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Smart Biomaterials for Soft and Hard Tissue Repair and Regeneration

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A special issue of Journal of Functional Biomaterials (ISSN 2079-4983). This special issue belongs to the section "Biomaterials for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 December 2022) | Viewed by 17362

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Catarina F. Santos

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Guest Editor

1. EST Setúbal, CDP2T, Instituto Politécnico de Setúbal, Campus IPS, 2910 Setúbal, Portugal
2. CQE Centro de Química Estrutural, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal
Interests: nanomaterials; 3D printing; biomaterials; coatings

Prof. Dr. Maria Helena Fernandes

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Guest Editor

1. BoneLab–Laboratory for Bone Metabolism and Regeneration, Faculty of Dental Medicine, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
2. LAQV/REQUIMTE, University of Porto, 4160-007 Porto, Portugal
Interests: nanomaterials; biomaterials; biological characterization; bone regeneration
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Joana Marques Marto

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Guest Editor

Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-003 Lisbon, Portugal
Interests: transdermal/topical systems; skin delivery; cosmetic formulations; 3D printing; quality-by-design
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Nowadays, there is a huge need for a new generation of biomaterials, smart biomaterials, which can be designed according to the demands of the human body. Although there is a panoply of different commercially available natural and synthetic biomaterials for the treatment of soft and hard tissues, few are able to replicate the hierarchical complexity of biological tissues.

Additionally, the human body has limited regeneration capabilities and, to overcome these drawbacks, innovative fabrication strategies as well as new smart biomaterials are needed. With this perspective, and knowing that in the human body dynamic evolution systems are universally present, the potential to integrate new materials with advanced fabrication techniques to engineer smart biomaterials with similar characteristics and functionalities as native tissues is still a challenge. However, there is a consensus that the smart biomaterials to be used as biological substitutes should be developed to promote tissue repair but also to control localized cellular behaviors in order to enhance tissue integration and regeneration. To achieve these functionalities, the development of biomaterials with new compositions, three-dimensional configurations and particular arrangements or interactions between multiple scales is needed and can have a significant impact on individual patients and health care systems.

We envision that different materials with distinct properties combined with empowered manufacturing techniques could be the key for further innovations in smart biomaterials.

In this Special Issue, we would like to present an innovative perspective for the treatment of soft and hard tissues using smart biomaterials, with the intention to overcome drawbacks and use new manufacturing strategies by modulating their architecture and functionalities. Contributions (reviews and/or original papers) on smart biomaterials for hard and soft tissue repair and regeneration are very welcome.

Dr. Catarina F. Santos
Prof. Dr. Maria Helena Fernandes
Dr. Joana Marques Marto
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Functional Biomaterials is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 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

bone healing
wound regeneration
additive manufacturing (3D printing)
smart biomaterials
biological characterization

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 9342 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Angiogenic Potential of Co-Cultured Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells and Adipose Stromal Cells in Customizable 3D Engineered Collagen Sheets

by Philipp Nessbach, Sascha Schwarz, Tanja D. Becke, Hauke Clausen-Schaumann, Hans-Guenther Machens and Stefanie Sudhop

J. Funct. Biomater. 2022, 13(3), 107; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/jfb13030107 - 29 Jul 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2021

Abstract

The wound healing process is much more complex than just the four phases of hemostasis, inflammation, proliferation, and maturation. Three-dimensional (3D) scaffolds made of biopolymers or ECM molecules using bioprinting can be used to promote the wound healing process, especially for complex 3D tissue lesions like chronic wounds. Here, a 3D-printed mold has been designed to produce customizable collagen type-I sheets containing human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and adipose stromal cells (ASCs) for the first time. In these 3D collagen sheets, the cellular activity leads to a restructuring of the collagen matrix. The upregulation of the growth factors Serpin E1 and TIMP-1 could be demonstrated in the 3D scaffolds with ACSs and HUVECs in co-culture. Both growth factors play a key role in the wound healing process. The capillary-like tube formation of HUVECs treated with supernatant from the collagen sheets revealed the secretion of angiogenic growth factors. Altogether, this demonstrates that collagen type I combined with the co-cultivation of HUVECs and ACSs has the potential to accelerate the process of angiogenesis and, thereby, might promote wound healing. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Biomaterials for Soft and Hard Tissue Repair and Regeneration)

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Graphical abstract

13 pages, 3285 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Engineering 3D Printed Scaffolds with Tunable Hydroxyapatite

by Yoontae Kim, Eun-Jin Lee, Anthony P. Kotula, Shozo Takagi, Laurence Chow and Stella Alimperti

