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The Biological Impact of Nanomaterials: From Safety Studies to Applications

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A special issue of Nanomaterials (ISSN 2079-4991).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2021) | Viewed by 34755

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Neus Feliu

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Guest Editor

Fachbereich Physik und Chemie and Center for Hybrid Nanostructures, Universitat Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
Interests: nano-bio interactions, nanosafety research; nanomedicine; nanomatrials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Luca Guerrini

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Department of Physical and Inorganic Chemistry, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Carrer de Marcel∙lí Domingo, 43007 Tarragona, Spain
Interests: plasmonics; nanoparticles; surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy; optical sensing
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Nicolás Carlos Pazos Pérez

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Department of Physical Chemistry and EMaS, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, 43007 Tarragona, Spain
Interests: plasmonics; nanoparticles; self assembly; encoded particles; SERS
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Nano- and micro-materials exhibit unique physicochemical properties and, thus, are promising materials for a wide range of applications, including medicine. Although there are several studies addressing potential biological effects, additional investigations in that direction are necessary for the future development of safe-by-design materials and their implementation in nanomedicine.

This Special Issue aims to provide an overview of nanomaterial interactions with cells and highlight the importance to understand the correlations and linkages between their unique physicochemical properties (e.g., composition, structure, dimensions, functionality, etc.) with their applications and biological impacts. Special emphasis will be given to the understanding of the potential repercussions of these materials on human health and environments. Therefore, from this perspective, we would like to invite you to submit research papers or reviews articles discussing and summarizing the state-of-the-art and the most recent advances in this research field, covering material synthesis and applications as well as safety assessment evaluations.

We look forward to receiving your valuable research contributions.

Dr. Neus Feliu
Dr. Luca Guerrini
Dr. Nicolás Carlos Pazos Pérez
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. Nanomaterials is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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 2900 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

Biocompatibility
Nanomedicine
Nanomaterials
Nanosafety
Biomedical applications

Published Papers (11 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 4363 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Poly(ethylene glycol)-Alendronate-Coated Magnetite Nanoparticles Do Not Alter Cardiovascular Functions and Red Blood Cells’ Properties in Hypertensive Rats

by Viktoriia Oleksa, Iveta Bernátová, Vitalii Patsula, Silvia Líšková, Peter Bališ, Jana Radošinská, Andrea Mičurová, Michal Kluknavský, Tomáš Jasenovec, Dominika Radošinská, Hana Macková and Daniel Horák

Nanomaterials 2021, 11(5), 1238; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano11051238 - 07 May 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2333

Abstract

In this study, magnetite nanoparticles were prepared and coated with poly(ethylene glycol) terminated by alendronate to ensure firm binding to the iron oxide surface. Magnetic nanoparticles, designated as magnetite coated with poly(ethylene glycol)-alendronate (Fe₃O₄@PEG-Ale), were characterized in terms of number-average (D_n) and hydrodynamic (D_h) size, ζ-potential, saturation magnetization, and composition. The effect of particles on blood pressure, vascular functions, nitric oxide (NO), and superoxide production in the tissues of spontaneously hypertensive rats, as well as the effect on red blood cell (RBC) parameters, was investigated after intravenous administration (1 mg Fe₃O₄/kg of body weight). Results showed that Fe₃O₄@PEG-Ale particles did negatively affect blood pressure, heart rate and RBC deformability, osmotic resistance and NO production. In addition, Fe₃O₄@PEG-Ale did not alter functions of the femoral arteries. Fe₃O₄@PEG-Ale induced increase in superoxide production in the kidney and spleen, but not in the left heart ventricle, aorta and liver. NO production was reduced only in the kidney. In conclusion, the results suggest that acute intravenous administration of Fe₃O₄@PEG-Ale did not produce negative effects on blood pressure regulation, vascular function, and RBCs in hypertensive rats. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Biological Impact of Nanomaterials: From Safety Studies to Applications)

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9 pages, 1728 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Structural Recognition of Triple-Stranded DNA by Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy

by Luca Guerrini and Ramon A. Alvarez-Puebla

Nanomaterials 2021, 11(2), 326; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano11020326 - 27 Jan 2021

