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Acta Biomater 2022 May 21. Epub 2022 May 21.

Chair of Solid Mechanics, University of Wuppertal, 42119 Wuppertal, Germany; Wuppertal Center for Smart Materials & Systems, University of Wuppertal, 42119 Wuppertal, Germany. Electronic address:

Nacre's superior mechanical properties and failure behavior strongly depend on orientation due to its brick-and-mortar microstructure. In this work, the anisotropic microscopic deformation and the resulting macroscopic mechanical properties are evaluated under different loading conditions. Our in situ transmission electron microscopy deformation experiments and finite element simulations reveal that nacre possesses enhanced indentation resistance along the direction normal to the tablets through delocalization of indentation-induced deformation by taking advantage of its layered structure. Read More

Acta Biomater 2022 May 21. Epub 2022 May 21.

Centre for Research in Nano Technology and Science, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, India; Department of Metallurgical Engineering and Materials Science, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, India,. Electronic address:

The versatility of ZnO quantum dots (QDs) exhibiting size-tunable visible photoluminescence has propelled them to the forefront of leading-edge innovations in healthcare. At the nano-bio interface, enhancing the singly-ionized oxygen vacancy defects (V) through holistic, sustainable synthesis protocols driven by the synergistic influence of QDs' nucleation-growth kinetics has implications on their bioactivity, physiochemical, and optical performance. Recently, robust continuous flow platforms have transcended the conventional batch reactors by alleviating the concerns of "hot-spot" formation due to inhomogeneous heat distribution, acute energy consumption, poor quality, and yield. Read More

Acta Biomater 2022 May 20. Epub 2022 May 20.

Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia.

The central nervous system (CNS) is protected by the blood-brain barrier (BBB), which acts as a physical barrier to regulate and prevent the uptake of endogenous metabolites and xenobiotics. However, the BBB prevents most non-lipophilic drugs from reaching the CNS following systematic administration. Therefore, there is considerable interest in identifying drug carriers that can maintain the biostability of therapeutic molecules and target their transport across the BBB. Read More

Acta Biomater 2022 May 20. Epub 2022 May 20.

University of Groningen, University Medical Centre Groningen, Department of Pathology and Medical Biology, Hanzeplein 1 (EA11), 9713 GZ Groningen, The Netherlands; University of Groningen, University Medical Centre Groningen, Groningen Research Institute for Asthma and COPD (GRIAC), Hanzeplein 1 (EA11), 9713 AV Groningen, The Netherlands; University of Groningen, University Medical Centre Groningen, W.J. Kolff Institute for Biomedical Engineering and Materials Science-FB41, A. Deusinglaan 1, 9713 AV Groningen, The Netherlands. Electronic address:

Extracellular matrix (ECM) is a dynamic network of proteins, proteoglycans and glycosaminoglycans, providing structure to the tissue and biochemical and biomechanical instructions to the resident cells. In fibrosis, the composition and the organization of the ECM are altered, and these changes influence cellular behaviour. Biochemical (i. Read More

Acta Biomater 2022 May 20. Epub 2022 May 20.

Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Innovative Drug Target Research, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, PR China. Electronic address:

Chemodynamic therapy (CDT) has aroused extensive attention as a potent therapeutic modality. However, its practical application is severely restricted by the strong acidity requirement for Fenton reaction and upregulated antioxidant defense within metastatic breast cancer. Herein, a copper-based single-site nanocatalyst functionalized with carbonic anhydrase inhibitor (CAI) was constructed for magnetic resonance/photoacoustic imaging (MRI/PA)-guided synergetic photothermal therapy (PTT) and CDT. Read More

Acta Biomater 2022 May 19. Epub 2022 May 19.

