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Novel Biomaterials and Sensors for Tissue Engineering

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A special issue of Sensors (ISSN 1424-8220). This special issue belongs to the section "Biosensors".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 August 2015) | Viewed by 49349

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Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Jennie B. Leach

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Guest Editor

Chemical, Biochemical & Environmental Engineering, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, MD 21250, USA
Interests: biomaterials synthesis and characterization; sensors for tissue engineering applications; cell response in 3D microenvironments; tissue engineering in the nervous system
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Contributions are invited that specifically involve biomaterials and sensors, which are designed and evaluated for applications in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Of particular interest are research studies or review articles related to the following areas: 1) connections between fundamental understandings of the chemistry, physics, biology or materials science of biomaterials and sensors with their applications, in vitro or in vivo; 2) novel synthesis procedures or device designs; and we particularly encourage 3) novel applications of biomaterials and sensors in tissue engineering, including their integration with bioMEMs devices, nanotechnology, 3D printing, and 3D culture, as well as approaches that operate in a dynamic fashion (e.g., responsive/adaptable biomaterials and sensors for the dynamic spatial mapping of analytes).

Dr. Jennie B. Leach
Guest Editor

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. Sensors 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 2600 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

biomaterials synthesis
biomaterials characterization
biomaterials application
sensor design
sensor characterization and optimization
sensor application
biosensors
tissue engineering
regenerative medicine

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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1302 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Mechanical Characterization of Hybrid Vesicles Based on Linear Poly(Dimethylsiloxane-b-Ethylene Oxide) and Poly(Butadiene-b-Ethylene Oxide) Block Copolymers

by Jeffery Gaspard, Liam M. Casey, Matt Rozin, Dany J. Munoz-Pinto, James A. Silas and Mariah S. Hahn

Sensors 2016, 16(3), 390; https://doi.org/10.3390/s16030390 - 18 Mar 2016

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 6567

Abstract

Poly(dimethylsiloxane-ethylene oxide) (PDMS-PEO) and poly(butadiene-b-ethylene oxide) (PBd-PEO) are two block copolymers which separately form vesicles with disparate membrane permeabilities and fluidities. Thus, hybrid vesicles formed from both PDMS-PEO and PBd-PEO may ultimately allow for systematic, application-specific tuning of vesicle membrane fluidity and permeability. However, given the relatively low strength previously noted for comb-type PDMS-PEO vesicles, the mechanical robustness of the resulting hybrid vesicles must first be confirmed. Toward this end, we have characterized the mechanical behavior of vesicles formed from mixtures of linear PDMS-PEO and linear PBd-PEO using micropipette aspiration. Tension versus strain plots of pure PDMS₁₂-PEO₄₆ vesicles revealed a non-linear response in the high tension regime, in contrast to the approximately linear response of pure PBd₃₃-PEO₂₀ vesicles. Remarkably, the area expansion modulus, critical tension, and cohesive energy density of PDMS₁₂-PEO₄₆ vesicles were each significantly greater than for PBd₃₃-PEO₂₀ vesicles, although critical strain was not significantly different between these vesicle types. PDMS₁₂-PEO₄₆/PBd₃₃-PEO₂₀ hybrid vesicles generally displayed graded responses in between that of the pure component vesicles. Thus, the PDMS₁₂-PEO₄₆/PBd₃₃-PEO₂₀ hybrid vesicles retained or exceeded the strength and toughness characteristic of pure PBd-PEO vesicles, indicating that future assessment of the membrane permeability and fluidity of these hybrid vesicles may be warranted. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Biomaterials and Sensors for Tissue Engineering)

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800 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Enhanced Viability of Endothelial Colony Forming Cells in Fibrin Microbeads for Sensor Vascularization

by Jarel K. Gandhi, Lada Zivkovic, John P. Fisher, Mervin C. Yoder and Eric M. Brey

Sensors 2015, 15(9), 23886-23902; https://doi.org/10.3390/s150923886 - 18 Sep 2015

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 5809

Abstract

Enhanced vascularization at sensor interfaces can improve long-term function. Fibrin, a natural polymer, has shown promise as a biomaterial for sensor coating due to its ability to sustain endothelial cell growth and promote local vascularization. However, the culture of cells, particularly endothelial cells (EC), within 3D scaffolds for more than a few days is challenging due to rapid loss of EC viability. In this manuscript, a robust method for developing fibrin microbead scaffolds for long-term culture of encapsulated ECs is described. Fibrin microbeads are formed using sodium alginate as a structural template. The size, swelling and structural properties of the microbeads were varied with needle gauge and composition and concentration of the pre-gel solution. Endothelial colony-forming cells (ECFCs) were suspended in the fibrin beads and cultured within a perfusion bioreactor system. The perfusion bioreactor enhanced ECFCs viability and genome stability in fibrin beads relative to static culture. Perfusion bioreactors enable 3D culture of ECs within fibrin beads for potential application as a sensor coating. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Biomaterials and Sensors for Tissue Engineering)

