools to control the COVID-19 pandemic.
COMPUTATIONAL AND STRUCTURAL BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL
(2021)