Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Ryan J. J. Hickey, Maxime Leblanc Latour, James L. L. Harden, Andrew E. E. Pelling
Summary: This study demonstrates the manufacturing of modular blocks of naturally porous decellularized plant-derived scaffolds that can be seeded with different cell types to create complex tissue interfaces. The interaction between different cell types at the interface is investigated, and the biocompatibility of the engineered tissue interface (ETI) is demonstrated in vivo. This research opens up new avenues for tissue design and understanding biological processes.
ADVANCED ENGINEERING MATERIALS
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Siavash Iravani, Rajender S. S. Varma
Summary: Numerous studies have focused on designing novel scaffolds for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine applications, but challenges remain in terms of biocompatibility, degradability, cell attachment, and large-scale production. Using greener and safer technologies can help produce scaffolds with cost-effectiveness, high biocompatibility, and biorenewability. Cellulose-based scaffolds offer high biocompatibility, ease of production, and sustainability, making them promising candidates for tissue engineering.
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Chotiwit Sriwong, Suwimon Boonrungsiman, Prakit Sukyai
Summary: Biocomposite cellulose-based scaffolds combined with hydroxyapatite were successfully developed from sugarcane bagasse for tissue engineering. The scaffolds showed appropriate porosity and low degradation rate. Cell viability, proliferation, and differentiation experiments demonstrated that the cellulose combined HA scaffolds promoted the growth and differentiation of bone cells. The results indicated that sugarcane bagasse-derived cellulose is an ideal material for bone scaffolding applications.
INDUSTRIAL CROPS AND PRODUCTS
(2023)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Sophia A. Read, Chee Shuen Go, Miguel J. S. Ferreira, Cosimo Ligorio, Susan J. Kimber, Ahu G. Dumanli, Marco A. N. Domingos
Summary: This study proposes the use of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) as a rheological modifier to improve the printability of alginate-based bioinks. The results demonstrate that the addition of CNCs improves shear-thinning behavior and mechanical stability of the hydrogel, without affecting cell viability.
Article
Polymer Science
Lei Li, Pengfei Lu, Yuting Liu, Junhe Yang, Shengjuan Li
Summary: In this study, 3D bioactive glass/lignocellulose composite scaffolds were successfully fabricated by 3D-printing with NMMO as the ink solvent. The scaffolds showed uniform macropores and rough surfaces, with excellent mechanical properties and hydroxyapatite-forming capability. They also exhibited low cytotoxicity to human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells. These 3D-printed BG/cellulose scaffolds have potential applications in bone tissue engineering.
Review
Engineering, Biomedical
Tejas M. Koushik, Catherine M. Miller, Elsa Antunes
Summary: Bone tissue engineering has become a well-known field of study in the past decade, with advancements in materials, processing techniques, and understanding of bone healing pathways. Synthetic scaffolds face the challenge of providing load-bearing capability and interaction with the local extracellular matrix for promoting bone healing. This article discusses the usage and processing of multi-materials and hierarchical structures to mimic the structure of natural bone tissues for bioactive and load-bearing synthetic scaffolds.
ADVANCED HEALTHCARE MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Negin Khoshnood, Mohammad Hossein Shahrezayee, Mostafa Shahrezayee, Alireza Shams, Ali Zamanian
Summary: The study demonstrated that surface modification using PEI can enhance the surface hydrophilicity and enzymatic degradation capability of PCL scaffolds, providing a suitable platform for cell attachment and proliferation. These 3D composite scaffolds show potential applications in bone tissue engineering.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED POLYMER SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Biomaterials
Jian Cheng, Jiangtao Xue, Yuan Yang, Dengjie Yu, Zhuo Liu, Zhou Li
Summary: In this study, hierarchical hydrogel scaffolds with a clustered and oriented structure were developed using directional freezing and drying under stretching. The scaffolds successfully guided the alignment and orientation of cells, which is promising for tissue regeneration.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY B
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Daniela Filip, Doina Macocinschi, Mirela-Fernanda Zaltariov, Bianca-Iulia Ciubotaru, Alexandra Bargan, Cristian-Dragos Varganici, Ana-Lavinia Vasiliu, Dragos Peptanariu, Mihaela Balan-Porcarasu, Mihaela-Madalina Timofte-Zorila
Summary: This research focused on hydrogel-based polymeric blends for tissue scaffolds, showing that the HPC component had a significant influence on scaffold behavior while the Pluronic F68 component improved thermal stability. All blends demonstrated good mechanical strength and enhanced biocompatibility on the NHDF cell line.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Meng Luo, Dagogo Dorothy Winston, Wen Niu, Yidan Wang, Hongyang Zhao, Xiaoyan Qu, Bo Lei
Summary: The study presented a multifunctional bioactive therapeutics-repair-enabled citrate-iron hydrogel scaffold that can inhibit tumor recurrence and promote wound repair simultaneously, showing great potential in clinical applications.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2022)
Review
Engineering, Biomedical
Leila Daneshmandi, Mohammed Barajaa, Armin Tahmasbi Rad, Stefanie A. Sydlik, Cato T. Laurencin
Summary: Graphene and its derivatives have attracted global attention for their unique characteristics, especially in the field of biomedical applications. This review article comprehensively explores the usage of graphene-based materials in bone regenerative engineering, discussing their applications as fillers in composites, coatings for scaffolds and implants, and delivery vehicles for therapeutic agents. The safety, biocompatibility, and future prospects of graphene materials in regenerative engineering are also evaluated.