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 1966

Abstract

Direct, label-free analysis of nucleic acids via surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) has been continuously expanding its range of applications as an intriguing and powerful analytical tool for the structural characterization of diverse DNA structures. Still, interrogation of nucleic acid tertiary structures beyond the canonical double helix often remains challenging. In this work, we report for the first time the structural identification of DNA triplex structures. This class of nucleic acids has been attracting great interest because of their intriguing biological functions and pharmacological potential in gene therapy, and the ability for precisely engineering DNA-based functional nanomaterials. Herein, structural discrimination of the triplex structure against its duplex and tertiary strand counterparts is univocally revealed by recognizing key markers bands in the intrinsic SERS fingerprint. These vibrational features are informative of the base stacking, Hoogsteen hydrogen bonding and sugar–phosphate backbone reorganization associated with the triple helix formation. This work expands the applicability of direct SERS to nucleic acids analysis, with potential impact on fields such as sensing, biology and drug design. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Biological Impact of Nanomaterials: From Safety Studies to Applications)

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21 pages, 5140 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Exposure to TiO₂ Nanoparticles Increases Listeria monocytogenes Infection of Intestinal Epithelial Cells

by Maria Grazia Ammendolia, Barbara De Berardis, Linda Maurizi and Catia Longhi

Nanomaterials 2020, 10(11), 2196; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano10112196 - 04 Nov 2020

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1743

Abstract

Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO₂ NPs) are widely used in a variety of consumer products. Cellular exposure to TiO₂ NPs results in complex effects on cell physiology that could impact biological systems. We investigated the behavior of Listeria monocytogenes in intestinal epithelial cells pre-treated with either a low or high (1 and 20 µg/cm²) dose of TiO₂ NPs. Our results indicate that the pre-treated cells with a low dose became more permissive to listeria infection; indeed, both adhesion and invasion were significantly increased compared to control. Increased invasion seems to be correlated to cytoskeletal alterations induced by nanoparticles, and higher bacterial survival might be due to the high levels of listeriolysin O that protects L. monocytogenes from reactive oxygen species (ROS). The potential risk of increased susceptibility to L. monocytogenes infection related to long-term intake of nanosized TiO₂ at low doses should be considered. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Biological Impact of Nanomaterials: From Safety Studies to Applications)

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27 pages, 1895 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Importance of Evaluating the Lot-to-Lot Batch Consistency of Commercial Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotube Products

by Mai T. Huynh, Jean Francois Veyan, Hong Pham, Raina Rahman, Samad Yousuf, Alexander Brown, Jason Lin, Kenneth J. Balkus, Jr., Shashini D. Diwakara, Ronald A. Smaldone, Bryanna LeGrand, Carole Mikoryak, Rockford Draper and Paul Pantano

Nanomaterials 2020, 10(10), 1930; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano10101930 - 27 Sep 2020

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2589

Abstract

The biological response of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) is related to their physicochemical properties and a thorough MWNT characterization should accompany an assessment of their biological activity, including their potential toxicity. Beyond characterizing the physicochemical properties of MWNTs from different sources or manufacturers, it is also important to characterize different production lots of the same MWNT product from the same vendor (i.e., lot-to-lot batch consistency). Herein, we present a comprehensive physicochemical characterization of two lots of commercial pristine MWNTs (pMWNTs) and carboxylated MWNTs (cMWNTs) used to study the response of mammalian macrophages to MWNTs. There were many similarities between the physicochemical properties of the two lots of cMWNTs and neither significantly diminished the 24-h proliferation of RAW 264.7 macrophages up to the highest concentration tested (200 μg cMWNTs/mL). Conversely, several physicochemical properties of the two lots of pMWNTs were different; notably, the newer lot of pMWNTs displayed less oxidative stability, a higher defect density, and a smaller amount of surface oxygen species relative to the original lot. Furthermore, a 72-h half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC-50) of ~90 µg pMWNTs/mL was determined for RAW 264.7 cells with the new lot of pMWNTs. These results demonstrate that subtle physicochemical differences can lead to significantly dissimilar cellular responses, and that production-lot consistency must be considered when assessing the toxicity of MWNTs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Biological Impact of Nanomaterials: From Safety Studies to Applications)