Department of Bioengineering, Clemson University; Clemson - Medical University of South Carolina Bioengineering Program, Charleston, SC 29425. Electronic address:

The Essure® permanent contraceptive implant, comprised of four alloys (nickel-titanium, 316L stainless steel, platinum-iridium, and tin-silver solder) and Dacron (PET) fibers, has been approved for use in the US for about two decades. However, little has been published on this implant's biomaterials performance, and as this implant gains interest in terms of in vivo performance, methods of implant post-retrieval storage also need to be assessed. This study investigated the electrochemical properties and ion release profile of Essure® during storage in phosphate buffered saline (PBS), 10 mM HO/PBS, a simulated inflammatory solution, and 10% neutral buffered formalin (NBF) to investigate the corrosion behavior and metal ion release. Read More

Acta Biomater 2022 May 19. Epub 2022 May 19.

Key Laboratory of Bionic Engineering (Ministry of Education, China), Jilin University, Changchun 130022, China; Weihai institute for Bionic, Jilin University, Weihai 264200, China.

Hedgehog spines with evolved unique structures are studied on account of their remarkable mechanical efficiency. However, because of limitations of existing knowledge, it remains unclear how spines work as a material with a balance of stiffness and toughness. By combining qualitative three-dimensional (3D) structural characterization, material composition analysis, biomechanical analysis, and parametric simulations, the relationship between microstructural characteristic and multifunctional features of hedgehog spines is revealed here. Read More

Acta Biomater 2022 May 19. Epub 2022 May 19.

Bioengineering and Nanomedicine Group, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, 33720, Tampere, Finland. Electronic address:

Acta Biomater 2022 May 18. Epub 2022 May 18.

Department of Biomedical Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology. Electronic address:

Vascularization of 3D engineered tissues poses a great challenge in the field of tissue engineering. One promising approach for vascularizing engineered tissue is cocultivation with endothelial cells (ECs), which spontaneously self-assemble into a natural capillary network in the presence of supportive cells. However, the ECs do not self-assemble according to physiological hierarchy which is required to support blood supply. Read More

Acta Biomater 2022 May 17. Epub 2022 May 17.

School of Pharmacy, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, China; Jiangsu Key Laboratory of New Drug Research and Clinical Pharmacy, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, PR China. Electronic address:

A natural killer (NK)-92 cell membrane-camouflaged mesoporous MnO-enveloped [email protected] ([email protected]@MnO) nanoparticles (denoted as APMN NPs)-based versatile biomimetic theranostic nanoplatform was developed for magnetic resonance (MR) imaging-guided multimodal synergistic antitumor treatments. In this core-shell nanostructure, an [email protected] core induced near-infrared (NIR)-activatable hyperthermal effects and nanozyme catalytic activity, while a mesoporous MnO shell not only afforded a high drug-loading capability, tumor microenvironment (TME)-triggered MR imaging and drug release, but also endowed catalase-, glutathione peroxidase-, and Fenton-like activities. Furthermore, the NK-92 cell membrane camouflaging endowed the NPs with enhanced tumor-targeting capability, immune escape function, and membrane protein-mediated tumoral uptake property. Read More

Acta Biomater 2022 May 16. Epub 2022 May 16.

Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), NMPA Key Laboratory for Technology Research and Evaluation of Drug Products, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250012, China. Electronic address:

Immune response is initiated by dendritic cells (DCs), where the cross-presentation of antigens by DCs determines the activating of cytotoxic T cells. However, the efficacy of DCs-initiated immune response is governed by multiple (cascade) steps of immunogenic cell death (ICD), recruitment of DCs, and cross-presentation of DCs. It is urgent but challenging to achieve a platform for simultaneously regulating these multiple steps, amplifying the immune response against tumors. Read More

Acta Biomater 2022 May 16. Epub 2022 May 16.

Department of Pharmaceutics and Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular & Cerebrovascular Medicine, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China. Electronic address:

Reperfusion injury is one of the major causes of disability and death caused by ischemic stroke, and drug development focuses mainly on single neuron protection. However, different kinds of cells in the neurovascular units (NVUs), including neurons, microglia and vascular endothelial cells, are pathologically changed after cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury, resulting in an urgent need to develop a drug delivery system to comprehensively protect the kinds of cells involved in the NVU. Herein, we have constructed a c(RGDyK) peptide modified, NF-κB inhibitor caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE)-loaded and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) stimuli-responsive liposomal nanocarrier (R-Lipo-CAPE) to target ischemic lesions and then remodel the NVU to reduce the progression of cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury. Read More

Acta Biomater 2022 May 15. Epub 2022 May 15.

Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands; Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, the Netherlands. Electronic address:

Cells and their surrounding extracellular matrix (ECM) are engaged in dynamic reciprocity to maintain tissue homeostasis: cells deposit ECM, which in turn presents the signals that define cell identity. This loop of phenotype is obvious for biochemical signals, such as collagens, which are produced by and presented to cells, but the role of biomechanical signals is also increasingly recognised. In addition, cell shape goes hand in hand with cell function and tissue homeostasis. Read More

Acta Biomater 2022 May 16. Epub 2022 May 16.

Department of Mechanics and Engineering Science, College of Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; Beijing Innovation Center for Engineering Science and Advanced Technology, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China. Electronic address:

The ability to selectively capture biomacromolecules and other components from solution has many important applications in biotechnology. However, capturing targets from solution while minimizing interference with the sample solution is still challenging. Here, we describe the design and assembly of a group of DNA hydrogels consisting of long single-stranded DNA produced by rolling amplification reaction (RCA) and crosslinked by DNA duplexes. Read More

Acta Biomater 2022 May 14. Epub 2022 May 14.

Institute of Stomatology, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325027, China. Electronic address:

Zinc (Zn)-based composites have received extensive attention as promising biodegradable materials due to their unique combination of moderate biodegradability, biocompatibility, and functionality. Nevertheless, the low mechanical strength of as-cast Zn-based composites impedes their practical clinical application. Here we reported the mechanical properties, corrosion behavior, wear properties, and cytotoxicity of in situ synthesized biodegradable Zn-xMgGe (x = 1, 3, and 5 wt. Read More

Acta Biomater 2022 May 14. Epub 2022 May 14.

Research Center for Translational Medicine at Shanghai East Hospital, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, P. R. China.. Electronic address:

Using bacteria for tumor-targeted therapy has attracted much attention in recent years. However, how to improve the targeted delivery and cancer therapy efficacy is an important but challenging scientific issue. Herein, a drug delivery system using a probiotic as a carrier was developed for tumor-targeted photodynamic and sonodynamic synergistic therapy. Read More

Acta Biomater 2022 May 16. Epub 2022 May 16.

3B's Research Group, I3Bs-Research Institute on Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics, University of Minho, Headquarters of the European Institute of Excellence on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, AvePark, Parque de Ciência e Tecnologia, Zona Industrial da Gandra, 4805-017 Barco, Guimarães, Portugal; ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal.

The combination of natural resources with biologically active biocompatible ionic liquids (Bio-IL) is presented as a combinatorial approach for developing tools to manage inflammatory diseases. Innovative biomedical solutions were constructed combining silk fibroin (SF) and Ch[Gallate], a Bio-IL with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory features, as freeze-dried 3D-based sponges. An evaluation of the effect of the Ch[Gallate] concentration (≤3% w/v) on the SF/Ch[Gallate] sponges was studied. Read More

Acta Biomater 2022 May 16. Epub 2022 May 16.

Research Center for Tissue Repair and Regeneration Affiliated to the Medical Innovation Research Division and the 4th Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100048, China; Chinese PLA Medical School, Beijing, 100853, China; Research Unit of Trauma Care, Tissue Repair and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019RU051, Beijing, 100048, China; PLA Key Laboratory of Tissue Repair and Regenerative Medicine and Beijing Key Research Laboratory of Skin Injury, Repair and Regeneration, Beijing, 100048, China. Electronic address:

Endothelial malfunction is responsible for impaired angiogenesis in diabetic patients, thereby causing the delayed healing progress of diabetic wounds. Exosomes or extracellular vesicles (EVs) have emerged as potential therapeutic vectors carrying drug cargoes to diseased cells. In the present study, EVs were reported as a new treatment for diabetic wounds by delivering VH298 into endothelial cells. Read More

Acta Biomater 2022 May 14. Epub 2022 May 14.

