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Polymer Composites in Biomedical Applications II

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A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Polymer Applications".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 April 2023) | Viewed by 18275

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Dr. Donatella Duraccio

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National Research Council (CNR), STEMS - Strada delle Cacce 73, 10135 Turin, Italy
Interests: polymer composites and nanocomposites; biopolymers; coatings; structure–property relationship; food packaging; biomedical engineering
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Dr. Maria Giulia Faga

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National Research Council (CNR), STEMS - Strada delle Cacce 73, 10135 Turin, Italy
Interests: composite materials; oxidic bioceramics; coatings; wear; industrial engineering; surface properties
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Dr. Giovanna Gomez D’Ayala

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National Research Council (CNR), IPCB, Via Campi Flegrei 34, 80078 Pozzuoli, NA, Italy
Interests: polymer synthesis; stimuli-responsive polymers; biocomposites; biomaterials; wound healing; bone regeneration
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

It is well known that the demand for using polymer composite biomaterials in various medical applications has increased significantly across the globe over the last few years. Recent developments in the area of material science and biomedical engineering have enabled impressive progress in attempts to develop innovative polymer composite biomaterials, thanks to their tailorable manufacturing processes and characteristics comparable to those of the host tissues. However, for successful applications, some properties, such as mechanical properties, durability, biodegradability, bioactivity, etc., need to be optimized and tuned as a function of the specific application.

This Special Issue is concerned with the preparation and characterization of polymer composites for various biomedical applications. There are no limits in terms of biomedical application (i.e., soft, hard tissue, and others), nature (biodegradable or not), composition, type of polymers (natural or synthetic polymers), and nature and dimension of the fillers. Both original contributions and reviews are welcome.

Dr. Donatella Duraccio
Dr. Maria Giulia Faga
Dr. Giovanna Gomez D’Ayala
Guest Editors

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Keywords

polymer composite
biomedical application
tissue engineering
mechanical properties
soft tissue
hard tissue
bioactivity
durability
biodegradability

Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

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18 pages, 4656 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Mechanical and Biological Characterization of PMMA/Al₂O₃ Composites for Dental Implant Abutments

by Ilaria Roato, Tullio Genova, Donatella Duraccio, Federico Alessandro Ruffinatti, Diletta Zanin Venturini, Mattia Di Maro, Alessandro Mosca Balma, Riccardo Pedraza, Sara Petrillo, Giorgia Chinigò, Luca Munaron, Giulio Malucelli, Maria Giulia Faga and Federico Mussano

Polymers 2023, 15(15), 3186; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15153186 - 27 Jul 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 771

Abstract

The mechanical and biological behaviors of PMMA/Al₂O₃ composites incorporating 30 wt.%, 40 wt.%, and 50 wt.% of Al₂O₃ were thoroughly characterized as regards to their possible application in implant-supported prostheses. The Al₂O₃ particles accounted for an increase in the flexural modulus of PMMA. The highest value was recorded for the composite containing 40 wt.% Al₂O₃ (4.50 GPa), which was about 18% higher than that of its unfilled counterpart (3.86 GPa). The Al₂O₃ particles caused a decrease in the flexural strength of the composites, due to the presence of filler aggregates and voids, though it was still satisfactory for the intended application. The roughness (Ra) and water contact angle had the same trend, ranging from 1.94 µm and 77.2° for unfilled PMMA to 2.45 µm and 105.8° for the composite containing the highest alumina loading, respectively, hence influencing both the protein adsorption and cell adhesion. No cytotoxic effects were found, confirming that all the specimens are biocompatible and capable of sustaining cell growth and proliferation, without remarkable differences at 24 and 48 h. Finally, Al₂O₃ was able to cause strong cell responses (cell orientation), thus guiding the tissue formation in contact with the composite itself and not enhancing its osteoconductive properties, supporting the PMMA composite’s usage in the envisaged application. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Composites in Biomedical Applications II)

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15 pages, 2159 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Fracture Load of 3D-Printed Interim Three-Unit Fixed Dental Prostheses: Impact of Printing Orientation and Post-Curing Time

by Reem I. Alkhateeb, Hadeel S. Algaoud, Rand B. Aldamanhori, Rand R. Alshubaili, Haidar Alalawi and Mohammed M. Gad

Polymers 2023, 15(7), 1737; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15071737 - 31 Mar 2023