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12 pages, 2895 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Gold Nanocylinders on Gold Film as a Multi-spectral SERS Substrate

by Wafa Safar, Médéric Lequeux, Jeanne Solard, Alexis P.A. Fischer, Nordin Felidj, Pietro Giuseppe Gucciardi, Mathieu Edely and Marc Lamy de la Chapelle

Nanomaterials 2020, 10(5), 927; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano10050927 - 11 May 2020

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2929

Abstract

The surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) efficiency of gold nanocylinders deposited on gold thin film is studied. Exploiting the specific plasmonic properties of such substrates, we determine the influence of the nanocylinder diameter and the film thickness on the SERS signal at three different excitation wavelengths (532, 638 and 785 nm). We demonstrate that the highest signal is reached for the highest diameter of 250 nm due to coupling between the nanocylinders and for the lowest thickness (20 nm) as the excited plasmon is created at the interface between the gold and glass substrate. Moreover, even if we show that the highest SERS efficiency is obtained for an excitation wavelength of 638 nm, a large SERS signal can be obtained at all excitation wavelengths and on a wide spectral range. We demonstrate that it can be related with the nature of the plasmon (propagative plasmon excited through the nanocylinder grating) and with its angular dependence (tuning of the plasmon position with the excitation angle). Such an effect allows the excitation of plasmon on nearly the whole visible range, and paves the way to multispectral SERS substrates. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Biological Impact of Nanomaterials: From Safety Studies to Applications)

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8 pages, 3734 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Fabrication of Hybrid Silver Microstructures from Vermiculite Templates as SERS Substrates

by Nicolas Pazos-Perez, Luca Guerrini and Ramon A. Alvarez-Puebla

Nanomaterials 2020, 10(3), 481; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano10030481 - 07 Mar 2020

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2643

Abstract

There is great interest in developing complex, 3D plasmonic materials with unusual structural properties. This can be achieved via template-assisted approaches exploiting scaffold elements to engineer unique plasmonic substrates, which would be otherwise impossible to synthesize. Herein, we present a novel, simple, and low-cost template-assisted method for producing interconnected 3-D silver microstructures by utilizing vermiculite, a well-known silicate, as both in-situ reductant and template for silver growth. The silicate network of the vermiculite can be easily removed by dissolution with hydrofluoric acid, which, simultaneously, leads to the formation of a magnesium fluoride skeleton supporting a plasmonically active silver film. Optical, morphological, and chemical properties of the materials were extensively investigated, revealing, for example, that hybrid silver microstructures can be exploited as valuable SERS substrates over a broad spectral range of excitation wavelengths. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Biological Impact of Nanomaterials: From Safety Studies to Applications)

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13 pages, 2952 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Heterogeneity in Biodistribution and Cytotoxicity of Silver Nanoparticles in Pulmonary Adenocarcinoma Human Cells

by My Kieu Ha, Kyung Hwun Chung and Tae Hyun Yoon

Nanomaterials 2020, 10(1), 36; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano10010036 - 21 Dec 2019

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3100

Abstract

Cellular association of nanoparticles (NPs) and their resultant cytotoxicity are heterogeneous in nature and can be influenced by the variances in NPs’ properties, cell types, and status. However, conventional in vitro assays typically consider the administered NP dose and the averaged cellular responses based on the assumption of a uniform distribution of monodisperse NPs in homogeneous cells, which might be insufficient to describe the complex nature of cell–NP interactions. Here, using flow cytometry, we report observations of the heterogeneity in the cellular association of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) in A549 cells, which resulted in distinct dose-response relationships and cytotoxicity. Type I and Type II cells were moderately associated with AgNPs but as the cellular AgNP dose increased, Type I cells remained viable while Type II cells became less viable. Type III cells did not have high affinity with AgNPs but were, however, the least viable. Transmission electron microscopic images revealed that the biodistribution and the released Ag⁺ ions contributed to the distinct toxic effects of AgNPs in different populations. This single-cell dose-response analysis approach enabled the examination of how differently individual cells responded to different cellular NP doses and provided insights into nanotoxicity pathways at a single-cell level. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Biological Impact of Nanomaterials: From Safety Studies to Applications)

