Polymer-Based Biocompatible System

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Biomacromolecules, Biobased and Biodegradable Polymers".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 July 2021) | Viewed by 44810

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Centre for Biomaterials, Cellular, and Molecular Theranostics (CBCMT), Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore 632014, Tamil Nadu, India
Interests: 3D and 4D printing; smart biomaterials; nano-biomaterials; bone tissue engineering; dental materials; paper-based sensors; drug delivery system
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Dear Colleagues,

Polymer coating is at the center of numerous technologies that have crucial roles in various applications. These coatings can be deposited, using a wide variety of polymers with varied architecture and properties, onto diverse surfaces by means of various methods. In the field of biomaterial research, the processing and engineering of materials have become top priorities, in addition to their demanding bulk properties. The surface properties of biomaterials are closely related to their biocompatibility and are vital for their success in clinical trials. In terms of biocompatibility and mechanical property, surface modification of existing biomaterial is a better option compared to the development of new biomaterials. An effective method for surface modification would be a coating or a thin film deposition of the desired material for a specific application on to a host biomaterial surface. For tissue engineering applications, polymer coatings or thin films provide a unique way to control many physicochemical properties owing to their structural peculiarities at the micro/nanometer scale.

This Special Issue ‘Biocompatible Polymers’ of Polymers will share the most important advancements in research on biocompatible polymer coatings, such as wound healing, antimicrobial coatings, tissue engineering implants, bioactive coatings for scaffolds; processing and characterization methods; properties and performance of these biocompatible polymers for clinical and other biomedical applications.

Prof. A. Joseph Nathanael
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • Processing biocompatible polymer coatings
  • Tissue engineering implant coatings
  • Antimicrobial coatings
  • Wound healing
  • Bioactive scaffold coatings
  • Characterization of biocompatible polymer coatings
  • Properties and performance of biocompatible polymer coatings

