Hydrolytic degradation and crystallization behavior of linear 2-armed and star-shaped 4-armed poly(l-lactide)s: Effects of branching architecture and crystallinity

A biodegradable, microstructured, electroconductive and nano-integrated drug eluting patch (MENDEP) for myocardial tissue engineering

We produced a microstructured, electroconductive and nano-functionalized drug eluting cardiac patch (MENDEP) designed to attract endogenous precursor cells, favor their differentiation and counteract adverse ventricular remodeling in situ. MENDEP showed mechanical anisotropy and biaxial strength comparable to porcine myocardium, reduced impedance, controlled biodegradability, molecular recognition ability and controlled drug release activity. In vitro, cytocompatibility and cardioinductivity were demonstrated. Migration tests showed the chemoattractive capacity of the patches and conductivity assays showed unaltered cell-cell interactions and cell beating synchronicity. MENDEP was then epicardially implanted in a rat model of ischemia/reperfusion (I/R). Histological, immunofluorescence and biomarker analysis indicated that implantation did not cause damage to the healthy myocardium. After I/R, MENDEP recruited precursor cells into the damaged myocardium and triggered their differentiation towards the vascular lineage. Under the patch, the myocardial tissue appeared well preserved and cardiac gap junctions were correctly distributed at the level of the intercalated discs. The fibrotic area measured in the I/R group was partially reduced in the patch group. Overall, these results demonstrate that MENDEP was fully retained on the epicardial surface of the left ventricle over 4-week implantation period, underwent progressive vascularization, did not perturb the healthy myocardium and showed great potential in repairing the infarcted area.

Polymeric Heart Valves Will Displace Mechanical and Tissue Heart Valves: A New Era for the Medical Devices

The development of a novel artificial heart valve with outstanding durability and safety has remained a challenge since the first mechanical heart valve entered the market 65 years ago. Recent progress in high-molecular compounds opened new horizons in overcoming major drawbacks of mechanical and tissue heart valves (dysfunction and failure, tissue degradation, calcification, high immunogenic potential, and high risk of thrombosis), providing new insights into the development of an ideal artificial heart valve. Polymeric heart valves can best mimic the tissue-level mechanical behavior of the native valves. This review summarizes the evolution of polymeric heart valves and the state-of-the-art approaches to their development, fabrication, and manufacturing. The review discusses the biocompatibility and durability testing of previously investigated polymeric materials and presents the most recent developments, including the first human clinical trials of LifePolymer. New promising functional polymers, nanocomposite biomaterials, and valve designs are discussed in terms of their potential application in the development of an ideal polymeric heart valve. The superiority and inferiority of nanocomposite and hybrid materials to non-modified polymers are reported. The review proposes several concepts potentially suitable to address the above-mentioned challenges arising in the R&D of polymeric heart valves from the properties, structure, and surface of polymeric materials. Additive manufacturing, nanotechnology, anisotropy control, machine learning, and advanced modeling tools have given the green light to set new directions for polymeric heart valves.

Effect of Electron-Beam Radiation and Other Sterilization Techniques on Structural, Mechanical and Microbiological Properties of Thermoplastic Starch Blend

This work investigates the potential application of various sterilization methods for microorganism inactivation on the thermoplastic starch blend surface. The influence of the e-beam and UV radiation, ethanol, isopropanol and microwave autoclave on structural and packaging properties were studied. All the applied methods were successful in the inactivation of yeast and molds, however only the e-beam radiation was able to remove the bacterial microflora. The FTIR analysis revealed no significant changes in the polymer structure, nevertheless, a deterioration of the mechanical properties of the blend was observed. The least invasive method was the UV radiation which did not affect the mechanical parameters and additionally improved the barrier properties of the tested material. Moreover, it was proved that during the e-beam radiation the chain scission and cross-linking occurred. The non-irradiated and irradiated samples were subjected to the enzymatic degradation studies performed in the presence of amylase. The results indicated that irradiation accelerated the decomposition of material, which was confirmed by the measurements of weight loss, and mass of glucose and starch released to the solution in the course of biodegradation, as well as the FTIR and thermal analysis.

Stereocomplex Crystallization of Linear Two-Armed Stereo Diblock Copolymers: Effects of Chain Directional Change, Coinitiator Moiety, and Terminal Groups

Two-armed poly(l-lactide) (PLLA)-b-poly(d-lactide) (PDLA) (2-LD) copolymers with a wide-range of molecular weight were synthesized and the effect of coinitiator moiety, which functions as impurity and causes chain directional change in the middle of molecules (Effect A), and/or the additional effect of types of terminal groups (Effect B) on crystallization behavior of 2-LD copolymers were studied, in comparison with that reported for one-armed PLLA-b-PDLA (1-LD) copolymers. Formation of only stereocomplex (SC) crystallites in 2-LD and 1-LD copolymers indicates that neighboring PLLA and PDLA blocks facilitated SC crystallization and neither Effect A nor B affected the crystalline species. Effect A and/or B (both hydroxyl terminal groups) disturbed cold SC crystallization of 2-LD copolymers compared to that of 1-LD copolymers. Crystalline growth morphologies of 2-LD and 1-LD copolymers during cold SC crystallization were spherical and solid sheaf, respectively, exhibiting that crystalline growth morphology was influenced by Effects A and/or B. The melting temperature or crystalline thickness of SC crystallites were determined by number-average molecular weight per one block and not affected by Effect A or B. Maximum radial growth rates of spherulites of 2-LD copolymers compared to those of 1-LD copolymers were largely decreased by Effect A and/or B (both hydroxyl terminal groups).

Rheological properties and crystallization behavior of comb-like graft poly(l-lactide): influences of graft length and graft density

Radius growth rate of spherulites (G) versus crystallization temperature (T_c) for graft PLLA with different graft density and graft length.