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16 pages, 2330 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Reduction in Toxicity of Nano-Ag-Polyvinyl-pyrrolidone Using Hydra Proteins and Peptides during Zebrafish Embryogenesis

by Soon Seok Kim, Jin Ah Lee and Min-Kyeong Yeo

Nanomaterials 2019, 9(9), 1210; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano9091210 - 27 Aug 2019

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2960

Abstract

Hydra magnipapillata cells reduce the toxicity of silver nanomaterials to zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos. In this study, we investigated whether Hydra protein (HP) and Hydra basal disc peptide (Hym176) materials reduce nano-Ag-polyvinylpyrrolidone (N-Ag-PVP) toxicity during embryogenesis of the nanosensitive organism zebrafish. Protein (HP) was extracted from Hydra, and peptide (Hym176) was extracted from the hydra basal disc, which is attractive to nanomaterials and related to the immune system. The experimental conditions were exposure to N-Ag-PVP, HP, N-Ag-PVP+HP, Hym176, or N-Ag-PVP+Hym176 during embryo development. N-Ag-PVP+HP group showed lower toxicity than N-Ag-PVP group. In addition, in the N-Ag-PVP+HP group formed aggregated nanomaterials (≥200 nm size) through electrostatic bonding. In the gene expression profile, HP group differed in gene expression profile compared the other experimental groups and it was no genetic toxicity. HP showed a tendency to reduce side effects and abnormal gene expression produced by N-Ag-PVP with no evidence of inherent toxicity. Considering the potential nanotoxicity effects of released nanomaterials on the ecosystem, the reduction of nanotoxicity observed with HP natural materials should be regarded with great interest in terms of the overall health of the ecosystem. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Biological Impact of Nanomaterials: From Safety Studies to Applications)

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19 pages, 4086 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Green Bio-Assisted Synthesis, Characterization and Biological Evaluation of Biocompatible ZnO NPs Synthesized from Different Tissues of Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum)

by Bilal Haider Abbasi, Muzamil Shah, Syed Salman Hashmi, Munazza Nazir, Sania Naz, Waqar Ahmad, Inam Ullah Khan and Christophe Hano

Nanomaterials 2019, 9(8), 1171; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano9081171 - 16 Aug 2019

Cited by 45 | Viewed by 4199

Abstract

The purpose of the current study was green synthesis of ZnO-nanoparticles (NPs) from different tissues of Silybum marianum (L.) Gaernt. (i.e., seeds, wild plant, in vitro derived plantlets and callus cultures) followed by extensive characterization and evaluation of their biological potency. ZnO-NPs thus synthesized were subjected to characterization using standard techniques such as XRD, FTIR and SEM. Thermal stability of synthesized NPs was also evaluated using thermo-gravimetric analysis. Highly stable crystalline NPs with size ranging between 30.8 and 46.0 nm were obtained from different tissues of S. marianum. These NPs have revealed a wide range of biological applications showing antioxidant, moderate α-amylase inhibitor, antibacterial and cytotoxic potencies. The highest antibacterial activity (20 ± 0.98 mm) was shown by seed extract-mediated ZnO NPs against Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC-6538). Seed extract-mediated ZnO NPs also showed the most potent antioxidant activity (27.7 ± 0.9 µgAAE/mg, 23.8 ± 0.7 µgAAE/mg and 12.7 ± 1.9% total antioxidant capacity (TAC), total reducing power (TRP) and DPPH-free radical scavenging assay (FRSA), respectively). All of the synthesized ZnO NPs also showed cytotoxic activity against the hepato-cellular carcinoma (HepG2) human cells. Interestingly, these ZnO NPs were also highly biocompatible, as evidenced by the brine shrimp lethality and human red blood cells hemolytic assays. Among all of the NPs synthesized and used, the effect of seed extract-mediated NPs was found to be most promising for future applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Biological Impact of Nanomaterials: From Safety Studies to Applications)

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12 pages, 6241 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Up-Conversion Luminescence Properties of Lanthanide-Gold Hybrid Nanoparticles as Analyzed with Discrete Dipole Approximation

by Ruichan Lv, Miao Feng and Wolfgang J. Parak

Nanomaterials 2018, 8(12), 989; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano8120989 - 29 Nov 2018

