Biomimetic Materials for Regenerative Medicine

A special issue of Journal of Functional Biomaterials (ISSN 2079-4983).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2020) | Viewed by 28432

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Vivian L Smith Department of Neurosurgery, Center for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
Interests: biometric matrices; stem cell differentiation; combinatorial methods; tissue engineering; cell–material interface

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The extracellular matrix shapes the cellular environment in tissues by modulating cellular exposure to cytokines, adhesion ligand and mechanical forces. As our understanding of the extracellular matrix effects on cell behavior grows, so does our desire to emulate the critical aspects of the native matrix in order to restore tissue function after injury or degenerative disease. At a basic level, three aspects of the environment, bioactive signalling, mechanics and architecture, can be emulated in matrices to promote tissue regeneration through host cell invasion, or guide stem cell maturation and integration in cell therapy strategies. Bioactive signalling covers a number of approaches from cytokine release to teethering of adhesive peptides in order to elicit specific biological responses from the cells. Mechanics deals with matrix stiffness, which alters everything from adhesion to stem cell linage choice. Architecture cover compositional blending, polymer backbone functionalization (changes in chain movement, availability of ligands for receptor binding), pore size (modulation of migration and diffusion), and topography (nanofibers, patterning, zeta potential, etc.)

The aim of this Special Issue to bring together research in Biomimetic Materials and is aimed at understanding how changes in the matrix influence cellular behavior and ultimately tissue. It is a privilege to invite you to submit a manuscript for this Special Issue on “Biomimetic Materials for Regenerative Medicine”.

Dr. Laura A. Smith Callahan
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Functional Biomaterials is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Cell-material interface
  • Tethered bioactive signaling and cytokine release
  • porosity, and topography
  • Stiffness and degradation

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 2438 KiB  
Article
Effect of Laminin Derived Peptides IKVAV and LRE Tethered to Hyaluronic Acid on hiPSC Derived Neural Stem Cell Morphology, Attachment and Neurite Extension
by T. Hiran Perera, Xi Lu and Laura A Smith Callahan
J. Funct. Biomater. 2020, 11(1), 15; https://doi.org/10.3390/jfb11010015 - 6 Mar 2020
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 5015
Abstract
Low neural tissue extracellular matrix (ECM) content has led to the understudy of its effects on neural cells and tissue. Hyaluronic acid (HA) and laminin are major neural ECM components, but direct comparisons of their cellular effects could not be located in the [...] Read more.
Low neural tissue extracellular matrix (ECM) content has led to the understudy of its effects on neural cells and tissue. Hyaluronic acid (HA) and laminin are major neural ECM components, but direct comparisons of their cellular effects could not be located in the literature. The current study uses human-induced pluripotent stem-cell-derived neural stem cells to assess the effects of HA, laminin, and HA with laminin-derived peptides IKVAV and LRE on cellular morphology, attachment, neurite extension and ECM remodeling. Increased attachment was observed on HA with and without IKVAV and LRE compared to laminin. Cellular morphology and neurite extension were similar on all surfaces. Using a direct binding inhibitor of Cav2.2 voltage gated calcium channel activity, a known binding partner of LRE, reduced attachment on HA with and without IKVAV and LRE and altered cellular morphology on surfaces with laminin or IKVAV and LRE. HA with IKVAV and LRE reduced the fluorescent intensity of fibronectin staining, but did not alter the localization of ECM remodeling enzymes matrix metalloprotease 2 and 9 staining compared to HA. Overall, the data indicate HA, IKVAV and LRE have complementary effects on human-induced pluripotent stem-cell-derived neural stem cell behavior. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biomimetic Materials for Regenerative Medicine)
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16 pages, 3468 KiB  
Article
In Vitro Evaluation of the Influence of Substrate Mechanics on Matrix-Assisted Human Chondrocyte Transplantation
by Yueh-Hsun Kevin Yang, Courtney R. Ogando and Gilda A. Barabino
J. Funct. Biomater. 2020, 11(1), 5; https://doi.org/10.3390/jfb11010005 - 18 Jan 2020
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 4464
Abstract
Matrix-assisted chondrocyte transplantation (MACT) is of great interest for the treatment of patients with cartilage lesions. However, the roles of the matrix properties in modulating cartilage tissue integration during MACT recovery have not been fully understood. The objective of this study was to [...] Read more.
Matrix-assisted chondrocyte transplantation (MACT) is of great interest for the treatment of patients with cartilage lesions. However, the roles of the matrix properties in modulating cartilage tissue integration during MACT recovery have not been fully understood. The objective of this study was to uncover the effects of substrate mechanics on the integration of implanted chondrocyte-laden hydrogels with native cartilage tissues. To this end, agarose hydrogels with Young’s moduli ranging from 0.49 kPa (0.5%, w/v) to 23.08 kPa (10%) were prepared and incorporated into an in vitro human cartilage explant model. The hydrogel-cartilage composites were cultivated for up to 12 weeks and harvested for evaluation via scanning electron microscopy, histology, and a push-through test. Our results demonstrated that integration strength at the hydrogel-cartilage interface in the 1.0% (0.93 kPa) and 2.5% (3.30 kPa) agarose groups significantly increased over time, whereas hydrogels with higher stiffness (>8.78 kPa) led to poor integration with articular cartilage. Extensive sprouting of extracellular matrix in the interfacial regions was only observed in the 0.5% to 2.5% agarose groups. Collectively, our findings suggest that while neocartilage development and its integration with native cartilage are modulated by substrate elasticity, an optimal Young’s modulus (3.30 kPa) possessed by agarose hydrogels is identified such that superior quality of tissue integration is achieved without compromising tissue properties of implanted constructs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biomimetic Materials for Regenerative Medicine)
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17 pages, 26070 KiB  
Article
RGD-Modified Nanofibers Enhance Outcomes in Rats after Sciatic Nerve Injury
by McKay Cavanaugh, Elena Silantyeva, Galina Pylypiv Koh, Elham Malekzadeh, William D. Lanzinger, Rebecca Kuntz Willits and Matthew L. Becker
J. Funct. Biomater. 2019, 10(2), 24; https://doi.org/10.3390/jfb10020024 - 29 May 2019
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 7325
Abstract
Nerve injuries requiring surgery are a significant problem without good clinical alternatives to the autograft. Tissue engineering strategies are critically needed to provide an alternative. In this study, we utilized aligned nanofibers that were click-modified with the bioactive peptide RGD for rat sciatic [...] Read more.
Nerve injuries requiring surgery are a significant problem without good clinical alternatives to the autograft. Tissue engineering strategies are critically needed to provide an alternative. In this study, we utilized aligned nanofibers that were click-modified with the bioactive peptide RGD for rat sciatic nerve repair. Empty conduits or conduits filled with either non-functionalized aligned nanofibers or RGD-functionalized aligned nanofibers were used to repair a 13 mm gap in the rat sciatic nerve of animals for six weeks. The aligned nanofibers encouraged cell infiltration and nerve repair as shown by histological analysis. RGD-functionalized nanofibers reduced muscle atrophy. During the six weeks of recovery, the animals were subjected to motor and sensory tests. Sensory recovery was improved in the RGD-functionalized nanofiber group by week 4, while other groups needed six weeks to show improvement after injury. Thus, the use of functionalized nanofibers provides cues that aid in in vivo nerve repair and should be considered as a future repair strategy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biomimetic Materials for Regenerative Medicine)
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Review