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1646

Abstract

The fracture resistance of 3-unit interim fixed dental prostheses (IFDPs) fabricated using digital light processing (DLP) additive technology with different printing parameters is neglected. Therefore, this study investigates the effect of different printing orientations and different post-curing times on the fracture resistance of 3-unit IFDPs fabricated from two three-dimensional (3D) printed resins, NextDent, C&B (CB), ASIGA, and DentaTOOTH. A 3-unit dye was scanned, and an IFDP was designed. A total of 300 specimens (150/materials, n = 10) were printed and divided into three groups according to printing orientations (0°, 45°, 90°) per material. Each orientation was subdivided into five groups (n = 10) considering the post-curing time (green state as control, 30, 60, 90, and 120 min). All specimens underwent thermocycling (5000 cycles). Each specimen was fitted onto the die and loaded until fracture using a universal testing machine with a loading rate of 1 m/min. Data were analyzed using ANOVA and post hoc Tukey test (α = 0.05). The result showed that printing orientation had a significant effect on the fracture load for both ASIGA and NextDent materials (p < 0.05). The highest fracture load was recorded with 45° orientation, followed by 0° orientation and 90° orientation showed the lowest values per respective post-curing time. Post-curing time increased the fracture load (p < 0.05). Post-curing time had a positive effect on the fracture load. As the post-curing time increased, the fracture resistance load increased (p < 0.05), with 90 and 120 min showing the highest fracture load. The 0° and 45° printing orientations have a high fracture load for 3D-printed IFDPs, and an increased post-curing time is recommended. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Composites in Biomedical Applications II)

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17 pages, 3632 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Anti-Inflammatory Effect of Lactose-Modified Hyaluronic Acid Molecules on Primary Bronchial Fibroblasts of Smokers

by Alice Donato, Federico Fontana, Rina Venerando, Antonino Di Stefano and Paola Brun

Polymers 2023, 15(7), 1616; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15071616 - 24 Mar 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1276

Abstract

The progression of smoking-related diseases is characterized by macrophage-mediated inflammation, which is responsible for an increased expression of proinflammatory cytokines and galectins, molecules that bind specifically to β-galactoside sugars. This study aimed to assess the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of a broad selection of differently lactose-modified hyaluronic acids (HA) named HYLACH^®, which are able to bind proinflammatory galectins. The best HYLACH ligands for Gal-3 were selected in silico and their activities were tested in vitro on primary human bronchial fibroblasts obtained from smokers and inflamed with the conditioned medium of activated U937 monocytes. Changes in cell viability, ROS generation, proinflammatory mediators, and MMP expression, at both gene and protein levels, were analyzed. The in silico results show that HYLACH with a percentage of lactosylation of 10–40% are the best ligands for Gal-3. The in vitro study revealed that HYLACH compounds with 10, 20, and 40% lactosylation (HYLACH-1-2-3) administrated to inflamed cell cultures counteracted the oxidative damage and restored gene and protein expression for IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-6, Gal-1, Gal-3, and MMP-3 to near baseline values. The evidence that HYLACH attenuated macrophage-induced inflammation, inhibited MMP expression, and exhibited antioxidative effects provide an initial step toward the development of a therapeutic treatment suitable for smoking-related diseases. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Composites in Biomedical Applications II)

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18 pages, 6230 KiB

Open AccessArticle

High-Content Aloe vera Based Hydrogels: Physicochemical and Pharmaceutical Properties

by Mariana Chelu, Monica Popa, Emma Adriana Ozon, Jeanina Pandele Cusu, Mihai Anastasescu, Vasile Adrian Surdu, Jose Calderon Moreno and Adina Magdalena Musuc

Polymers 2023, 15(5), 1312; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15051312 - 06 Mar 2023