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 4130

Abstract

Up-conversion nanoparticles (UCNP) under near-infrared (NIR) light irradiation have been well investigated in the field of bio-imaging. However, the low up-conversion luminescence (UCL) intensity limits applications. Plasmonic modulation has been proposed as an effective tool to adjust the luminescence intensity and lifetime. In this study discrete dipole approximation (DDA) was explored concerning guiding the design of UCNP@mSiO₂-Au structures with enhanced UCL intensity. The extinction effects of gold shells could be changed by adjusting the distance between the UCNPs and the Au NPs by synthesized tunable mesoporous silica (mSiO₂) spacers. Enhanced UCL was obtained under 808 nm irradiation. The original theoretical predictions could not be demonstrated to full extend by experimental data, indicating that better models for simulation need to take into account in homogeneities in particle morphologies. Yet, one very certain conclusion resulting from the DDA calculations and experiments is that the absorbance can blue-shift with more Au NPs added and the absorbance can-red shift for samples with enhanced silica sizes in the UCNP@mSiO₂-Au structures. Furthermore, when the DDA model is more consistent with the practical structure (dispersed Au NPs instead of Au shell), the theoretical absorbance occurs almost the same as the practical absorbance. All in all, the DDA could fit the extinction effect of Au perfectly and be suitable for guiding how to design the UCNP and Au. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Biological Impact of Nanomaterials: From Safety Studies to Applications)

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Review

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16 pages, 770 KiB

Open AccessReview

Nanomaterials for Periodontal Tissue Engineering: Chitosan-Based Scaffolds. A Systematic Review

by Dorina Lauritano, Luisa Limongelli, Giulia Moreo, Gianfranco Favia and Francesco Carinci

Nanomaterials 2020, 10(4), 605; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano10040605 - 25 Mar 2020

Cited by 68 | Viewed by 4973

Abstract

Introduction. Several biomaterials are used in periodontal tissue engineering in order to obtain a three-dimensional scaffold, which could enhance the oral bone regeneration. These novel biomaterials, when placed in the affected area, activate a cascade of events, inducing regenerative cellular responses, and replacing the missing tissue. Natural and synthetic polymers can be used alone or in combination with other biomaterials, growth factors, and stem cells. Natural-based polymer chitosan is widely used in periodontal tissue engineering. It presents biodegradability, biocompatibility, and biological renewability properties. It is bacteriostatic and nontoxic and has hemostatic and mucoadhesive capacity. The aim of this systematic review is to obtain an updated overview of the utilization and effectiveness of chitosan-based scaffold (CS-bs) in the alveolar bone regeneration process. Materials and Methods. During database searching (using PubMed, Cochrane Library, and CINAHL), 72 items were found. The title, abstract, and full text of each study were carefully analyzed and only 22 articles were selected. Thirteen articles were excluded based on their title, five after reading the abstract, twenty-six after reading the full text, and six were not considered because of their publication date (prior to 2010). Quality assessment and data extraction were performed in the twelve included randomized controlled trials. Data concerning cell proliferation and viability (CPV), mineralization level (M), and alkaline phosphatase activity (ALPA) were recorded from each article Results. All the included trials tested CS-bs that were combined with other biomaterials (such as hydroxyapatite, alginate, polylactic-co-glycolic acid, polycaprolactone), growth factors (basic fibroblast growth factor, bone morphogenetic protein) and/or stem cells (periodontal ligament stem cells, human jaw bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells). Values about the proliferation of cementoblasts (CB) and periodontal ligament cells (PDLCs), the activity of alkaline phosphatase, and the mineralization level determined by pure chitosan scaffolds resulted in lower than those caused by chitosan-based scaffolds combined with other molecules and biomaterials. Conclusions. A higher periodontal regenerative potential was recorded in the case of CS-based scaffolds combined with other polymeric biomaterials and bioceramics (bio compared to those provided by CS alone. Furthermore, literature demonstrated that the addition of growth factors and stem cells to CS-based scaffolds might improve the biological properties of chitosan. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Biological Impact of Nanomaterials: From Safety Studies to Applications)

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