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21 pages, 8174 KiB  
Review
Strategies to Tune Electrospun Scaffold Porosity for Effective Cell Response in Tissue Engineering
by Jimna Mohamed Ameer, Anil Kumar PR and Naresh Kasoju
J. Funct. Biomater. 2019, 10(3), 30; https://doi.org/10.3390/jfb10030030 - 9 Jul 2019
Cited by 107 | Viewed by 11225
Abstract
Tissue engineering aims to develop artificial human tissues by culturing cells on a scaffold in the presence of biochemical cues. Properties of scaffold such as architecture and composition highly influence the overall cell response. Electrospinning has emerged as one of the most affordable, [...] Read more.
Tissue engineering aims to develop artificial human tissues by culturing cells on a scaffold in the presence of biochemical cues. Properties of scaffold such as architecture and composition highly influence the overall cell response. Electrospinning has emerged as one of the most affordable, versatile, and successful approaches to develop nonwoven nano/microscale fibrous scaffolds whose structural features resemble that of the native extracellular matrix. However, dense packing of the fibers leads to small-sized pores which obstruct cell infiltration and therefore is a major limitation for their use in tissue engineering applications. To this end, a variety of approaches have been investigated to enhance the pore properties of the electrospun scaffolds. In this review, we collect state-of-the-art modification methods and summarize them into six classes as follows: approaches focused on optimization of packing density by (a) conventional setup, (b) sequential or co-electrospinning setups, (c) involving sacrificial elements, (d) using special collectors, (e) post-production processing, and (f) other specialized methods. Overall, this review covers historical as well as latest methodologies in the field and therefore acts as a quick reference for those interested in electrospinning matrices for tissue engineering and beyond. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biomimetic Materials for Regenerative Medicine)
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