Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Jonathan H. Galarraga, Ryan C. Locke, Claire E. Witherel, Brendan D. Stoeckl, Miguel Castilho, Robert L. Mauck, Jos Malda, Riccardo Levato, Jason A. Burdick
Summary: This study demonstrates the advantages of loosely crosslinked NorHA hydrogels in cartilage formation and maturation, and improves their mechanical properties by reinforcing them with PCL microfibers. The designed cell-laden implants hold potential for cartilage repair.
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Jonathan H. Galarraga, Hannah M. Zlotnick, Ryan C. Locke, Sachin Gupta, Natalie L. Fogarty, Kendall M. Masada, Brendan D. Stoeckl, Lorielle Laforest, Miguel Castilho, Jos Malda, Riccardo Levato, James L. Carey, Robert L. Mauck, Jason A. Burdick
Summary: Soft norbornene-modified hyaluronic acid (NorHA) hydrogels were reinforced with polycaprolactone using melt electrowriting (MEW) to fabricate composite scaffolds. These scaffolds supported chondrogenesis and cartilage formation of encapsulated porcine mesenchymal stromal cells (pMSC) and exhibited suitable mechanical properties. Fixation of the composites with biodegradable pins or fibrin glue ensured implant retention, but the use of pins resulted in inferior cartilage repair compared to the use of glue.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOPRINTING
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Mylene de Ruijter, Paweena Diloksumpan, Inge Dokter, Harold Brommer, Ineke H. Smit, Riccardo Levato, P. Rene van Weeren, Miguel Castilho, Jos Malda
Summary: A bioprinted osteochondral implant, based on gelatin methacryloyl cartilage phase and reinforced with precisely patterned melt electrowritten polycaprolactone fibers, can provide long-term mechanically stable neo-tissue in an animal model. Mechanical stability is more important than the presence of cells and pre-cultured extracellular matrix for the successful survival of the implant.
BIOENGINEERING & TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yingchun Su, Christoph Alexander Mueller, Xuya Xiong, Mingdong Dong, Menglin Chen
Summary: This article proposes two novel strategies for functionalizing melt electrowritten microfibrous scaffolds with nanomaterials to enhance osteogenic differentiation for tissue regeneration. The modified scaffolds showed significantly higher calcium mineralization levels and superior results in terms of ALP activity and mineralization compared to the nonmodified scaffolds. The nanotopography mimicking bone anatomy contributed to the improved performance.
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Zhiguang Qiao, Meifei Lian, Yu Han, Binbin Sun, Xing Zhang, Wenbo Jiang, Huiwu Li, Yongqiang Hao, Kerong Dai
Summary: This study developed a tri-layered scaffold mimicking the spatial variations of native osteochondral tissue to enhance osteochondral regeneration. By combining different materials and growth factors, mesenchymal stem cells were successfully induced to differentiate down both chondrogenic and osteogenic lineages, leading to simultaneous cartilage and subchondral bone regeneration. The inclusion of the S layer in the scaffold improved the regenerated cartilage's surface properties, showing promising applications for future use.
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Piotr Stanislaw Zielinski, Pavan Kumar Reddy Gudeti, Timo Rikmanspoel, Malgorzata Katarzyna Wlodarczyk-Biegun
Summary: This review paper discusses the ability of extrusion-based 3D printing methods to create bio-instructive scaffolds and the effects of physical and biochemical cues on cell behavior. The authors indicate that these cues have different impacts depending on the material system and cell type, and propose future research directions.
BIOACTIVE MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
S. Sterk, M. E. T. Silva, A. A. Fernandes, A. Huss, A. Wittek
Summary: The emergence of new rapid prototyping techniques allows for the development of surgical meshes with new geometries, which were previously limited by conventional manufacturing methods. This enables the adaptation of mechanical properties in order to improve biocompatibility by matching the mechanical properties of vaginal soft tissue. The printed meshes show promising results in improving surgical meshes for pelvic organ prolapse repair.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED POLYMER SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Thomas H. Ambrosi, Owen Marecic, Adrian McArdle, Rahul Sinha, Gunsagar S. Gulati, Xinming Tong, Yuting Wang, Holly M. Steininger, Malachia Y. Hoover, Lauren S. Koepke, Matthew P. Murphy, Jan Sokol, Eun Young Seo, Ruth Tevlin, Michael Lopez, Rachel E. Brewer, Shamik Mascharak, Laura Lu, Oyinkansola Ajanaku, Stephanie D. Conley, Jun Seita, Maurizio Morri, Norma F. Neff, Debashis Sahoo, Fan Yang, Irving L. Weissman, Michael T. Longaker, Charles K. F. Chan
Summary: Aging of skeletal stem cells in mice alters bone marrow signaling and differentiation of bone and blood lineages, resulting in fragile bones with poor regeneration. Aged SSCs have decreased bone-forming potential but produce more stromal lineages expressing pro-inflammatory cytokines, contributing to bone marrow niche transformation.