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

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23 pages, 6035 KiB  
Article
Amorphous Carbon Coatings for Total Knee Replacements—Part I: Deposition, Cytocompatibility, Chemical and Mechanical Properties
by Benedict Rothammer, Kevin Neusser, Max Marian, Marcel Bartz, Sebastian Krauß, Thomas Böhm, Simon Thiele, Benoit Merle, Rainer Detsch and Sandro Wartzack
Polymers 2021, 13(12), 1952; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym13121952 - 11 Jun 2021
Cited by 29 | Viewed by 8800
Abstract
Diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings have the potential to reduce implant wear and thus to contribute to avoiding premature failure and increase service life of total knee replacements (TKAs). This two-part study addresses the development of such coatings for ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) [...] Read more.
Diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings have the potential to reduce implant wear and thus to contribute to avoiding premature failure and increase service life of total knee replacements (TKAs). This two-part study addresses the development of such coatings for ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) tibial inlays as well as cobalt–chromium–molybdenum (CoCr) and titanium (Ti64) alloy femoral components. While a detailed characterization of the tribological behavior is the subject of part II, part I focusses on the deposition of pure (a-C:H) and tungsten-doped hydrogen-containing amorphous carbon coatings (a-C:H:W) and the detailed characterization of their chemical, cytological, mechanical and adhesion behavior. The coatings are fabricated by physical vapor deposition (PVD) and display typical DLC morphology and composition, as verified by focused ion beam scanning electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. Their roughness is higher than that of the plain substrates. Initial screening with contact angle and surface tension as well as in vitro testing by indirect and direct application indicate favorable cytocompatibility. The DLC coatings feature excellent mechanical properties with a substantial enhancement of indentation hardness and elastic modulus ratios. The adhesion of the coatings as determined in modified scratch tests can be considered as sufficient for the use in TKAs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer-Based Biocompatible System)
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25 pages, 7001 KiB  
Article
Amorphous Carbon Coatings for Total Knee Replacements—Part II: Tribological Behavior
by Benedict Rothammer, Max Marian, Kevin Neusser, Marcel Bartz, Thomas Böhm, Sebastian Krauß, Stefan Schroeder, Maximilian Uhler, Simon Thiele, Benoit Merle, Jan Philippe Kretzer and Sandro Wartzack
Polymers 2021, 13(11), 1880; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym13111880 - 05 Jun 2021
Cited by 22 | Viewed by 9085
Abstract
Diamond-like carbon coatings may decrease implant wear, therefore, they are helping to reduce aseptic loosening and increase service life of total knee arthroplasties (TKAs). This two-part study addresses the development of such coatings for ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) tibial inlays as well [...] Read more.
Diamond-like carbon coatings may decrease implant wear, therefore, they are helping to reduce aseptic loosening and increase service life of total knee arthroplasties (TKAs). This two-part study addresses the development of such coatings for ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) tibial inlays as well as cobalt-chromium-molybdenum (CoCr) and titanium (Ti64) alloy femoral components. While the deposition of a pure (a-C:H) and tungsten-doped hydrogen-containing amorphous carbon coating (a-C:H:W) as well as the detailed characterization of mechanical and adhesion properties were the subject of Part I, the tribological behavior is studied in Part II. Pin-on-disk tests are performed under artificial synovial fluid lubrication. Numerical elastohydrodynamic lubrication modeling is used to show the representability of contact conditions for TKAs and to assess the influence of coatings on lubrication conditions. The wear behavior is characterized by means of light and laser scanning microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and particle analyses. Although the coating leads to an increase in friction due to the considerably higher roughness, especially the UHMWPE wear is significantly reduced up to a factor of 49% (CoCr) and 77% (Ti64). Thereby, the coating shows continuous wear and no sudden failure or spallation of larger wear particles. This demonstrated the great potential of amorphous carbon coatings for knee replacements. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer-Based Biocompatible System)
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14 pages, 2260 KiB  
Article
Polycaprolactone-Based Scaffolds Facilitates Osteogenic Differentiation of Human Adipose-Derived Stem Cells in a Co-Culture System
by Ismail Rozila, Pedram Azari, Sha’ban Munirah, Wan Kamarul Zaman Wan Safwani, Belinda Pingguan-Murphy and Kien Hui Chua
Polymers 2021, 13(4), 597; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym13040597 - 17 Feb 2021
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2266
Abstract
(1) Background: Stem cells in combination with scaffolds and bioactive molecules have made significant contributions to the regeneration of damaged bone tissues. A co-culture system can be effective in enhancing the proliferation rate and osteogenic differentiation of the stem cells. Hence, the aim [...] Read more.