ADVANCED HEALTHCARE MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sayan Deb Dutta, Jin Hexiu, Dinesh K. Patel, Keya Ganguly, Ki-Taek Lim
Summary: Hybrid biodegradable hydrogels composed of alginate, gelatin, and cellulose nanocrystals were 3D printed to create an optimal environment for bone tissue engineering applications. The scaffolds exhibited enhanced mechanical strength and bone regeneration potential compared to pure polymer scaffolds. The study demonstrated improved cell proliferation, adhesion, mineralization, and expression of osteogenic genes in the presence of the printed scaffolds.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Weizhen Sun, David Alexander Gregory, Xiubo Zhao
Summary: Peptide amphiphiles (PAs) are peptide-based molecules that can self-assemble into well-ordered supramolecular nanostructures. They have diverse sequences and exhibit biocompatibility, biodegradability, and resemblance to native ECM, making them ideal scaffold materials for tissue engineering applications.
ADVANCES IN COLLOID AND INTERFACE SCIENCE
(2023)
Review
Polymer Science
Laura Ricciotti, Antonio Apicella, Valeria Perrotta, Raffaella Aversa
Summary: With advancements in bone tissue engineering, the development of innovative biomaterials is crucial for improving bone healing. This review thoroughly examines the current applications and future potential of geopolymers in bone tissue engineering. Traditional bioscaffold materials are also compared, analyzing their strengths and weaknesses. The concerns regarding the widespread use of alkali-activated materials as biomaterials and the potential of geopolymers as ceramic biomaterials are discussed.
Article
Polymer Science
Kiran M. Ali, Yihan Huang, Alaowei Y. Amanah, Nasif Mahmood, Taylor C. Suh, Jessica M. Gluck
Summary: This study evaluates the potential use of traditional textile methods in the tissue engineering industry and proves the safety and efficacy of the material and fabrication method by creating collagen yarns using the traditional ring spinning method. The process is not only simple and efficient but also results in standardized products.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Adarsh Suresh, Stuart J. Rowan, Chong Liu
Summary: Manufacturing low-density-high-strength carbon foams can benefit various industries. This study presents a method to create macroscale carbon foams with exceptional dimensional stability by pyrolysis of template-coating pairs. The resulting carbon foams exhibit remarkable dimensional stability and high specific strengths.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2023)
Editorial Material
Polymer Science
Stuart J. Rowan
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Saikat Manna, Sampa Maiti, Jingjing Shen, Adam Weiss, Elizabeth Mulder, Wenjun Du, Aaron P. Esser-Kahn
Summary: Neoantigen cancer vaccines that target tumor specific mutations show promise for cancer immunotherapy. However, the low immunogenicity of neoantigens has limited their effectiveness. To address this, researchers have developed a polymeric nanovaccine platform that activates the NLRP3 inflammasome, enhancing the immunogenicity of neoantigen therapies.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Alex E. Crolais, Neil D. Dolinski, Nicholas R. Boynton, Julia M. Radhakrishnan, Scott A. Snyder, Stuart J. Rowan
Summary: A new series of catalyst-free, room-temperature dynamic thia-Michael acceptors bearing an isoxazolone motif were developed and utilized to access both dynamic covalent networks and linear polymers. By leveraging the generation of aromaticity upon thiol addition and tuning the electronic-withdrawing/donating nature of the acceptor at two different sites, a wide range of equilibrium constants were obtained. Integration into a ditopic isoxazolone-based Michael acceptor allowed access to both bulk dynamic networks and linear polymers with tailored thermomechanical properties.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Laura F. Hart, William R. Lenart, Jerald E. Hertzog, Jongwon Oh, Wilson R. Turner, Joseph M. Dennis, Stuart J. Rowan
Summary: Crosslinking in polymer networks leads to brittle materials, but using mobile crosslinks in mechanically interlocked polymers (MIPs) can result in tougher networks. This study explores the use of a metal ion-templated doubly threaded pseudo[3]-rotaxane (P3R) crosslinker to create slide-ring polycatenane networks (SR-PCNs) that combine the mobility features of SRNs and PCNs. Varying the ratio of P3R and covalent crosslinker allowed the researchers to create SR-PCNs with different amounts of interlocked crosslinking units. The mechanical properties of the networks were studied, showing that the metal ions fix the rings in the network and that the removal of the metal ions leads to increased relaxation and poroelastic draining.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Hongbo Feng, Chang-Geun Chae, Christopher Eom, Gordon S. W. Craig, Stuart J. Rowan, Paul F. Nealey
Summary: Modification of a block copolymer using click chemistry has been shown to effectively control the properties of the copolymer. This study focuses on the modification of a glycidyl methacrylate block with amine-epoxy click chemistry to generate a series of block-random copolymers. The dependence of the effective interaction parameter and surface energy difference on the ratio of the more polar amine is determined, and a lamellae-forming copolymer with sub-10 nm features and zero surface energy difference is demonstrated. Different morphologies can be achieved by adjusting the ratio of the polar amine using this method.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Chuqiao Chen, Michael van der Naald, Abhinendra Singh, Neil D. Dolinski, Grayson L. Jackson, Heinrich M. Jaeger, Stuart J. Rowan, Juan J. de Pablo
Summary: Suspensions of polymeric nano-and microparticles are fascinating stress-responsive material systems that display a diverse range of flow properties under shear. This study focuses on suspensions of micrometer-sized polymeric particles with accessible glass transition temperatures (Tg) and demonstrates that a dramatic and nonmonotonic change in shear thickening occurs as the suspensions transition through the particles' Tg. This strategy enables the in situ tuning of the system's ability to shear jam by varying the temperature relative to Tg and lays the groundwork for other types of stimuli-responsive jamming systems through polymer chemistry.
