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Biopolymers in Tissue Engineering

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Macromolecules".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 August 2023) | Viewed by 14616

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
ARC Centre of Excellence for Electro Materials Science, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
Interests: polymer; tissue engineering

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Biopolymers have great potential for application in tissue engineering due to their biocompatibility. At present, biopolymers such as hydrogels, cellulose, peptides, alginate, polysaccharides, hyaluronic acid, collagen, and chitosan have developed corresponding applications in the tissue engineering market. This Special Issue aims to present new knowledge and covers all the topics relevant to biopolymers in tissue engineering. We invite researchers to contribute with either original research or review articles. The prospective authors are encouraged to explicitly indicate the originality of their novel techniques in cover letters and abstracts.

Dr. Anita Quigley
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • biopolymer
  • tissue engineering
  • hydrogels
  • cellulose
  • peptide
  • alginate
  • polysaccharide
  • hyaluronic acid
  • collagen
  • chitosan

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 4667 KiB  
Article
The Biocompatibility Analysis of Artificial Mucin-Like Glycopolymers
by P. Trosan, J. S. J. Tang, R. R. Rosencrantz, L. Daehne, A. Debrassi Smaczniak, S. Staehlke, S. Chea and T. A. Fuchsluger
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(18), 14150; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms241814150 - 15 Sep 2023
Viewed by 717
Abstract
The ocular surface is covered by a tear film consisting of an aqueous/mucin phase and a superficial lipid layer. Mucins, highly O-glycosylated proteins, are responsible for lubrication and ocular surface protection. Due to contact lens wear or eye disorders, lubrication of the [...] Read more.
The ocular surface is covered by a tear film consisting of an aqueous/mucin phase and a superficial lipid layer. Mucins, highly O-glycosylated proteins, are responsible for lubrication and ocular surface protection. Due to contact lens wear or eye disorders, lubrication of the ocular surface can be affected. Artificial glycopolymers which mimic natural mucins could be efficient in ophthalmic therapy. Various neutral, positively, and negatively charged mucin-mimicking glycopolymers were synthesized (n = 11), cultured in different concentrations (1%, 0.1%, and 0.01% w/v) with human corneal epithelial cells (HCE), and analyzed by various cytotoxicity/viability, morphology, and immunohistochemistry (IHC) assays. Six of the eleven glycopolymers were selected for further analysis after cytotoxicity/viability assays. We showed that the six selected glycopolymers had no cytotoxic effect on HCE cells in the 0.01% w/v concentration. They did not negatively affect cell viability and displayed both morphology and characteristic markers as untreated control cells. These polymers could be used in the future as mucin-mimicking semi-synthetic materials for lubrication and protection of the ocular surface. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biopolymers in Tissue Engineering)
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15 pages, 7798 KiB  
Article
Biological and Oxidative Degradation of Ultrathin-Fibrous Nonwovens Based on Poly(lactic Acid)/Poly(3-Hydroxybutyrate) Blends
by Anatoly Aleksandrovich Olkhov, Elena Evgenyevna Mastalygina, Vasily Andreevich Ovchinnikov, Alexander Sergeevich Kurnosov, Anatoly Anatolyevich Popov and Alexey Leonidovich Iordanskii
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(9), 7979; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24097979 - 28 Apr 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1369
Abstract
Developing biodegradable materials based on polymer blends with a programmable self-destruction period in the environmental conditions of living systems is a promising direction in polymer chemistry. In this work, novel non-woven fibrous materials obtained by electrospinning based on the blends of poly(lactic acid) [...] Read more.
Developing biodegradable materials based on polymer blends with a programmable self-destruction period in the environmental conditions of living systems is a promising direction in polymer chemistry. In this work, novel non-woven fibrous materials obtained by electrospinning based on the blends of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) were developed. The kinetics of biodegradation was studied in the aquatic environment of the inoculum of soil microorganisms. Oxidative degradation was studied under the ozone gaseous medium. The changes in chemical composition and structure of the materials were studied by optical microscopy, DSC, TGA, and FTIR-spectroscopy. The disappearance of the structural bands of PHB in the IR-spectra of the blends and a significant decrease in the enthalpy of melting after 90 days of exposure in the inoculum indicated the biodegradation of PHB while PLA remained stable. It was shown that the rate of ozonation was higher for PLA and the blends with a high content of PLA. The lower density of the amorphous regions of the blends determined an increased rate of their oxidation by ozone compared to homopolymers. The optimal composition in terms of degradation kinetics is a fibrous material based on the blend of 30PLA/70PHB that can be used as an effective ecosorbent, for biopackaging, and as a highly porous covering material for agricultural purposes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biopolymers in Tissue Engineering)
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12 pages, 12022 KiB  
Article
Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) 3D-Scaffold–Conduit for Guided Tissue Sprouting
by Irina I. Zharkova, Aleksey V. Volkov, Aleksandr A. Muraev, Tatiana K. Makhina, Vera V. Voinova, Valentina M. Ryabova, Yulia V. Gazhva, Alena S. Kashirina, Aleksandra V. Kashina, Garina A. Bonartseva, Vsevolod A. Zhuikov, Konstantin V. Shaitan, Mikhail P. Kirpichnikov, Sergey Yu. Ivanov and Anton P. Bonartsev
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(8), 6965; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24086965 - 9 Apr 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1619
Abstract
Scaffold biocompatibility remains an urgent problem in tissue engineering. An especially interesting problem is guided cell intergrowth and tissue sprouting using a porous scaffold with a special design. Two types of structures were obtained from poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) using a salt leaching technique. In [...] Read more.
Scaffold biocompatibility remains an urgent problem in tissue engineering. An especially interesting problem is guided cell intergrowth and tissue sprouting using a porous scaffold with a special design. Two types of structures were obtained from poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) using a salt leaching technique. In flat scaffolds (scaffold-1), one side was more porous (pore size 100–300 μm), while the other side was smoother (pore size 10–50 μm). Such scaffolds are suitable for the in vitro cultivation of rat mesenchymal stem cells and 3T3 fibroblasts, and, upon subcutaneous implantation to older rats, they cause moderate inflammation and the formation of a fibrous capsule. Scaffold-2s are homogeneous volumetric hard sponges (pore size 30–300 μm) with more structured pores. They were suitable for the in vitro culturing of 3T3 fibroblasts. Scaffold-2s were used to manufacture a conduit from the PHB/PHBV tube with scaffold-2 as a filler. The subcutaneous implantation of such conduits to older rats resulted in gradual soft connective tissue sprouting through the filler material of the scaffold-2 without any visible inflammatory processes. Thus, scaffold-2 can be used as a guide for connective tissue sprouting. The obtained data are advanced studies for reconstructive surgery and tissue engineering application for the elderly patients. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biopolymers in Tissue Engineering)