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3496 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Design and Evaluation of Potentiometric Principles for Bladder Volume Monitoring: A Preliminary Study

by Shih-Ching Chen, Tsung-Hsun Hsieh, Wen-Jia Fan, Chien-Hung Lai, Chun-Lung Chen, Wei-Feng Wei and Chih-Wei Peng

Sensors 2015, 15(6), 12802-12815; https://doi.org/10.3390/s150612802 - 01 Jun 2015

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 6735

Abstract

Recent advances in microelectronics and wireless transmission technology have led to the development of various implantable sensors for real-time monitoring of bladder conditions. Although various sensing approaches for monitoring bladder conditions were reported, most such sensors have remained at the laboratory stage due to the existence of vital drawbacks. In the present study, we explored a new concept for monitoring the bladder capacity on the basis of potentiometric principles. A prototype of a potentiometer module was designed and fabricated and integrated with a commercial wireless transmission module and power unit. A series of in vitro pig bladder experiments was conducted to determine the best design parameters for implementing the prototype potentiometric device and to prove its feasibility. We successfully implemented the potentiometric module in a pig bladder model in vitro, and the error of the accuracy of bladder volume detection was <±3%. Although the proposed potentiometric device was built using a commercial wireless module, the design principles and animal experience gathered from this research can serve as a basis for developing new implantable bladder sensors in the future. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Biomaterials and Sensors for Tissue Engineering)

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1624 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Measuring the Contractile Response of Isolated Tissue Using an Image Sensor

by David Díaz-Martín, José Gerardo Hernández-Jiménez, Manuel Rodríguez-Valido and Ricardo Borges

Sensors 2015, 15(4), 9179-9188; https://doi.org/10.3390/s150409179 - 20 Apr 2015

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 5026

Abstract

Isometric or isotonic transducers have traditionally been used to study the contractile/relaxation effects of drugs on isolated tissues. However, these mechanical sensors are expensive and delicate, and they are associated with certain disadvantages when performing experiments in the laboratory. In this paper, a method that uses an image sensor to measure the contractile effect of drugs on blood vessel rings and other luminal organs is presented. The new method is based on an image-processing algorithm, and it provides a fast, easy and non-expensive way to analyze the effects of such drugs. In our tests, we have obtained dose-response curves from rat aorta rings that are equivalent to those achieved with classical mechanic sensors. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Biomaterials and Sensors for Tissue Engineering)

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3842 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Light-Addressable Measurement of in Vivo Tissue Oxygenation in an Unanesthetized Zebrafish Embryo via Phase-Based Phosphorescence Lifetime Detection

by Shih-Hao Huang, Chu-Hung Yu and Yi-Lung Chien

Sensors 2015, 15(4), 8146-8162; https://doi.org/10.3390/s150408146 - 08 Apr 2015

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 7209

Abstract

We have developed a digital light modulation system that utilizes a modified commercial projector equipped with a laser diode as a light source for quantitative measurements of in vivo tissue oxygenation in an unanesthetized zebrafish embryo via phase-based phosphorescence lifetime detection. The oxygen-sensitive phosphorescent probe (Oxyphor G4) was first inoculated into the bloodstream of 48 h post-fertilization (48 hpf) zebrafish embryos via the circulation valley to rapidly disperse probes throughout the embryo. The unanesthetized zebrafish embryo was introduced into the microfluidic device and immobilized on its lateral side by using a pneumatically actuated membrane. By controlling the illumination pattern on the digital micromirror device in the projector, the modulated excitation light can be spatially projected to illuminate arbitrarily-shaped regions of tissue of interest for in vivo oxygen measurements. We have successfully measured in vivo oxygen changes in the cardiac region and cardinal vein of a 48 hpf zebrafish embryo that experience hypoxia and subsequent normoxic conditions. Our proposed platform provides the potential for the real-time investigation of oxygen distribution in tissue microvasculature that relates to physiological stimulation and diseases in a developing organism. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Biomaterials and Sensors for Tissue Engineering)

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Review

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549 KiB

Open AccessReview

Microfluidic Organ/Body-on-a-Chip Devices at the Convergence of Biology and Microengineering

by Ana Rubina Perestrelo, Ana C. P. Águas, Alberto Rainer and Giancarlo Forte

Sensors 2015, 15(12), 31142-31170; https://doi.org/10.3390/s151229848 - 10 Dec 2015

Cited by 119 | Viewed by 16961

Abstract

Recent advances in biomedical technologies are mostly related to the convergence of biology with microengineering. For instance, microfluidic devices are now commonly found in most research centers, clinics and hospitals, contributing to more accurate studies and therapies as powerful tools for drug delivery, monitoring of specific analytes, and medical diagnostics. Most remarkably, integration of cellularized constructs within microengineered platforms has enabled the recapitulation of the physiological and pathological conditions of complex tissues and organs. The so-called “organ-on-a-chip” technology, which represents a new avenue in the field of advanced in vitro models, with the potential to revolutionize current approaches to drug screening and toxicology studies. This review aims to highlight recent advances of microfluidic-based devices towards a body-on-a-chip concept, exploring their technology and broad applications in the biomedical field. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Biomaterials and Sensors for Tissue Engineering)

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