Biomimetic Approaches in Healthcare—Innovations Inspired by Nature

A special issue of Biomimetics (ISSN 2313-7673). This special issue belongs to the section "Development of Biomimetic Methodology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (25 March 2024) | Viewed by 756

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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue, entitled "Biomimetic Approaches in Healthcare—Innovations Inspired by Nature", explores the innovative intersection of healthcare and nature-inspired solutions. This collection of research articles delves into the emerging field of biomimetics, where scientists and healthcare professionals draw inspiration from the natural world to develop groundbreaking healthcare technologies and strategies. By mimicking biological processes, structures, and systems found in the environment, researchers aim to create more effective and sustainable solutions for healthcare challenges. This Special Issue features contributions that showcase how biomimetic approaches are revolutionizing medical diagnostics, treatment modalities, and healthcare practices. From bio-inspired materials for regenerative medicine to nature-inspired algorithms for healthcare data analysis, this Special Issue highlights the diverse applications of biomimetics in improving healthcare outcomes.

Prof. Dr. Vicente Javier Clemente-Suárez
Prof. Dr. Ana Isabel Beltrán-Velasco
Guest Editors

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • biomimetics
  • healthcare innovations
  • nature-inspired solutions
  • medical diagnostics
  • regenerative medicine
  • bio-inspired materials
  • healthcare data analysis
  • natural algorithms
  • biologically inspired technology
  • sustainable healthcare

Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

12 pages, 6225 KiB  
Article
Biomineralization of Polyelectrolyte-Functionalized Electrospun Fibers: Optimization and In Vitro Validation for Bone Applications
by Ahmed Salama, Emad Tolba, Ahmed K. Saleh, Iriczalli Cruz-Maya, Marco A. Alvarez-Perez and Vincenzo Guarino
Biomimetics 2024, 9(4), 253; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/biomimetics9040253 - 22 Apr 2024
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Abstract
In recent years, polyelectrolytes have been successfully used as an alternative to non-collagenous proteins to promote interfibrillar biomineralization, to reproduce the spatial intercalation of mineral phases among collagen fibrils, and to design bioinspired scaffolds for hard tissue regeneration. Herein, hybrid nanofibers were fabricated [...] Read more.
In recent years, polyelectrolytes have been successfully used as an alternative to non-collagenous proteins to promote interfibrillar biomineralization, to reproduce the spatial intercalation of mineral phases among collagen fibrils, and to design bioinspired scaffolds for hard tissue regeneration. Herein, hybrid nanofibers were fabricated via electrospinning, by using a mixture of Poly ɛ-caprolactone (PCL) and cationic cellulose derivatives, i.e., cellulose-bearing imidazolium tosylate (CIMD). The obtained fibers were self-assembled with Sodium Alginate (SA) by polyelectrolyte interactions with CIMD onto the fiber surface and, then, treated with simulated body fluid (SBF) to promote the precipitation of calcium phosphate (CaP) deposits. FTIR analysis confirmed the presence of SA and CaP, while SEM equipped with EDX analysis mapped the calcium phosphate constituent elements, estimating an average Ca/P ratio of about 1.33—falling in the range of biological apatites. Moreover, in vitro studies have confirmed the good response of mesenchymal cells (hMSCs) on biomineralized samples, since day 3, with a significant improvement in the presence of SA, due to the interaction of SA with CaP deposits. More interestingly, after a decay of metabolic activity on day 7, a relevant increase in cell proliferation can be recognized, in agreement with the beginning of the differentiation phase, confirmed by ALP results. Antibacterial tests performed by using different bacteria populations confirmed that nanofibers with an SA-CIMD complex show an optimal inhibitory response against S. mutans, S. aureus, and E. coli, with no significant decay due to the effect of CaP, in comparison with non-biomineralized controls. All these data suggest a promising use of these biomineralized fibers as bioinspired membranes with efficient antimicrobial and osteoconductive cues suitable to support bone healing/regeneration. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biomimetic Approaches in Healthcare—Innovations Inspired by Nature)
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