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14 pages, 1580 KiB  
Article
Oxygen-Releasing Hyaluronic Acid-Based Dispersion with Controlled Oxygen Delivery for Enhanced Periodontal Tissue Engineering
by Lena Katharina Müller-Heupt, Nadine Wiesmann-Imilowski, Sofia Schröder, Jonathan Groß, Pablo Cores Ziskoven, Philipp Bani, Peer Wolfgang Kämmerer, Eik Schiegnitz, Anja Eckelt, John Eckelt, Ulrike Ritz, Till Opatz, Bilal Al-Nawas, Christopher V. Synatschke and James Deschner
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(6), 5936; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24065936 - 21 Mar 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2130
Abstract
Periodontitis is a chronic biofilm-associated inflammatory disease of the tooth-supporting tissues that causes tooth loss. It is strongly associated with anaerobic bacterial colonization and represents a substantial global health burden. Due to a local hypoxic environment, tissue regeneration is impaired. Oxygen therapy has [...] Read more.
Periodontitis is a chronic biofilm-associated inflammatory disease of the tooth-supporting tissues that causes tooth loss. It is strongly associated with anaerobic bacterial colonization and represents a substantial global health burden. Due to a local hypoxic environment, tissue regeneration is impaired. Oxygen therapy has shown promising results as a potential treatment of periodontitis, but so far, local oxygen delivery remains a key technical challenge. An oxygen (O2)-releasing hyaluronic acid (HA)-based dispersion with a controlled oxygen delivery was developed. Cell viability of primary human fibroblasts, osteoblasts, and HUVECs was demonstrated, and biocompatibility was tested using a chorioallantoic membrane assay (CAM assay). Suppression of anaerobic growth of Porphyromonas gingivalis was shown using the broth microdilution assay. In vitro assays showed that the O2-releasing HA was not cytotoxic towards human primary fibroblasts, osteoblasts, and HUVECs. In vivo, angiogenesis was enhanced in a CAM assay, although not to a statistically significant degree. Growth of P. gingivalis was inhibited by CaO2 concentrations higher than 256 mg/L. Taken together, the results of this study demonstrate the biocompatibility and selective antimicrobial activity against P. gingivalis for the developed O2-releasing HA-based dispersion and the potential of O2-releasing biomaterials for periodontal tissue regeneration. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biopolymers in Tissue Engineering)
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13 pages, 6567 KiB  
Communication
Plug-and-Play Lymph Node-on-Chip: Secondary Tumor Modeling by the Combination of Cell Spheroid, Collagen Sponge and T-Cells
by Sergei V. German, Anatolii A. Abalymov, Maxim A. Kurochkin, Yuliya Kan, Dmitry A. Gorin and Marina V. Novoselova
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(4), 3183; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24043183 - 6 Feb 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2452
Abstract
Towards the improvement of the efficient study of drugs and contrast agents, the 3D microfluidic platforms are currently being actively developed for testing these substances and particles in vitro. Here, we have elaborated a microfluidic lymph node-on-chip (LNOC) as a tissue engineered model [...] Read more.
Towards the improvement of the efficient study of drugs and contrast agents, the 3D microfluidic platforms are currently being actively developed for testing these substances and particles in vitro. Here, we have elaborated a microfluidic lymph node-on-chip (LNOC) as a tissue engineered model of a secondary tumor in lymph node (LN) formed due to the metastasis process. The developed chip has a collagen sponge with a 3D spheroid of 4T1 cells located inside, simulating secondary tumor in the lymphoid tissue. This collagen sponge has a morphology and porosity comparable to that of a native human LN. To demonstrate the suitability of the obtained chip for pharmacological applications, we used it to evaluate the effect of contrast agent/drug carrier size, on the penetration and accumulation of particles in 3D spheroids modeling secondary tumor. For this, the 0.3, 0.5 and 4 μm bovine serum albumin (BSA)/tannic acid (TA) capsules were mixed with lymphocytes and pumped through the developed chip. The capsule penetration was examined by scanning with fluorescence microscopy followed by quantitative image analysis. The results show that capsules with a size of 0.3 μm passed more easily to the tumor spheroid and penetrated inside. We hope that the device will represent a reliable alternative to in vivo early secondary tumor models and decrease the amount of in vivo experiments in the frame of preclinical study. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biopolymers in Tissue Engineering)
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21 pages, 7401 KiB  
Article
Fabrication and In Vitro Characterization of Novel Hydroxyapatite Scaffolds 3D Printed Using Polyvinyl Alcohol as a Thermoplastic Binder
by Andrej Thurzo, Paulína Gálfiová, Zuzana Varchulová Nováková, Štefan Polák, Ivan Varga, Martin Strunga, Renáta Urban, Jana Surovková, Ľuboš Leško, Zora Hajdúchová, Jozef Feranc, Marian Janek and Ľuboš Danišovič
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(23), 14870; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms232314870 - 28 Nov 2022
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 3168
Abstract
This paper presents a proof-of-concept study on the biocolonization of 3D-printed hydroxyapatite scaffolds with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Three-dimensional (3D) printed biomimetic bone structure made of calcium deficient hydroxyapatite (CDHA) intended as a future bone graft was made from newly developed composite material [...] Read more.
This paper presents a proof-of-concept study on the biocolonization of 3D-printed hydroxyapatite scaffolds with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Three-dimensional (3D) printed biomimetic bone structure made of calcium deficient hydroxyapatite (CDHA) intended as a future bone graft was made from newly developed composite material for FDM printing. The biopolymer polyvinyl alcohol serves in this material as a thermoplastic binder for 3D molding of the printed object with a passive function and is completely removed during sintering. The study presents the material, the process of fused deposition modeling (FDM) of CDHA scaffolds, and its post-processing at three temperatures (1200, 1300, and 1400 °C), as well it evaluates the cytotoxicity and biocompatibility of scaffolds with MTT and LDH release assays after 14 days. The study also includes a morphological evaluation of cellular colonization with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) in two different filament orientations (rectilinear and gyroid). The results of the MTT assay showed that the tested material was not toxic, and cells were preserved in both orientations, with most cells present on the material fired at 1300 °C. Results of the LDH release assay showed a slight increase in LDH leakage from all samples. Visual evaluation of SEM confirmed the ideal post-processing temperature of the 3D-printed FDM framework for samples fired at 1300 °C and 1400 °C, with a porosity of 0.3 mm between filaments. In conclusion, the presented fabrication and colonization of CDHA scaffolds have great potential to be used in the tissue engineering of bones. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biopolymers in Tissue Engineering)
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Review