State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, Macau 999078, China. Electronic address:

Nanoparticles (NPs) modified with targeting ligands have often shown great potential in targeted drug delivery for tumor therapy. However, the clearance of NPs by the monocyte-phagocyte system (MPS) and the relatively low cellular uptake by tumor cells have significantly limited the antitumor efficacy of a variety of nanomedicines. Tumor microenvironment-mediated multidrug resistance also reduces the antitumor efficacy of internalized nanomedicines. Read More

Acta Biomater 2022 May 14. Epub 2022 May 14.

Key Laboratory of Drug-Targeting and Drug Delivery System of the Education Ministry Sichuan Engineering Laboratory for Plant-Sourced Drug and Sichuan Research Center for Drug Precision Industrial Technology, West China School of Pharmacy, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, China. Electronic address:

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is an emerging therapeutic approach that can inhibit tumor growth by destroying local tumors and activating systemic antitumor immune responses. However, PDT can be ineffective because of photosensitizer aggregation, tumor-induced dendritic cells (DC) dysfunction and PDT-mediated immunosuppression. Therefore, we designed chondroitin sulfate-based prodrug nanoparticles for the co-delivery of the photosensitizer chlorin e6 (Ce6) and retinoic acid (RA), which can reduce PDT-mediated immunosuppression by disrupting the Golgi apparatus and blocking the production of immunosuppressive cytokines. Read More

Acta Biomater 2022 May 14. Epub 2022 May 14.

3B's Research Group, I3Bs Research Institute on Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics, University of Minho, Headquarters of the European Institute of Excellence on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, 4805-017 Barco, Portugal; ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, University of Minho, Portugal. Electronic address:

Hyaluronan (HA) synthesis and degradation are altered during carcinogenesis leading to an increased HA content in the tumor microenvironment, which correlates with poor prognosis and treatment outcomes. The main HA receptors, CD44 and RHAMM, are also overexpressed in tumors where they activate anti-apoptotic, proliferative, invasive, and migration signaling pathways. Herein, we used a unidirectional HA gradient to investigate in a high-throughput fashion the bi-directional communication between HA and breast cancer cell lines with different surface expression of CD44 and RHAMM. Read More

Acta Biomater 2022 May 12. Epub 2022 May 12.

Liaoning Key Laboratory of Molecular Recognition and Imaging, School of Bioengineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116023, PR China. Electronic address:

The development of materials that selectively mediate the rolling of cancer cells is important for the high-throughput enrichment of high-speed cancer cells. Here we constructed a dense and stretched low molecular weight hyaluronic acid (HA)-modified surface to selectively promote the rolling of CD44-high cancer cells. The HA surface (calcium ion-regulated HA surface, Ca-rHA) was fabricated via a calcium ion-regulated method, where calcium ion incorporation induced the shrink of HA chains to achieve the highest reported grafting density of about 2. Read More

Acta Biomater 2022 May 10. Epub 2022 May 10.

State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & Other Research Platforms & Dept. of Orthodontics, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University. Electronic address:

Temporomandibular disorder (TMD) remained a huge clinical challenge, with high prevalence but limited, unstable, and only palliative therapeutic methods available. As one of the most vulnerable sites implicated in TMD, the temporomandibular joint disc (TMJD) displayed a complicated microstructure, region-specific fibrocartilaginous distribution, and poor regenerative property, which all further hindered its functional regeneration. To address the problem, with versatile and relatively simple electrospinning (ELS) technique, our study successfully fabricated a biomimetic, three-dimensional poly (ϵ-caprolactone) (PCL)/polylactide (PLA)/carbon nanotubes (CNTs) disc scaffold, whose biconcave gross anatomy and regionally anisotropic microstructure recapitulating those of the native disc. Read More

Acta Biomater 2022 May 11. Epub 2022 May 11.