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 4506

Abstract

The present research focuses on the physicochemical and pharmacotechnical properties of new hydrogels obtained using allantoin, xanthan gum, salicylic acid and different concentrations of Aloe vera (5, 10, 20% w/v in solution; 38, 56, 71 wt% in dry gels). The thermal behavior of Aloe vera composite hydrogels was studied using DSC and TG/DTG analyses. The chemical structure was investigated using different characterization methods (XRD, FTIR and Raman spectroscopies) and the morphology of the hydrogels was studied SEM and AFM microscopy. Pharmacotechnical evaluation on tensile strength and elongation, moisture content, swelling and spreadability was also completed. Physical evaluation confirmed that the appearance of the prepared Aloe vera based hydrogels was homogeneous and the color varied from pale beige to deep opaque beige with increasing Aloe vera concentration. All other evaluation parameters, e.g., pH, viscosity, spreadability and consistency were found to be adequate in all hydrogel formulations. SEM and AFM images show that the structure of the hydrogels condensed into homogeneous polymeric solids with the addition of Aloe vera, in accordance with the decrease in peak intensities observed via XRD analysis. These results suggest interactions between the hydrogel matrix and Aloe vera as observed via FTIR and TG/DTG and DSC analyses. Considering that Aloe vera content higher than 10% (w/v) did not stimulate further interactions, this formulation (FA-10) can be used for further biomedical applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Composites in Biomedical Applications II)

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17 pages, 5124 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Aligned TiO₂ Scaffolds in the Presence of a Galactopyranose Matrix by Sol-Gel Process

by Humberto Alejandro Monreal Romero, Teresa Pérez Piñon, Diana Sagarnaga, Raquel Duarte Rico, Alfredo Nevárez Rascón, Carlos Alberto Martínez Pérez, Dagoberto Pérez Piñon, Juan Pablo Flores de los Ríos, Mario Sánchez Carrillo and José Guadalupe Chacón-Nava

Polymers 2023, 15(3), 478; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15030478 - 17 Jan 2023

Viewed by 1216

Abstract

In this work, titanium dioxide scaffolds were synthesized. Titanium isopropoxide (IV) was used as a precursor in its formation, using a polymeric network of galactopyranose as a template. The powder sample obtained was evaluated by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis, and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA-DTA). According to the results, it was found that these scaffolds can be successfully synthesized in solution using the sol-gel method. The synthesized scaffolds have diameters from 50 nm with porosity of approximately 0.3–10 nm. Important parameters, such as pH and the concentration of the metallic precursors, were optimized in this solution. The values of maximum average roughness R(max) and roughness value (Ra) were 0.50 and 1.45, respectively. XRD diffraction analysis shows the formation of crystalline phases in the TiO₂ scaffold at 700 °C. The use of biological polymers represents an alternative for the synthesis of new materials at low cost, manipulating the conditions in the production processes and making the proposed system more efficient. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Composites in Biomedical Applications II)

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13 pages, 5094 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Silica-Modified Aluminum Oxide Abrasion on Adhesion to Dentin, Using Total-Etch and Self-Etch Systems

by Shifra Levartovsky, Benny Ferdman, Nahawand Safadi, Tujan Hanna, Eran Dolev and Raphael Pilo

Polymers 2023, 15(2), 446; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15020446 - 14 Jan 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2056

Abstract

This study compared the shear bond strength (SBS) and micromorphology of composite resin to human dentin after pre-treatment with silica-modified aluminum oxide air abrasion. Forty-six molar teeth were treated with either Scotchbond Multi-Purpose (SCMP) or Clearfil SE Bond (CLSE) adhesive. Buccal surfaces were pre-treated with the CoJet air abrasion system (SB), and lingual surfaces were controls. The adhesion of light-cured resin composite to the treated dentin surface was evaluated with SBS. After debonding, substrate surfaces were examined with an optical microscope for failure analysis. In addition, 15 molar teeth were sectioned and randomly assigned to one of five groups, according to the dentin surface pre-treatment and adhesive type, and examined with high-vacuum scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive X-rays (SEM/EDS). The type of adhesive had a significant effect on SBS (p = 0.000); CLSE had the highest values. SB did not affect SBS (p = 0.090). SEM/EDS revealed residual aluminum and/or silicon on all dentin surfaces after SB, except for the control. Treatment with 32% phosphoric acid in the SCMP adhesive decreased the amounts of aluminum and silicon compared to SB dentin only, whereas CLSE resulted in similar quantities of aluminum and silicon as air-abraded dentin. The results of this study indicate that CLSE might have a higher bond strength to dentin than SCMP. Pre-treatment with SB does not appear to affect bonding strength. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Composites in Biomedical Applications II)

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12 pages, 3257 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Fabrication of Bio-Based Film Comprising Metal Oxide Nanoparticles Loaded Chitosan for Wound Dressing Applications

by Latifah Mohammed Ali Almaieli, Mai M. Khalaf, Mohamed Gouda, Abraham Elmushyakhi, Manal F. Abou Taleb and Hany M. Abd El-Lateef