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Ahmed Abdal Dayem, Soo Bin Lee, Kyung Min Lim, Aram Kim, Hyun Jin Shin, Balachandar Vellingiri, Young Bong Kim, Ssang-Goo Cho
Summary: Peptides, which are short protein fragments, have the ability to mimic full-length proteins and have become a promising alternative to recombinant proteins due to their specificity, stability, low cost, and customization capabilities. They can enhance stem cell adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation and can be immobilized on culture plates or integrated into scaffolds. This review evaluates the applications of various peptides in stem cell culture and discusses the challenges and future directions for advancing peptide applications in tissue regeneration and clinical settings.
BIOMEDICINE & PHARMACOTHERAPY
(2023)
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Marcin Szustak, Edyta Gendaszewska-Darmach
Summary: Nanocellulose is a promising biocompatible biomaterial with good mechanical properties for use as a scaffold in cartilage tissue engineering. The limited regenerative capacity of cartilage due to its lack of vascularization and sparsely distributed chondrocytes poses challenges for cell infiltration, making nanocellulose scaffolds a potential solution. The scaffolds have been shown to induce stem cell differentiation into chondrocyte phenotypes, offering opportunities for cartilage tissue development.
FRONTIERS IN BIOENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Daniele Zuncheddu, Elena Della Bella, Dalila Petta, Cecilia Bartschi, Sonja Hackel, Moritz C. Deml, Martin J. Stoddart, Sibylle Grad, Valentina Basoli
Summary: This study investigates the effects of glucose and fructose on the chondrogenic differentiation of BMSCs. The results show that fructose may enhance chondrogenic differentiation, while decreasing glucose concentration may decrease differentiation yield. The study also reveals the expression and regulation of GLUT3 and GLUT5 in BMSCs during chondrogenesis. The findings provide valuable insights into the sugar metabolism of BMSCs during cartilage formation.
STEM CELL RESEARCH & THERAPY
(2022)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Jin Qiu, Bingqiang Hua, Xiaoping Ye, Xianwen Liu
Summary: Kartogenin (KGN) is a small-molecule compound that promotes chondrogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells and alleviates knee joint osteoarthritis. Its effect on temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis (TMJOA) remains unclear.
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Seiji Shimomura, Hiroaki Inoue, Yuji Arai, Shuji Nakagawa, Yuta Fujii, Tsunao Kishida, Masaharu Shin-Ya, Shohei Ichimaru, Shinji Tsuchida, Osam Mazda, Toshikazu Kubo
Summary: This study successfully generated cartilaginous tissue from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) under hypoxic conditions. The findings showed that hypoxia not only enhanced cartilage matrix production, but also improved tissue purity by promoting the expression of specific genes.
MOLECULAR MEDICINE REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Vadym Burchak, Fritz Koch, Leonard Siebler, Sonja Haase, Verena K. Horner, Xenia Kempter, G. Bjoern Stark, Ute Schepers, Alisa Grimm, Stefan Zimmermann, Peter Koltay, Sandra Strassburg, Gunter Finkenzeller, Filip Simunovic, Florian Lampert
Summary: This study evaluated the printability and biocompatibility of a semi-synthetic hydrogel system (GelNB/GelS) for bioprinting of adipose-tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ASCs). The results showed that GelNB/GelS hydrogels supported ASCs viability, proliferation and differentiation. The mechanical properties of GelNB/GelS system influenced the differentiation fate of ASCs. The hydrogel system may have potential applications in in vivo tissue engineering.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Akihiro Yamashita, Hiroyuki Yoshitomi, Shunsuke Kihara, Junya Toguchida, Noriyuki Tsumaki
Summary: This study demonstrated that hiPSCs could form cartilage on Matrigel but not on laminin 511-E8, with differences observed in cell morphology and YAP activity. Transient knockdown of YAP around the start of chondrogenic differentiation successfully addressed the issue of cartilage formation from hiPSCs on laminin 511-E8.