ACS CENTRAL SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Jeremiah Y. Kim, Matthew G. Rosenberger, Nakisha S. Rutledge, Aaron P. Esser-Kahn
Summary: Adjuvants are essential components of vaccines, and their development has been slow but is now speeding up. The current process involves screening for activating molecules, formulating compounds with antigens, and testing them in animal models. However, only a few adjuvants have been approved for vaccine use, mainly due to lack of clinical efficacy, side effects, or formulation issues. This article suggests using engineering tools and approaches to improve next-generation adjuvant discovery, leading to new immunological outcomes that can be analyzed using computational methods.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Cintia A. Menendez, Adil Mohamed, Gustavo R. Perez-Lemus, Adam M. Weiss, Benjamin W. Rawe, Guancen Liu, Alex E. Crolais, Emma Kenna, Fabian Bylehn, Walter Alvarado, Dan Mendels, Stuart J. Rowan, Savas Tay, Juan J. de Pablo
Summary: Masitinib, an orally bioavailable tyrosine kinase inhibitor, has been identified as a potential treatment for COVID-19. Molecular dynamics simulations were used to study the interaction between masitinib and M-pro, revealing key binding interactions and suggesting potential derivatives with increased inhibitory efficiency and reduced cytotoxicity.
Article
Polymer Science
Charlie A. Lindberg, Elina Ghimire, Chuqiao Chen, Sean Lee, Neil D. Dolinski, Joseph M. Dennis, Sihong Wang, Juan J. de Pablo, Stuart J. Rowan
Summary: Dynamic liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) are polymer networks that combine liquid crystalline monomers and dynamic covalent bonds. The placement of the dynamic bonds within the network can be adjusted to tune stress relaxation times without affecting the characteristics of the LCEs.
JOURNAL OF POLYMER SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Hojin Kim, Mike van der Naald, Neil D. Dolinski, Stuart J. Rowan, Heinrich M. Jaeger
Summary: Frictional network formation is a new paradigm for understanding non-Newtonian shear-thickening behavior in dense suspensions. This study investigates a friction that arises from dynamic chemical bridging of functionalized particle surfaces, leading to tunable rheopexy. By using thiol-functionalized particles suspended in ditopic polymers, dynamic covalent bonds can be formed through chemical reactions, resulting in sticky friction that mimics physical friction but is tunable.
Article
Chemistry, Organic
Jerald E. Hertzog, Guancen Liu, Benjamin W. Rawe, Vincent J. Maddi, Laura F. Hart, Jongwon Oh, Neil D. Dolinski, Stuart J. Rowan
Summary: Synthesizing stable doubly threaded [3]rotaxanes with large rings is a key challenge in interlocked chemistry. In this study, a series of doubly threaded [3]rotaxanes with different macrocycle sizes and stopper groups were synthesized and their kinetic stability was examined. The results show that the ring size greatly affects the stability of the rotaxanes, and the smaller stopper group has limited stabilizing effect. These findings lay the foundation for the synthesis of higher order doubly threaded interlocked architectures.
ORGANIC & BIOMOLECULAR CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Marissa M. Tranquilli, Benjamin W. Rawe, Guancen Liu, Stuart J. Rowan
Summary: The main-chain poly[n]catenane, resembling a macroscopic chain-link structure, was synthesized using a metallosupramolecular polymer (MSP) template. Closure of the thread components resulted in a mixture of cyclic, linear, and branched poly[n]catenanes. The study investigated the effect of the thread-like monomer structure on the poly[n]catenane synthesis and demonstrated the selective synthesis of branched poly[n]catenanes by tailoring the monomer structure.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yifeng Tang, Jeremiah Y. Kim, Carman K. M. Ip, Azadeh Bahmani, Qing Chen, Matthew G. Rosenberger, Aaron P. Esser-Kahn, Andrew L. Ferguson
Summary: A machine learning-enabled active learning pipeline was developed to guide the screening and discovery of small molecule immunomodulators that can improve immune responses. By using high throughput screening and data-driven predictive models, novel small molecules with enhanced or suppressed innate immune signaling capacity were discovered, and chemical design rules were extracted.