(1) Background: Stem cells in combination with scaffolds and bioactive molecules have made significant contributions to the regeneration of damaged bone tissues. A co-culture system can be effective in enhancing the proliferation rate and osteogenic differentiation of the stem cells. Hence, the aim of this study was to investigate the osteogenic differentiation of human adipose derived stem cells when co-cultured with human osteoblasts and seeded on polycaprolactone (PCL):hydroxyapatite (HA) scaffold; (2) Methods: Human adipose-derived stem cells (ASC) and human osteoblasts (HOB) were seeded in three different ratios of 1:2, 1:2 and 2:1 in the PCL-HA scaffolds. The osteogenic differentiation ability was evaluated based on cell morphology, proliferation rate, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, calcium deposition and osteogenic genes expression levels using quantitative RT-PCR; (3) Results: The co-cultured of ASC/HOB in ratio 2:1 seeded on the PCL-HA scaffolds showed the most positive osteogenic differentiation as compared to other groups, which resulted in higher ALP activity, calcium deposition and osteogenic genes expression, particularly Runx, ALP and BSP. These genes indicate that the co-cultured ASC/HOB seeded on PCL-HA was at the early stage of osteogenic development; (4) Conclusions: The combination of co-culture system (ASC/HOB) and PCL-HA scaffolds promote osteogenic differentiation and early bone formation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer-Based Biocompatible System)
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13 pages, 3797 KiB  
Article
Biocompatibility and Cytotoxicity Study of Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and Palm Oil Fuel Ash (POFA) Sustainable Super-Hydrophobic Coating for Biomedical Applications
by Srimala Sreekantan, Mohd Hassan, Satisvar Sundera Murthe and Azman Seeni
Polymers 2020, 12(12), 3034; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym12123034 - 18 Dec 2020
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 2700
Abstract
A sustainable super-hydrophobic coating composed of silica from palm oil fuel ash (POFA) and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) was synthesised using isopropanol as a solvent and coated on a glass substrate. FESEM and AFM analyses were conducted to study the surface morphology of the coating. [...] Read more.
A sustainable super-hydrophobic coating composed of silica from palm oil fuel ash (POFA) and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) was synthesised using isopropanol as a solvent and coated on a glass substrate. FESEM and AFM analyses were conducted to study the surface morphology of the coating. The super-hydrophobicity of the material was validated through goniometry, which showed a water contact angle of 151°. Cytotoxicity studies were conducted by assessing the cell viability and cell morphology of mouse fibroblast cell line (L929) and hamster lung fibroblast cell line (V79) via tetrazolium salt 3-(4–dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and microscopic methods, respectively. The clonogenic assay was performed on cell line V79 and the cell proliferation assay was performed on cell line L929. Both results validate that the toxicity of PDMS: SS coatings is dependent on the concentration of the super-hydrophobic coating. The results also indicate that concentrations above 12.5 mg/mL invariably leads to cell toxicity. These results conclusively support the possible utilisation of the synthesised super-hydrophobic coating for biomedical applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer-Based Biocompatible System)
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19 pages, 3040 KiB  
Article
In Vitro Degradation of Electrospun Poly(Lactic-Co-Glycolic Acid) (PLGA) for Oral Mucosa Regeneration
by Ana Chor, Raquel Pires Gonçalves, Andrea Machado Costa, Marcos Farina, Arnaud Ponche, Lys Sirelli, Gautier Schrodj, Simon Gree, Leonardo Rodrigues de Andrade, Karine Anselme and Marcos Lopes Dias
Polymers 2020, 12(8), 1853; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym12081853 - 18 Aug 2020
Cited by 23 | Viewed by 3785
Abstract
Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) has been used in the field of tissue engineering as a scaffold due to its good biocompatibility, biodegradability and mechanical strength. With the aim to explore the degradability of PLGA electrospun nonwoven structures for oral mucosa tissue engineering applications, non-irradiated [...] Read more.
Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) has been used in the field of tissue engineering as a scaffold due to its good biocompatibility, biodegradability and mechanical strength. With the aim to explore the degradability of PLGA electrospun nonwoven structures for oral mucosa tissue engineering applications, non-irradiated and gamma irradiated nonwovens were immersed in three different solutions, in which simulated body fluid (SBF) and artificial saliva are important for future oral mucosa tissue engineering. The nonwovens were immersed for 7, 15 and 30 days in SBF, culture media (DMEM) and artificial saliva at 37 °C. Before immersion in the solutions, the dosage of 15 kGy was applied for sterilization in one assay and compared with non-irradiated samples at the same timepoints. Samples were characterized using different techniques such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), differential scanning calorimetric (DSC) and gel permeation chromatography (GPC) to evaluate the nonwoven degradation and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) to evaluate the chain scissions. Our results showed that PLGA nonwovens were constituted by semicrystalline fibers with moderate degradation properties up to thirty days. The non-irradiated samples exhibited slower kinetics of degradation than irradiated nonwovens. For immersion times longer than 7 days in the three different solutions, the mean diameter of irradiated fibers stayed in the same range, but significantly different from the control sample. On non-irradiated samples, the degradation kinetics was slower and the plateau in the diameter value was only attained after 30 days of immersion in the fluids. Plasticization (fluid absorption into the fiber structure) occurred in the bulk material, as confirmed by a decrease in Tg observed by DSC analyses of non-irradiated and irradiated nonwovens, in comparison with the respective controls. In addition, artificial saliva showed a higher capacity of influencing PLGA crystallization than SBF and DMEM. FTIR analyses showed typical PLGA chemical functional groups changes. These results will be important for future application of those PLGA electrospun nonwovens for oral mucosa regeneration. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer-Based Biocompatible System)
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Review