J. Funct. Biomater. 2022, 13(2), 34; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/jfb13020034 - 23 Mar 2022

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 4649

Abstract

Orthopedic and craniofacial surgical procedures require the reconstruction of bone defects caused by trauma, diseases, and tumor resection. Successful bone restoration entails the development and use of bone grafts with structural, functional, and biological features similar to native tissues. Herein, we developed three-dimensional (3D) printed fine-tuned hydroxyapatite (HA) biomimetic bone structures, which can be applied as grafts, by using calcium phosphate cement (CPC) bioink, which is composed of tetracalcium phosphate (TTCP), dicalcium phosphate anhydrous (DCPA), and a liquid [Polyvinyl butyral (PVB) dissolved in ethanol (EtOH)]. The ink was ejected through a high-resolution syringe nozzle (210 µm) at room temperature into three different concentrations (0.01, 0.1, and 0.5) mol/L of the aqueous sodium phosphate dibasic (Na₂HPO₄) bath that serves as a hardening accelerator for HA formation. Raman spectrometer, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) demonstrated the real-time HA formation in (0.01, 0.1, and 0.5) mol/L Na₂HPO₄ baths. Under those conditions_, HA was formed at different amounts, which tuned the scaffolds’ mechanical properties, porosity, and osteoclast activity. Overall, this method may pave the way to engineer 3D bone scaffolds with controlled HA composition and pre-defined properties, which will enhance graft-host integration in various anatomic locations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Biomaterials for Soft and Hard Tissue Repair and Regeneration)

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25 pages, 11491 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Biomimetic PLGA/Strontium-Zinc Nano Hydroxyapatite Composite Scaffolds for Bone Regeneration

by Mozan Hassan, Mohsin Sulaiman, Priya Dharshini Yuvaraju, Emmanuel Galiwango, Ihtesham ur Rehman, Ali H. Al-Marzouqi, Abbas Khaleel and Sahar Mohsin

J. Funct. Biomater. 2022, 13(1), 13; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/jfb13010013 - 28 Jan 2022

Cited by 22 | Viewed by 5911

Abstract

Synthetic bone graft substitutes have attracted increasing attention in tissue engineering. This study aimed to fabricate a novel, bioactive, porous scaffold that can be used as a bone substitute. Strontium and zinc doped nano-hydroxyapatite (Sr/Zn n-HAp) were synthesized by a water-based sol-gel technique. Sr/Zn n-HAp and poly (lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) were used to fabricate composite scaffolds by supercritical carbon dioxide technique. FTIR, XRD, TEM, SEM, and TGA were used to characterize Sr/Zn n-HAp and the composite scaffolds. The synthesized scaffolds were adequately porous with an average pore size range between 189 to 406 µm. The scaffolds demonstrated bioactive behavior by forming crystals when immersed in the simulated body fluid. The scaffolds after immersing in Tris/HCl buffer increased the pH value of the medium, establishing their favorable biodegradable behavior. ICP-MS study for the scaffolds detected the presence of Sr, Ca, and Zn ions in the SBF within the first week, which would augment osseointegration if implanted in the body. nHAp and their composites (PLGA-nHAp) showed ultimate compressive strength ranging between 0.4–19.8 MPa. A 2.5% Sr/Zn substituted nHAp-PLGA composite showed a compressive behavior resembling that of cancellous bone indicating it as a good candidate for cancellous bone substitute. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Biomaterials for Soft and Hard Tissue Repair and Regeneration)

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Review

Jump to: Research

31 pages, 8743 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceReview

Biodegradable Iron and Porous Iron: Mechanical Properties, Degradation Behaviour, Manufacturing Routes and Biomedical Applications

by Mariana Salama, Maria Fátima Vaz, Rogério Colaço, Catarina Santos and Maria Carmezim

J. Funct. Biomater. 2022, 13(2), 72; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/jfb13020072 - 01 Jun 2022

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 3873

Abstract

Biodegradable metals have been extensively studied due to their potential use as temporary biomedical devices, on non-load bearing applications. These types of implants are requested to function for the healing period, and should degrade after the tissue heals. A balance between mechanical properties requested at the initial stage of implantation and the degradation rate is required. The use of temporary biodegradable implants avoids a second surgery for the removal of the device, which brings high benefits to the patients and avoids high societal costs. Among the biodegradable metals, iron as a biodegradable metal has increased attention over the last few years, especially with the incorporation of additive manufacturing processes to obtain tailored geometries of porous structures, which give rise to higher corrosion rates. Withal by mimic natural bone hierarchical porosity, the mechanical properties of obtained structures tend to equalize that of human bone. This review article presents some of the most important works in the field of iron and porous iron. Fabrication techniques for porous iron are tackled, including conventional and new methods highlighting the unparalleled opportunities given by additive manufacturing. A comparison among the several methods is taken. The effects of the design and the alloying elements on the mechanical properties are also revised. Iron alloys with antibacterial properties are analyzed, as well as the biodegradation behavior and biocompatibility of iron. Although is necessary for further in vivo research, iron is presenting satisfactory results for upcoming biomedical applications, as orthopaedic temporary scaffolds and coronary stents. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Biomaterials for Soft and Hard Tissue Repair and Regeneration)

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