Intelligent Paper-Free Sprayable Skin Mask Based on an In Situ Formed Janus Hydrogel of an Environmentally Friendly Polymer

Soft yet mechanically robust injectable alginate hydrogels with processing versatility based on alginate/hydroxyapatite hybridization

The salient gelling feature of alginate via forming the egg-box structure with calcium ions has received extensive interests for different applications. Owing to the interfacial incompatibility of rigid inorganic solids with soft polymers, the requirement of overall stereocomplexation with calcium released from uniformly distributed solids in alginate remains a challenge. In this study, a novel alginate-incorporated calcium source was proposed to tackle the intractable dispersion for the preparation of injectable alginate hydrogels. Calcium phosphate synthesis in alginate solution yielded CaP-alginate hybrids as a calcium source. The physicochemical characterization confirmed the CaP-alginate hybrid was a nano-scale alginate-hydroxyapatite complex. The colloidally stable CaP-alginate hybrids were uniformly dispersed in alginate solutions even under centrifugation. The calcium-induced gelling of the CaP-alginate hybrids-loaded alginate solutions formed soft yet tough hydrogels including transparent sheets and knittable threads, confirming the homogeneous gelation of the hydrogel. The gelation time, injectability and mechanical properties of the hydrogels could be adjusted by changing preparation parameters. The prepared hydrogels showed uniform porous structure, excellent swelling, wetting properties and cytocompatibility, showing a great potential for applications in different fields. The present strategy with organic/inorganic hybridization could be exemplarily followed in the future development of functional hydrogels especially associated with the interface integration.

Soft and flexible polyvinyl alcohol/pullulan aerogels with fast and high water absorption capacity for facial mask substrates

Facial mask substrates commonly used in skincare are often considered unhealthy and environmentally unfriendly due to their composition of premoistened nonwovens containing various preservatives. This study aims to address this issue by developing a preservative-free degradable aerogel made from polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/pullulan (PUL) using a unidirectional freeze-drying method. The aerogels had ordered three-dimensional porous structures and exhibited desirable mechanical properties. They were soft and flexible in both dry and wet states, and their Young's moduli were comparable to that of human skin. The aerogels had high porosity, ranging from 93.0 % to 95.1 %, and exhibited a high water absorption rate and water absorption capacity (ranging from 7.5 g/g to 10.1 g/g). After 30 min of water evaporation, the aerogels showed excellent moisture retention, ranging from 88 % to 93 %. Additionally, the PVA/PUL aerogel efficiently loaded and released active ingredients, such as rapidly releasing ascorbic acid (> 90 % within 30 min). These findings suggest that the PVA/PUL aerogel has potential as a material for facial mask substrates.

Electrospun Scaffolds are Not Necessarily Always Made of Nanofibers as Demonstrated by Polymeric Heart Valves for Tissue Engineering

In the last 30 years, there are ≈60 000 publications about electrospun nanofibers, but it is still unclear whether nanoscale fibers are really necessary for electrospun tissue engineering scaffolds. The present report puts forward this argument and reveals that compared with electrospun nanofibers, microfibers with diameter of ≈3 µm (named as "oligo-micro fiber") are more appropriate for tissue engineering scaffolds owing to their better cell infiltration ability caused by larger pores with available nuclear deformation. To further increase pore sizes, electrospun poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) scaffolds are fabricated using latticed collectors with meshes. Fiber orientation leads to sufficient mechanical strength albeit increases porosity. The latticed scaffolds exhibit good biocompatibility and improve cell infiltration. Under aortic conditions in vitro, the performances of latticed scaffolds are satisfactory in terms of the acute systolic hemodynamic functionality, except for the higher regurgitation fraction caused by the enlarged pores. This hierarchical electrospun scaffold with sparse fibers in macropores and oligo-micro fibers in filaments provides new insights into the design of tissue engineering scaffolds, and tissue engineering may provide living heart valves with regenerative capabilities for patients with severe valve disease in the future.

