Intelligent biomaterials for cardiovascular applications

Cardiovascular disease remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, and as such, research in cardiovascular medicine is continuously evolving. Recent advances in technology have created opportunities for improving the diagnosis and management of cardiovascular disease. This review article summarizes the use of innovative polymeric biomaterials for various cardiovascular applications, highlighting promising results obtained in the past five years. The review begins by discussing the use of artificial blood vessels and coronary artery stents with biosensors for coronary artery disease management. Additionally, the studies on cardiac patches for heart failure management are evaluated. The review also covers recent advancements in artificial intelligence and real-time health monitoring for diagnosing cardiovascular conditions such as arrhythmias and structural heart disease. New catheters for epicardial mapping and stretchable conducting polymers for surface electrodes have improved diagnostic capabilities. The review also examines advancements in engineering with intelligent biomaterials for unique and sustainable treatment options. This includes piezoelectric and triboelectric nanogenerators for improved cardiovascular devices, reducing the need for battery changes and the risk of infections. Overall, the review provides a comprehensive analysis of innovative polymeric biomaterials for various cardiovascular diagnostic and treatment modalities. It summarizes recent studies that demonstrate the potential of these materials for improving patient outcomes and ultimately reducing the burden of cardiovascular disease. As the field of cardiovascular medicine continues to evolve, these advancements may pave the way for further progress in the diagnosis and management of cardiovascular disease

A RP-HPLC-UV method for the dual detection of fluconazole and clobetasol propionate and application to a model dual drug delivery hydrogel

Advanced drug delivery systems have become widely investigated to improve the efficacy of treatments for several diseases. These devices offer improved efficient, sustained, and targeted delivery which improves patient compliance, quality of life and minimises potential systemic side effects. As these therapeutic devices have advanced there is a potential for the development of products which deliver multiple drugs for simultaneous treatment of diseases. Given the interest in these dual-delivery devices it follows that new analytical methods need to be developed to detect and quantify different analytes during device development and validation. Here, for the first time, a reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) method is validated, utilising UV detection, for the dual detection of fluconazole and clobetasol propionate. The method is tested on a dual loaded model implant material intended as mucosal patches for the direct treatment of lichen planus and associated fungal infections. The method described here exhibited specificity and robustness with accurate and precise results. Good linearity was obtained between 0.25 and 2.5 mg mL−1 for fluconazole and 5 and 50 μg mL−1 for clobetasol propionate, with an R2 value of 0.9999 for the dual detection of fluconazole and clobetasol propionate. The developed method demonstrated selectivity and the solution containing both fluconazole and clobetasol propionate remained stable over a range of storage temperatures for up to 28 days. Within this validation study, the protocol was applied to a relevant dual loaded film showing the suitability of the method in studying drug release characteristics. The method described here also has a broader applicability for analysis and quantification of in vitro and in vivo drug release studies

In vitro and ex vivo models of the oral mucosa as platforms for the validation of novel drug delivery systems

The benefit of complex 3D models to facilitate the robust testing of new drugs and drug delivery systems during the developmental stages of pharmaceutical manufacturing has recently become distinguished within the field. Recognition of this need by the pharmaceutical industry has provided a motivation for research into the development of reliable complex models for use in drug delivery, biomaterials, and tissue engineering. Both 3D in vitro and ex vivo models can enhance drug-testing and discovery prospects over the more traditionally used 2D, monolayer culture systems and animal models. Despite the widespread acceptance that 3D tissue modelling is advantageous in this field, there remains a lack of standardisation in the models throughout literature. This article provides an extensive review of current literature on in vitro, and ex vivo models of the oral mucosa for drug delivery applications; the advantages, limitations, and recommendations for future development of improved models for this application

Polyhydroxyalkanoates and their advances for biomedical applications

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are sustainable, versatile, biocompatible, and bioresorbable polymers that are suitable for biomedical applications. Produced via bacterial fermentation under nutrient-limiting conditions, they are uncovering a new horizon for devices in biomedical applications. A wide range of cell types including bone, cartilage, nerve, cardiac, and pancreatic cells, readily attach grow and are functional on PHAs. The tuneable physical properties and resorption rates of PHAs provide a toolbox for biomedical engineers in developing devices for hard and soft tissue engineering applications and drug delivery. The versatility of PHAs and the vast range of different PHA-based prototypes are discussed. Current in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo development work are described and their regulatory approvals are reviewed