STEM CELLS TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE
(2021)
Review
Engineering, Biomedical
Arwa Daghrery, Isaac J. de Souza Araujo, Miguel Castilho, Jos Malda, Marco C. Bottino
Summary: For almost three decades, tissue engineering strategies have been used to create effective therapies for dental, oral, and craniofacial regenerative medicine by treating permanent deformities caused by debilitating health conditions. Additive manufacturing techniques, such as melt electrowriting (MEW), enable the creation of personalized scaffolds that can replicate native tissue characteristics using 3D printing technology. Recent advancements have shown that combining MEW with other biofabrication techniques can overcome some limitations and offer promising opportunities for tissue regeneration.
ACTA BIOMATERIALIA
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Hong Zhao, Zhong Zheng, Behnam Akhavan, Kostadinos Tsoutas, Lixian Sun, Haoruo Zhou, Marcela M. Bilek, Zongwen Liu
Summary: Detailed characterization of AlCrFeCoNiCu0.5 thin films was conducted using techniques such as high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and atomic force microscopy. The study revealed the key mechanism of film growth, as well as elemental segregation and surface morphology changes.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Hong Zhao, Zhong Zheng, Haoruo Zhou, Li Chang, Kostadinos Tsoutas, Limei Yang, Seyedeh K. H. Alavi, Yanping Liu, Behnam Akhavan, Marcela M. Bilek, Zongwen Liu
Summary: High entropy alloys (HEAs) are a new class of materials with high strength, high corrosion and oxidation resistance, and superb thermal stability. In this study, AlCrFeCoNiCu0.5 HEA thin films were fabricated using cathodic arc deposition, and the growth mechanisms and microstructures of the films were investigated by varying arc and duct currents. The crystallography of the films was analyzed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), and the film chemistry and microstructure of the film-substrate interphase were comprehensively studied using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results show that the grain size, hardness, and surface roughness of the HEA thin films can be effectively controlled. This study has important implications for the industrial-scale fabrication of HEA thin films using cathodic arc deposition.
SURFACES AND INTERFACES
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Mozhgan Keshavarz, Parvin Alizadeh, Firoz Babu Kadumudi, Gorka Orive, Akhilesh K. Gaharwar, Miguel Castilho, Nasim Golafshan, Alireza Dolatshahi-Pirouz
Summary: Several studies have shown the suitability of nanosilicate-reinforced scaffolds for bone regeneration. However, the challenge lies in the fact that hydrogels are too soft for load-bearing bone defects, while hard scaffolds do not provide a suitable microenvironment for cell growth. In this study, a cell-free multi-level implant was developed with a porous and hard bone-like framework providing load-bearing support and a softer phase reinforced with nanosilicates. The implant displayed remarkable osteoconductivity in vitro and significantly enhanced bone repair in a critical-sized rat bone defect, suggesting its potential in orthopedics.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Nasim Golafshan, Miguel Castilho, Arwa Daghrery, Morteza Alehosseini, Tom van de Kemp, Konstantinos Krikonis, Mylene de Ruijter, Renan Dal-Fabbro, Alireza Dolatshahi-Pirouz, Sarit B. Bhaduri, Marco C. Bottino, Jos Malda
Summary: Periodontitis is a common chronic inflammatory oral disease that can lead to severe tissue destruction and tooth loss if left untreated. Researchers have developed a compositionally and structurally tailored graded scaffold using melt electrowriting (MEW) for regeneration of the periodontal ligament-to-bone interface. The MEW-fabricated scaffolds have shown excellent regenerative capacity and mimicry of the periodontal complex.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Kieran Lau, Lu Fu, Anyu Zhang, Behnam Akhavan, John Whitelock, Marcela M. Bilek, Megan S. Lord, Jelena Rnjak-Kovacina
Summary: Strategies are needed to promote rapid formation of functional endothelium in synthetic vascular conduits. In this study, silk biomaterials were biofunctionalized with recombinantly expressed domain V of human perlecan (rDV) to promote endothelial cell interactions and functional endothelium formation. The immobilization of rDV on silk using plasma immersion ion implantation (PIII) was assessed for its amount, orientation, and bio-functionality. rDV immobilized on PIII-treated silk supported rapid endothelial cell adhesion, spreading, and proliferation to form functional endothelium. This suggests the potential of rDV-PIII-silk as a biomimetic vascular graft material.