Biomimetic Hemostatic Powder Derived from Coacervate-Immobilized Thermogelling Copolymers

Intrinsic hemostasis is an innate body response to prevent bleeding based on the sol-gel transition of blood. However, it is often inadequate for exceptional situations, such as acute injury and coagulation disorders, which typically require immediate medical intervention. Herein, we report the preparation of an efficient hemostatic powder, composed of tannic acid (TA), poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), and poly(d,l-lactide-co-glycolide)-b-poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(d,l-lactide-co-glycolide) triblock copolymer (TB), for biomimetic hemostasis at the bleeding sites. TA has a high affinity for biomolecules and cells and can form coacervates with PEG driven by hydrogen bonding. TB enhances the mechanical strength and provides thermoresponsiveness. The hemostatic powder can rapidly transit into a physical and biodegradable seal on wet substrates under physiological conditions, demonstrating its promise for the generation of instant artificial clots. Importantly, this process is independent of the innate blood clotting process, which could benefit those with blood clotting disorders. This biomimetic hemostatic powder is an adaptive topical sealing agent for noncompressible and irregular wounds, which is promising for biomedical applications.

Achieving Long-Acting Local Analgesia Using an Intelligent Hydrogel Encapsulated with Drug and pH Regulator

Local anesthetics are important for the treatment of postoperative pain. Since a single injection of the solution of a drug such as bupivacaine (BUP) works only for a few hours, it is much required to develop a long-term injectable formulation that maintains its efficacy for more than 1 day. Herein, an intelligent copolymer hydrogel loaded with BUP microcrystals was invented. The biodegradable block copolymer was synthesized by us and composed of a central hydrophilic poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) block and two hydrophobic poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) blocks. The aqueous system of the amphiphilic copolymer underwent a sol-gel transition between room temperature and body temperature and, thus, physically gelled after injection. Considering the decrease of solubility of BUP with the increase of pH and the internal acidic environment due to the hydrolysis of PLGA, calcium carbonate (CaCO3) powder was introduced as a pH regulator. Then, the internal pH was found to be nearly neutral and many BUP microcrystals were dispersed in the gel network. In this way, BUP had achieved a sustained release out of the thermogel. The maximum possible effect (MPE) in a rat sciatic nerve blockade model was used to describe the sensory blockade effect. In vivo analgesic effects evaluated with a hot plate experiment of rats demonstrated that the thermogel encapsulated with BUP microcrystal and CaCO3 powder significantly prolonged analgesia up to 44 h, the duration time with respect to 50% MPE. The intramuscularly injected implant exhibited biocompatibility in histological analyses. Besides, the untreated leg of the rats was not influenced by the treated leg, indicating no obvious systematic anesthesia of this hydrogel formulation. Such an intelligent and composite formulation represents a potential strategy for long-acting analgesia therapy.

Stereo Coverage and Overall Stiffness of Biomaterial Arrays Underly Parts of Topography Effects on Cell Adhesion

Surface topography is a biophysical factor affecting cell behaviors, yet the underlying cues are still not clear. Herein, we hypothesized that stereo coverage and overall stiffness of biomaterial arrays on the scale of single cells underly parts of topography effects on cell adhesion. We fabricated a series of microarrays (micropillar, micropit, and microtube) of poly(l-lactic acid) (PLLA) using mold casting based on pre-designed templates. The characteristic sizes of array units were less than that of a single cell, and thus, each cell could sense the micropatterns with varied roughness. With human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) as the model cell type, we examined spreading areas and cell viabilities on different surfaces. "Stereo coverage" was defined to quantify the actual cell spreading fraction on a topographic surface. Particularly in the case of high micropillars, cells were confirmed not able to touch the bottom and had to partially hang among the micropillars. Then, in our opinion, a cell sensed the overall stiffness combining the bulk stiffness of the raw material and the stiffness of the culture medium. Spreading area and single cell viability were correlated to coverage and topographic feature of the prepared microarrays in particular with the significantly protruded geometry feather. Cell traction forces exerted on micropillars were also discussed. These findings provide new insights into the surface modifications toward biomedical implants.