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47 pages, 9020 KiB  
Review
Self-Healing Hydrogels: Preparation, Mechanism and Advancement in Biomedical Applications
by Anupama Devi V. K., Rohin Shyam, Arunkumar Palaniappan, Amit Kumar Jaiswal, Tae-Hwan Oh and Arputharaj Joseph Nathanael
Polymers 2021, 13(21), 3782; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym13213782 - 31 Oct 2021
Cited by 57 | Viewed by 9404
Abstract
Polymeric hydrogels are widely explored materials for biomedical applications. However, they have inherent limitations like poor resistance to stimuli and low mechanical strength. This drawback of hydrogels gave rise to ‘‘smart self-healing hydrogels’’ which autonomously repair themselves when ruptured or traumatized. It is [...] Read more.
Polymeric hydrogels are widely explored materials for biomedical applications. However, they have inherent limitations like poor resistance to stimuli and low mechanical strength. This drawback of hydrogels gave rise to ‘‘smart self-healing hydrogels’’ which autonomously repair themselves when ruptured or traumatized. It is superior in terms of durability and stability due to its capacity to reform its shape, injectability, and stretchability thereby regaining back the original mechanical property. This review focuses on various self-healing mechanisms (covalent and non-covalent interactions) of these hydrogels, methods used to evaluate their self-healing properties, and their applications in wound healing, drug delivery, cell encapsulation, and tissue engineering systems. Furthermore, composite materials are used to enhance the hydrogel’s mechanical properties. Hence, findings of research with various composite materials are briefly discussed in order to emphasize the healing capacity of such hydrogels. Additionally, various methods to evaluate the self-healing properties of hydrogels and their recent advancements towards 3D bioprinting are also reviewed. The review is concluded by proposing several pertinent challenges encountered at present as well as some prominent future perspectives. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer-Based Biocompatible System)
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26 pages, 4045 KiB  
Review
Biopolymer Coatings for Biomedical Applications
by A. Joseph Nathanael and Tae Hwan Oh
Polymers 2020, 12(12), 3061; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym12123061 - 21 Dec 2020
Cited by 71 | Viewed by 7429
Abstract
Biopolymer coatings exhibit outstanding potential in various biomedical applications, due to their flexible functionalization. In this review, we have discussed the latest developments in biopolymer coatings on various substrates and nanoparticles for improved tissue engineering and drug delivery applications, and summarized the latest [...] Read more.
Biopolymer coatings exhibit outstanding potential in various biomedical applications, due to their flexible functionalization. In this review, we have discussed the latest developments in biopolymer coatings on various substrates and nanoparticles for improved tissue engineering and drug delivery applications, and summarized the latest research advancements. Polymer coatings are used to modify surface properties to satisfy certain requirements or include additional functionalities for different biomedical applications. Additionally, polymer coatings with different inorganic ions may facilitate different functionalities, such as cell proliferation, tissue growth, repair, and delivery of biomolecules, such as growth factors, active molecules, antimicrobial agents, and drugs. This review primarily focuses on specific polymers for coating applications and different polymer coatings for increased functionalization. We aim to provide broad overview of latest developments in the various kind of biopolymer coatings for biomedical applications, in order to highlight the most important results in the literatures, and to offer a potential outline for impending progress and perspective. Some key polymer coatings were discussed in detail. Further, the use of polymer coatings on nanomaterials for biomedical applications has also been discussed, and the latest research results have been reported. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer-Based Biocompatible System)
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