JOURNAL OF BIOMEDICAL MATERIALS RESEARCH PART A
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Madison Jade Ainsworth, Nino Chirico, Mylene de Ruijter, Andrei Hrynevich, Inge Dokter, Joost P. G. Sluijter, Jos Malda, Alain van Mil, Miguel Castilho
Summary: In order to develop thick engineered cardiac tissue construct with a pre-vascularization pathway, a combination of extrusion-based bioprinting and melt electrowriting techniques was investigated. Gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) was used as a base hydrogel and collagen, Matrigel, and fibrinogen were utilized as interpenetrating polymers to support myocardial functionality. An anatomically inspired vascular pathway was implemented in a dual extrusion-based bioprinting setup. The optimized bioinks effectively filled the microfiber mesh and maintained cell viability, and distinct cell populations were visualized in their respective patterns up to D14.
Review
Engineering, Biomedical
Zihan Wang, Qinzhou Ye, Sheng Yu, Behnam Akhavan
Summary: Hydrogel-based drug delivery systems using polyethylene glycol (PEG) have shown great potential in cancer therapy. PEG hydrogels, with their excellent biocompatibility and high drug encapsulation rate, have emerged as promising platforms for drug delivery. This review focuses on the progress of novel PEG hydrogel designs for anti-cancer therapy, particularly on stimuli-responsive and non-responsive drug release mechanisms. The potential of PEG-based hydrogels in commercial cancer therapy is discussed, along with the limitations that need to be addressed for clinical translation.
ADVANCED HEALTHCARE MATERIALS
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Organic
Zhan-Yong Wang, Jiarong Li, Nan Wang, Hong Liu, Kai-Kai Wang
Summary: This article summarizes the advancements of sodium azide from 2011 to 2022, focusing on its reaction mechanisms and target products. Sodium azide is commonly used as a nucleophile (N-3(-)) or radical source (center dot N-3) in three-component reactions. The article discusses its reactions with alkenes, alkynes, R-X (X=F, Cl, Br, I, OTs, B(OH)(2), BF3K, I+ArO-Tf, N2+O-SO3-SiO2), and other electrophiles.
ASIAN JOURNAL OF ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Review
Physics, Applied
Masoud Zhianmanesh, Aaron Gilmour, Marcela M. M. Bilek, Behnam Akhavan
Summary: Surface biofunctionalization aims to create cell-instructive surfaces by incorporating cell signaling moieties at the materials-biosystem interface. Wet chemical methods have been predominantly used for this purpose, but they face challenges in terms of complexity, toxicity, waste disposal, reproducibility, and scalability. Plasma-based technologies have emerged as dry, reagent-free, and single-step alternatives for surface biofunctionalization.
APPLIED PHYSICS REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Eng Kuan Moo, Mohammadhossein Ebrahimi, Andrei Hrynevich, Mylene de Ruijter, Miguel Castilho, Jos Malda, Rami K. Korhonen
Summary: The melt-electrowriting (MEW) technique allows the printing of structured fibrous mesh with small fiber diameter, which enhances the mechanical stiffness of soft hydrogels. The reinforcing mechanism of MEW meshes is not well understood, but it may involve load-induced fluid pressurization. In this study, the reinforcing effect of MEW meshes in different hydrogels was examined, and it was found that MEW meshes only enhanced fluid pressurization in gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) hydrogel.
JOURNAL OF THE MECHANICAL BEHAVIOR OF BIOMEDICAL MATERIALS
(2023)
Review
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Oliver Lotz, David R. McKenzie, Marcela M. Bilek, Behnam Akhavan
Summary: One of the greatest trends in healthcare is the use of 3D printing for personalized, regenerative, and accessible treatments. This review critically examines the current biofunctionalization methods used in 3D printing and explores opportunities for expansion and improvement in materials, biomolecules, cells, and further applications. The rapid increase in studies in recent years is expected to continue due to promising results.
PROGRESS IN MATERIALS SCIENCE
(2023)