Quantitatively relating magnetic resonance T1 and T2 to glycosaminoglycan and collagen concentrations mediated by penetrated contrast agents and biomacromolecule-bound water

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a promising non-invasive method to assess cartilage regeneration based on the quantitative relationship between MRI features and concentrations of the major components in the extracellular matrix (ECM). To this end, in vitro experiments are performed to investigate the relationship and reveal the underlying mechanism. A series of collagen (COL) and glycosaminoglycan (GAG) solutions at different concentrations are prepared, and T₁ and T₂ relaxation times are measured with or without a contrast agent (Gd-DTPA^2-) by MRI. Fourier transform infrared spectrometry is also used to measure the contents of biomacromolecule-bound water and other water, allowing theoretical derivation of the relationship between biomacromolecules and the resulting T₂ values. It has been revealed that the MRI signal in the biomacromolecule aqueous systems is mainly influenced by the protons in hydrogens of biomacromolecule-bound water, which we divide into inner-bound water and outer-bound water. We have also found that COL results in higher sensitivity of bound water than GAG in T₂ mapping. Owing to the charge effect, GAG regulates the penetration of the contrast agent during dialysis and has a more significant effect on T₁ values than COL. Considering that COL and GAG are the most abundant biomacromolecules in the cartilage, this study is particularly useful for the real-time MRI-guided assessment of cartilage regeneration. A clinical case is reported as an in vivo demonstration, which is consistent with our in vitro results. The established quantitative relation plays a critical academic role in establishing an international standard ISO/TS24560-1:2022 'Clinical evaluation of regenerative knee articular cartilage using delayed gadolinium-enhanced MRI of cartilage (dGEMRIC) and T₂ mapping' drafted by us and approved by International Standard Organization.

Recent advances in regenerative biomaterials

Nowadays, biomaterials have evolved from the inert supports or functional substitutes to the bioactive materials able to trigger or promote the regenerative potential of tissues. The interdisciplinary progress has broadened the definition of 'biomaterials', and a typical new insight is the concept of tissue induction biomaterials. The term 'regenerative biomaterials' and thus the contents of this article are relevant to yet beyond tissue induction biomaterials. This review summarizes the recent progress of medical materials including metals, ceramics, hydrogels, other polymers and bio-derived materials. As the application aspects are concerned, this article introduces regenerative biomaterials for bone and cartilage regeneration, cardiovascular repair, 3D bioprinting, wound healing and medical cosmetology. Cell-biomaterial interactions are highlighted. Since the global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019, the review particularly mentions biomaterials for public health emergency. In the last section, perspectives are suggested: (i) creation of new materials is the source of innovation; (ii) modification of existing materials is an effective strategy for performance improvement; (iii) biomaterial degradation and tissue regeneration are required to be harmonious with each other; (iv) host responses can significantly influence the clinical outcomes; (v) the long-term outcomes should be paid more attention to; (vi) the noninvasive approaches for monitoring in vivo dynamic evolution are required to be developed; (vii) public health emergencies call for more research and development of biomaterials; and (viii) clinical translation needs to be pushed forward in a full-chain way. In the future, more new insights are expected to be shed into the brilliant field-regenerative biomaterials.

A Biodegradable Metal-Polymer Composite Stent Safe and Effective on Physiological and Serum-Containing Biomimetic Conditions

The new-generation coronary stents are expected to be biodegradable, and then the biocompatibility along with biodegradation becomes more challenging. It is a critical issue to choose appropriate biomimetic conditions to evaluate biocompatibility. Compared with other candidates for biodegradable stents, iron-based materials are of high mechanical strength, yet have raised more concerns about biodegradability and biocompatibility. Herein, a metal-polymer composite strategy is applied to accelerate the degradation of iron-based stents in vitro and in a porcine model. Furthermore, it is found that serum, the main environment of vascular stents, ensured the safety of iron corrosion through its antioxidants. This work highlights the importance of serum, particularly albumin, for an in vitro condition mimicking blood-related physiological condition, when reactive oxygen species, inflammatory response, and neointimal hyperplasia are concerned. The resultant metal-polymer composite stent is implanted into a patient in clinical research via interventional treatment, and the follow-up confirms its safety, efficacy, and appropriate biodegradability.

