Biomaterials Tailoring at the Nanoscale for Tissue Engineeringand Advanced Therapies

The definition of the term “biomaterial” dates back to 1991, during the 2nd Consensus Conference on the Definitions in Biomaterials organized by the European Society of Biomaterials in Chester (UK) [...

on the transferability of tissue engineering technologies to the design of tissue models

3D tissue-engineered models are promising tools in the screening and evaluation of drugs and therapies as well as in the investigation of the molecular mechanisms involved in disease onset and progression. In this context, we describe our efforts in soft tissue replication, to design in vitro models that have the potential to provide better insight into the development of ageing process and related pathologies, with particular reference to the cardiovascular field

Solvent-free nanoparticles synthesis for encapsulation of water-soluble compounds

The increasing concerns on green manufacturing practices with low environmental impact have put pressure on the pharmaceutical industry. Of particular concern is the large number of organic solvents used in a wide range of pharmaceutical products, posing a significant risk on human and environmental health. Recently, nanoparticles(NPs) emerged as advantageous drug-delivery systems with the potential to maximize drug efficacy and minimize side effects. Unfortunately, NPs synthesis processes are still environmentally unsustainable, due to the large amount of organic solvent involved. This contribution describes the synthesis and characterization of NPs encapsulating proteins or nucleic acids for metastatic melanoma treatment using alternative synthesis methods that replace organic solvents with water-based solutions. Two different green synthesis techniques have been investigated; (i)Ionic gelation was used to prepare chitosan(CS) NPs, exploiting the electrostatic interaction between the CS amino groups and tripolyphosphate(TPP), (ii)self-assembly technique to prepare siRNA/phosphate-poly(allylamine-hydrochloride)(PAH) NPs, exploiting the interactions between primary amines in the polymer and siRNAs to form stable complexes. CS and PAH NPs with the appropriate hydrodynamic diameters (~200 nm), polydispersity index, and Z potential for high cell internalization and tissue extravasation were obtained. Preliminary in vitro tests demonstrated that particles are well tolerated by human fibroblast which has shown high viability even when treated with the highest NPs concentration (viability ~85% at 48h from the treatment). Additional tests are currently ongoing to demonstrate the efficacy of the drug- loaded system on human fibroblasts. Carlotta Mattioda acknowledges PON "Ricerca e Innovazione" 2014-2020 Azione IV.R "dottorati su tematiche green" for co-financing her Ph.D scholarship

Quartz Crystal Microbalance With Dissipation Monitoring: A Powerful Method to Predict the in vivo Behavior of Bioengineered Surfaces

The Quartz Crystal Microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D) is a tool to measure mass and viscosity in processes occurring at or near surfaces, or within thin films. QCM-D is able to detect extremely small chemical, mechanical, and electrical changes taking place on the sensor surface and to convert them into electrical signals which can be investigated to study dynamic process. Surface nanotopography and chemical composition are of pivotal importance in biomedical applications since interactions of medical devices with the physiological environment are mediated by surface features. This review is intended to provide readers with an up-to-date summary of QCM-D applications in the study of cell behavior and to discuss the future trends for the use of QCM-D as a high-throughput method to study cell/surface interactions overcoming the current challenges in the design of biomedical devices

Use of Polyesters in Fused Deposition Modeling for Biomedical Applications

In recent years, 3D printing techniques experience a growing interest in several sectors, including the biomedical one. Their main advantage resides in the possibility to obtain complex and personalized structures in a cost-effective way impossible to achieve with traditional production methods. This is especially true for fused deposition modeling (FDM), one of the most diffused 3D printing methods. The easy customization of the final products' geometry, composition, and physicochemical properties is particularly interesting for the increasingly personalized approach adopted in modern medicine. Thermoplastic polymers are the preferred choice for FDM applications, and a wide selection of biocompatible and biodegradable materials is available to this aim. Moreover, these polymers can also be easily modified before and after printing to better suit the body environment and the mechanical properties of biological tissues. This review focuses on the use of thermoplastic aliphatic polyesters for FDM applications in the biomedical field. In detail, the use of poly(epsilon-caprolactone), poly(lactic acid), poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid), poly(hydroxyalkanoate)s, thermoplastic poly(ester urethane)s, and their blends is thoroughly surveyed, with particular attention to their main features, applicability, and workability. The state-of-the-art is presented and current challenges in integrating the additive manufacturing technology in the medical practice are discussed

An in vitro lung biomimetic model

The design and fabrication of a system to both mimic the multicellular composition of the lung and its vascular network, as well as the composition and structure of extracellular matrix (ECM) was developed

3D in vitro model of the pancreatic acino-ductal unit through additive manufacturing technology

This project aims at reproducing the morphology and the composition of the pancreatic acino-ductal unit. More specifically, this work involves the use of additive manufacturing technologies to fabricate a 3D exocrine glandular tissue model that mimics in vitro the physiological structure experienced by cells in vivo

A 3D printed collagen structure for lung in vitro models

The design of a system to model the complex structure of human lung was developed through fabrication of 3D printed collagen type I hydrogel. This model can be applied for the investigation and identification of therapeutic strategies for lung cancer