Fabrication of 3-Dimensional Polymeric Drug Delivery Systems

Development of new polymer structures for local drug delivery to the brain is an exciting research area. The main aim of this study is to develop biocompatible controlled drug delivery systems, using biodegradable or conducting polymers, for the treatment of central nervous system disorders such as epilepsy

Electrospun Nanomaterials

The papers collected in this Special Issue entitled “Electrospun Nanomaterials: Applications in Food, Environmental Remediation, and Bioengineering” illustrate the high diversity and potential for implementation of electrospun nanofibers in these fields, including the covering of a wide number of subtopics. Examples of these applications have included bioactive scaffolds, wound healing dressings, compound protective nanoreservoirs and sustained and controlled release systems. An important driver of these applications results from advances in materials science and new nanofiber manufacturing processes. Definitely, such pieces of fundamental research will contribute to the promotion of electrospinning as a focal point in the future development of technological applications at the interface of biological systems, which promise long-term benefits for both health and the environment

Applications of Nanobiotechnology

This book is dedicated to the applications of nanobiotechnology, i.e. the way that nanotechnology is used to create devices to study biological systems and phenomena. It includes seven chapters, organized in two sections. The first section (Chapters 1–5) covers a large spectrum of issues associated with nanoparticle synthesis, nanoparticle toxicity, and the role of nanotechnology in drug delivery, tissue engineering, agriculture, and biosensing. The second section (Chapters 6 and 7) is devoted to the properties of nanofluids and the medical and biological applications of computational fluid dymanics modeling

Biomedical Applications of the Biopolymer Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV): Drug Encapsulation and Scaffold Fabrication

Review[Abstract] Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) is a biodegradable and biocompatible biopolymer that has gained popularity in the field of biomedicine. This review provides an overview of recent advances and potential applications of PHBV, with special emphasis on drug encapsulation and scaffold construction. PHBV has shown to be a versatile platform for drug delivery, offering controlled release, enhanced therapeutic efficacy, and reduced side effects. The encapsulation of various drugs, such as anticancer agents, antibiotics, and anti-inflammatory drugs, in PHBV nanoparticles or microspheres has been extensively investigated, demonstrating enhanced drug stability, prolonged release kinetics, and increased bioavailability. Additionally, PHBV has been used as a scaffold material for tissue engineering applications, such as bone, cartilage, and skin regeneration. The incorporation of PHBV into scaffolds has been shown to improve mechanical properties, biocompatibility, and cellular interactions, making them suitable for tissue engineering constructs. This review highlights the potential of PHBV in drug encapsulation and scaffold fabrication, showing its promising role in advancing biomedical applications.Instituto de Salud Carlos III; PI20/00933Instituto de Salud Carlos III; PI17/02197Xunta de Galicia; ED431B 2020/5

Electro-spinning/netting: A strategy for the fabrication of three-dimensional polymer nano-fiber/nets.

Since 2006, a rapid development has been achieved in a subject area, so called electro-spinning/netting (ESN), which comprises the conventional electrospinning process and a unique electro-netting process. Electro-netting overcomes the bottleneck problem of electrospinning technique and provides a versatile method for generating spider-web-like nano-nets with ultrafine fiber diameter less than 20 nm. Nano-nets, supported by the conventional electrospun nanofibers in the nano-fiber/nets (NFN) membranes, exhibit numerious attractive characteristics such as extremely small diameter, high porosity, and Steiner tree network geometry, which make NFN membranes optimal candidates for many significant applications. The progress made during the last few years in the field of ESN is highlighted in this review, with particular emphasis on results obtained in the author's research units. After a brief description of the development of the electrospinning and ESN techniques, several fundamental properties of NFN nanomaterials are addressed. Subsequently, the used polymers and the state-of-the-art strategies for the controllable fabrication of NFN membranes are highlighted in terms of the ESN process. Additionally, we highlight some potential applications associated with the remarkable features of NFN nanostructure. Our discussion is concluded with some personal perspectives on the future development in which this wonderful technique could be pursued

Electrospun Nanofibers for Biomedical Applications

Electrospinning is a versatile and effective technique widely used to manufacture nanofibrous structures from a diversity of materials (synthetic, natural or inorganic). The electrospun nanofibrous meshes’ composition, morphology, porosity, and surface functionality support the development of advanced solutions for many biomedical applications. The Special Issue on “Electrospun Nanofibers for Biomedical Applications” assembles a set of original and highly-innovative contributions showcasing advanced devices and therapies based on or involving electrospun meshes. It comprises 13 original research papers covering topics that span from biomaterial scaffolds’ structure and functionalization, nanocomposites, antibacterial nanofibrous systems, wound dressings, monitoring devices, electrical stimulation, bone tissue engineering to first-in-human clinical trials. This publication also includes four review papers focused on drug delivery and tissue engineering applications

Scaffolds for 3D in vitro culture of neural lineage cells.

Understanding how neurodegenerative disorders develop is not only a key challenge for researchers but also for the wider society, given the rapidly aging populations in developed countries. Advances in this field require new tools with which to recreate neural tissue in vitro and produce realistic disease models. This in turn requires robust and reliable systems for performing 3D in vitro culture of neural lineage cells. This review provides a state of the art update on three-dimensional culture systems for in vitro development of neural tissue, employing a wide range of scaffold types including hydrogels, solid porous polymers, fibrous materials and decellularised tissues as well as microfluidic devices and lab-on-a-chip systems. To provide some context with in vivo development of the central nervous system (CNS), we also provide a brief overview of the neural stem cell niche, neural development and neural differentiation in vitro. We conclude with a discussion of future directions for this exciting and important field of biomaterials research

Protein encapsulation by electrospinning and electrospraying

Given the increasing interest in the use of peptide- and protein-based agents in therapeutic strategies, it is fundamental to develop delivery systems capable of preserving the biological activity of these molecules upon administration, and which can provide tuneable release profiles. Electrohydrodynamic (EHD) techniques, encompassing electrospinning and electrospraying, allow the generation of fibres and particles with high surface area-to-volume ratios, versatile architectures, and highly controllable release profiles. This review is focused on exploring the potential of different EHD methods (including blend, emulsion, and co−/multi-axial electrospinning and electrospraying) for the development of peptide and protein delivery systems. An overview of the principles of each technique is first presented, followed by a survey of the literature on the encapsulation of enzymes, growth factors, antibodies, hormones, and vaccine antigens using EHD approaches. The possibility for localised delivery using stimuli-responsive systems is also explored. Finally, the advantages and challenges with each EHD method are summarised, and the necessary steps for clinical translation and scaled-up production of electrospun and electrosprayed protein delivery systems are discussed

Protein encapsulation by electrospinning and electrospraying

Given the increasing interest in the use of peptide- and protein-based agents in therapeutic strategies, it is fundamental to develop delivery systems capable of preserving the biological activity of these molecules upon administration, and which can provide tuneable release profiles. Electrohydrodynamic (EHD) techniques, encompassing electrospinning and electrospraying, allow the generation of fibres and particles with high surface area-to-volume ratios, versatile architectures, and highly controllable release profiles. This review is focused on exploring the potential of different EHD methods (including blend, emulsion, and co−/multi-axial electrospinning and electrospraying) for the development of peptide and protein delivery systems. An overview of the principles of each technique is first presented, followed by a survey of the literature on the encapsulation of enzymes, growth factors, antibodies, hormones, and vaccine antigens using EHD approaches. The possibility for localised delivery using stimuli-responsive systems is also explored. Finally, the advantages and challenges with each EHD method are summarised, and the necessary steps for clinical translation and scaled-up production of electrospun and electrosprayed protein delivery systems are discussed