RGD Nanoarrays with Nanospacing Gradient Selectively Induce Orientation and Directed Migration of Endothelial and Smooth Muscle Cells

Directed migration of cells through cell-surface interactions is a paramount prerequisite in biomaterial-induced tissue regeneration. However, whether and how the nanoscale spatial gradient of adhesion molecules on a material surface can induce directed migration of cells is not sufficiently known. Herein, we employed block copolymer micelle nanolithography to prepare gold nanoarrays with a nanospacing gradient, which were prepared by continuously changing the dipping velocity. Then, a self-assembly monolayer technique was applied to graft arginine-glycine-aspartate (RGD) peptides on the nanodots and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) on the glass background. Since RGD can trigger specific cell adhesion via conjugating with integrin (its receptor in the cell membrane) and PEG can resist protein adsorption and nonspecific cell adhesion, a nanopattern with cell-adhesion contrast and a gradient of RGD nanospacing was eventually prepared. In vitro cell behaviors were examined using endothelial cells (ECs) and smooth muscle cells (SMCs) as a demonstration. We found that SMCs exhibited significant orientation and directed migration along the nanospacing gradient, while ECs exhibited only a weak spontaneously anisotropic migration. The gradient response was also dependent upon the RGD nanospacing ranges, namely, the start and end nanospacings under a given distance and gradient. The different responses of these two cell types to the RGD nanospacing gradient provide new insights for designing cell-selective nanomaterials potentially used in cell screening, wound healing, etc.

Research and clinical translation of trilayer stent-graft of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene for interventional treatment of aortic dissection

The aortic dissection (AD) is a life-threatening disease. The transcatheter endovascular aortic repair (EVAR) affords a minimally invasive technique to save lives of these critical patients, and an appropriate stent-graft gets to be the key medical device during an EVAR procedure. Herein, we report a trilayer stent-graft and corresponding delivery system used for the treatment of the AD disease. The stent-graft is made of nitinol stents with an asymmetric Z-wave design and two expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) membranes. Each of inner and outer surfaces of the stent-graft was covered by an ePTFE membrane, and the two membranes were then sintered together. The biological studies of the sintered ePTFE membranes indicated that the stent-graft had excellent cytocompatibility and hemocompatibility in vitro. Both the stent-graft and the delivery system exhibited satisfactory mechanical properties and operability. The safety and efficacy of this stent-graft and the corresponding delivery system were demonstrated in vivo. In 9 canine experiments, the blood vessels of the animals implanted with the stent-grafts were of good patency, and there were no thrombus and obvious stenosis by angiography after implantation for 6 months. Furthermore, all of the 9 clinical cases experienced successful implantation using the stent-graft and its post-release delivery system, and the one-year follow-ups indicated the preliminary safety and efficacy of the trilayer stent-graft with an asymmetric Z-wave design for interventional treatment.

3D-Printed Porous Scaffolds of Hydrogels Modified with TGF-β1 Binding Peptides to Promote In Vivo Cartilage Regeneration and Animal Gait Restoration

The treatment of cartilage injury and osteoarthritis has been a classic problem for many years. The idea of in situ tissue regeneration paves a way for osteochondral repair in vivo. Herein, a hydrogel scaffold linked with bioactive peptides that can selectively adsorb transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) was hypothesized to not only afford cell ingrowth space but also induce the endogenous TGF-β1 recruitment for chondrogenesis promotion. In this study, bilayered porous scaffolds with gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) hydrogels as a matrix were constructed via three-dimensional (3D) printing, of which the upper layer was covalently bound with bioactive peptides that can adsorb TGF-β1 for cartilage repair and the lower layer was blended with hydroxyapatite for subchondral regeneration. The scaffolds showed promising therapeutic efficacy proved by cartilage and osteogenic induction in vitro and osteochondral repair of rats in vivo. In particular, the animal gait behavior was recovered after the in situ tissue regeneration, and the corresponding gait analysis demonstrated the promotion of tissue regeneration induced by the porous hydrogels with the binding peptides.

Coordination Strategy to Achieve Instant Dissolution of a Biomedical Polymer in Water via Manual Shaking

Organic polymers with condensed long chains are kinetically slow to be dissolved in their solvents, particularly in water, which has significantly hindered their potential applications as soon as an instant...