Polymers 2023, 15(1), 211; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15010211 - 31 Dec 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1389

Abstract

In the current work, chitosan (CS)–metal oxide nanohybrid (MONH) composites are prepared via combining CS with MONH made of vanadium oxide (V₂O₅), ytterbium trioxide (Yb₂O₃), and graphene oxide (GO) to generate promising wound dressing materials using the film-casting method. The developed nanohybrid@CS was examined using techniques such as Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM)/energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). For Yb₂O₃@CS, the surface morphology was shown to be a rough and porous surface with pores that ranged in size from 3.0 to 5.0 µm. For CS with Yb₂O₃, Yb₂O₃/V₂O₅@CS, and Yb₂O₃/V₂O₅/GO@CS, the contact angles were 72.5°, 68.2°, and 46.5°, respectively. When the nanohybrid@CS was in its hydrophilic phase, which is good for absorbing moisture and drugs, there was a notable decrease in angles that tended to rise. Additionally, the inclusion of MONH allowed the cell viability to be confirmed with an IC₅₀ of 1997.2 g/mL and the cell growth to reach 111.3% at a concentration of 7.9 g/mL. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Composites in Biomedical Applications II)

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15 pages, 1405 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Pilot Study on Monomer and Bisphenol A (BPA) Release from UDMA-Based and Conventional Indirect Veneering Composites

by Tristan Hampe, Julia Liersch, Bernhard Wiechens, Torsten Wassmann, Andrea Schubert, Mohammad Alhussein, Ralf Bürgers and Sebastian Krohn

Polymers 2022, 14(21), 4580; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14214580 - 28 Oct 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1285

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the release of common monomers from conventional (Dialog Vario, Enamel Plus HFO) and UDMA-based indirect veneering composites (VITA VM LC, GC Gradia). Ten cylindrical samples of each material were prepared (n = 40), immersed in HPLC grade water, and incubated for 24 h in an incubation shaker at 37 °C and 112 rpm. Extraction was performed following ISO 10993-12 and monomers were detected and quantified by HPLC-MS/MS. In all the samples, urethane dimethacrylate (UDMA) and bisphenol A (BPA) were quantifiable. Compared to water blanks, BPA levels were only elevated in the eluates from conventional composites. In all other samples, concentrations were in the range of extraneous BPA and were therefore clinically irrelevant. Low concentrations of Bisphenol A-glycidyl methacrylate (BisGMA) were found in one BPA-free composite and in both conventional materials. Statistical analyses showed that BPA-free materials released significantly less BisGMA and no BPA, while UDMA elution was comparable to elution from conventional materials. All measured concentrations were below reported effective cytotoxic concentrations. Considering these results, the substitution of BPA-derivatives with UDMA might be beneficial since BPA-associated adverse effects are ruled out. Further studies should be enrolled to test the biocompatibility of UDMA on cells of the oral environment. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Composites in Biomedical Applications II)

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Review

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28 pages, 4689 KiB

Open AccessReview

Progressive Trends on the Biomedical Applications of Metal Organic Frameworks

by Gaurav Awasthi, Sahil Shivgotra, Shibyendu Nikhar, Subramanian Sundarrajan, Seeram Ramakrishna and Pawan Kumar

Polymers 2022, 14(21), 4710; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14214710 - 03 Nov 2022

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 3367

Abstract

Novel materials have been developed because of technological advancements combined with material research. Metal-organic frameworks (MOF) technology has been investigated for biomedical applications in this line. Nonetheless, as our team has learned from current literature, selecting metal ions/organic linkers, synthesis techniques, water stability/solubility, toxicity, and the possibility of biomolecules/drugs (enzyme, protein, DNA/RNA, and antibodies, among others) tagging/conjugation are the major challenges/factors. These issues/factors have an impact on MOFs’ performance in biomedical applications, and they also raise a lot of doubts about its real-time biological utility in the near future. We targeted a comprehensive review on the MOFs for biomedical applications to keep these considerations in mind. The evolution of MOF technology is based on their interesting features such as biological or pharmacological activity, biocompatibility, limited toxicity, and particular host–guest interactions, as well as environmental friendliness. In this paper, we have summarized the state-of-the-art progress pertaining to MOFs’ biomedical applications such as biosensing, biomedical, and drug delivery applications in this field that is still very new. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Composites in Biomedical Applications II)

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