Department of Orthopaedics, University Medical Center Utrecht, Heidelberglaan 100, 3584CX Utrecht, the Netherlands; Regenerative Medicine Utrecht, Utrecht University, Uppsalalaan 8, 3584CT Utrecht, the Netherlands; SentryX B.V., Woudenbergseweg 41, 3711 AA Austerlitz, the Netherlands. Electronic address:

Adequate treatment of pain arising from spinal surgery is a major clinical challenge. Opioids are the mainstay of current treatment methods, but the frequency and severity of their side effects display a clear need for opioid-free analgesia. Local anesthetics have been encapsulated into sustained-release drug delivery systems to provide postoperative pain relief. Read More

Acta Biomater 2022 May 11. Epub 2022 May 11.

School of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and IT, University of Technology Sydney (UTS), Ultimo, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Sydney Medical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA. Electronic address:

3D bioprinting technology has emerged as a tool that promises to revolutionize the biomedical field, including tissue engineering and regeneration. Despite major technological advancements, several challenges remain to be solved before 3D bioprinted tissues could be fully translated from the bench to the bedside. As oxygen plays a key role in aerobic metabolism, which allows energy production in the mitochondria; as a consequence, the lack of tissue oxygenation is one of the main limitations of current bioprinted tissues and organs. Read More

Acta Biomater 2022 May 10. Epub 2022 May 10.

Aier Eye Institute, Changsha, Hunan Province, China; Aier School of Ophthalmology, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China; Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine, Ministry of Education, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China. Electronic address:

Corneal nerve wounding often causes abnormalities in the cornea and even blindness in severe cases. In this study, we construct a dorsal root ganglion-corneal stromal cell (DRG-CSC, DS) co-culture 3D model to explore the mechanism of corneal nerve regeneration. Firstly, this model consists of DRG collagen grafts sandwiched by orthogonally stacked and orderly arranged CSC-laden plastic compressed collagen. Read More

Acta Biomater 2022 May 10. Epub 2022 May 10.

Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London, London WC1E 7JE, UK. Electronic address:

Vertebrate skin is a remarkable organ that supports and protects the body. It consists of two layers, the epidermis and the underlying dermis. In some tetrapods, the dermis includes mineralised organs known as osteoderms (OD). Read More

Acta Biomater 2022 May 10. Epub 2022 May 10.

State Key Laboratory of New Ceramics and Fine Processing, Key Laboratory of Advanced Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tsinghua University, No.1 Qinghuayuan Road, Beijing 100084, China. Electronic address:

Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) is an important inducing factor for the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells and the secretion of collagen II, but the inaccessibility and instability limit its application in clinical practice. In this study, the TGF-β1-simulating peptide LIANAK (CM) was connected with the self-assembling peptide Ac-(RADA)-CONH (RAD) to obtain the functionalized self-assembling peptide Ac-(RADA)-GG-LIANAK-CONH (RAD-CM). The results indicated that the CM-functionalized RAD hydrogel contributed to the enhanced expressions of chondrogenic genes and extracellular matrix deposition. Read More

Acta Biomater 2022 May 9. Epub 2022 May 9.

Department of Chemical Engineering, Samuel Ginn College of Engineering, Auburn University, 212 Ross Hall, Auburn, AL 36849, USA. Electronic address:

In this manuscript we report the establishment and characterization of a three-dimensional in vitro, coculture engineered prostate cancer tissue (EPCaT) disease model based upon and informed by our characterization of in vivo prostate cancer (PCa) xenograft tumor stiffness. In prostate cancer, tissue stiffness is known to impact changes in gene and protein expression, alter therapeutic response, and be positively correlated with an aggressive clinical presentation. To inform an appropriate stiffness range for our in vitro model, PC-3 prostate tumor xenografts were established. Read More

Acta Biomater 2022 May 8. Epub 2022 May 8.

Development and Related Diseases of Women and Children Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China; Department of Radiology, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China. Electronic address:

Endothelia progenitor cell (EPC)-based revascularization therapies have shown promise for the treatment of myocardial ischemic injury. However, applications and efficacy are limited by the relatively inefficient recruitment of endogenous EPCs to the ischemic area, while implantation of exogenous EPCs carries the risk of tumorigenicity. In this study, we developed a therapeutic protocol that relies on the capacity of neutrophils (NEs) to target lesions and release preloaded EPC-binding molecules for high efficiency capture. Read More