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31 pages, 1148 KiB  
Review
Recent Advances in Collagen Antimicrobial Biomaterials for Tissue Engineering Applications: A Review
by Caglar Ersanli, Athina Tzora, Ioannis Skoufos, Chrysoula (Chrysa) Voidarou and Dimitrios I. Zeugolis
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(9), 7808; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24097808 - 25 Apr 2023
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2426
Abstract
Biomaterial-based therapies have been receiving attention for treating microbial infections mainly to overcome the increasing number of drug-resistant bacterial strains and off-target impacts of therapeutic agents by conventional strategies. A fibrous, non-soluble protein, collagen, is one of the most studied biopolymers for the [...] Read more.
Biomaterial-based therapies have been receiving attention for treating microbial infections mainly to overcome the increasing number of drug-resistant bacterial strains and off-target impacts of therapeutic agents by conventional strategies. A fibrous, non-soluble protein, collagen, is one of the most studied biopolymers for the development of antimicrobial biomaterials owing to its superior physicochemical, biomechanical, and biological properties. In this study, we reviewed the different approaches used to develop collagen-based antimicrobial devices, such as non-pharmacological, antibiotic, metal oxide, antimicrobial peptide, herbal extract-based, and combination approaches, with a particular focus on preclinical studies that have been published in the last decade. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biopolymers in Tissue Engineering)
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