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Applied Sciences
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Biopolymers, Natural Molecules and Nanomaterials for Tissue Regeneration
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Biopolymers, Natural Molecules and Nanomaterials for Tissue Regeneration

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Nanotechnology and Applied Nanosciences".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2020) | Viewed by 47872

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Giovanna Donnarumma

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Dipartimento di Medicina Sperimentale, Università degli Studi della Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy
Interests: microbiology; biofilm; microbial pathogenesis; immunomodulation; antimicrobial peptides; microbiota; probiotics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Alessandra Fusco

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Naples, Italy
Interests: microbiology; bacteria; fungi; biofilm; host-pathogen interactions; innate immunityantimicrobial peptides; microbiota; probiotics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Naturally derived polymeric biomaterials are utilized in tissue engineering for cosmetic, skin care, and regeneration due to their biocompatibility, bioactivity, and tunable mechanical and degradation kinetics.

In this scenario, hyaluronic acid plays a pivotal role in the control of tissue hydration and permeability to small or large molecules, and these properties contribute to its excellent biocompatibility. Alone or in combination with other molecules, HA accelerates in vitro processes related to wound healing and in vivo tissue regeneration (e.g., burns, ulcers).

In recent years, nanotechnology has also acquired great importance for the versatility of its potential applications.

Nanoscale structures and materials (NPs, nanowires, nanofibers, and nanotubes) have been explored in many biological applications because of their novel properties. In particular, their high volume/surface ratio, surface tailorability, improved solubility, and multifunctionality show a high potential for nanomedicine.

The fundamental requirements for the realization of these systems are the choice of materials and their correct preparation and the use of chemical, electrical, or physical stimuli aimed at directing cellular behavior to imitate the characteristics of the desired tissues. Continuous progress in the field of biomedical research is making it possible to optimize in vitro systems capable of accurately reproducing in vivo environments (e.g. co-cultures, immunomodulation, and extracellular matrix composition).

For these reasons, we would like to invite you to contribute, by submitting reviews, articles, or letters, to the development of this interesting and innovative applied research.

Prof. Dr. Giovanna Donnarumma
Dr. Alessandra Fusco
Guest Editors

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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20 pages, 4448 KiB  
Article
Poly(vinyl alcohol)/Gelatin Scaffolds Allow Regeneration of Nasal Tissues
by Delfo D’Alessandro, Stefania Moscato, Alessandra Fusco, Jose Gustavo De la Ossa, Mario D’Acunto, Luisa Trombi, Marta Feula, Lorenzo Pio Serino, Giovanna Donnarumma, Mario Petrini, Stefano Berrettini and Serena Danti
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(8), 3651; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11083651 - 18 Apr 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3943
Abstract
Need for regeneration and repair of nasal tissues occurs as a consequence of several pathologies affecting the nose, including, but not limited to infective diseases, traumas and tumor resections. A platform for nasal tissue regeneration was set up using poly(vinyl alcohol)/gelatin sponges with [...] Read more.
Need for regeneration and repair of nasal tissues occurs as a consequence of several pathologies affecting the nose, including, but not limited to infective diseases, traumas and tumor resections. A platform for nasal tissue regeneration was set up using poly(vinyl alcohol)/gelatin sponges with 20%–30% (w/w) gelatin content to be used as scaffolds, for their intrinsic hydrophilic, cell adhesive and shape recovery properties. We propose mesodermal progenitor cells (MPCs) isolated from the bone marrow as a unique stem cell source for obtaining different connective tissues of the nose, including vascular tissue. Finally, epithelial cell immune response to these scaffolds was assessed in vitro in an environment containing inflammatory molecules. The results showed that mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) deriving from MPCs could be used to differentiate into cartilage and fibrous tissue; whereas, in combination with endothelial cells still deriving from MPCs, into pre-vascularized bone. Finally, the scaffold did not significantly alter the epithelial cell response to inflammatory insults derived from interaction with bacterial molecules. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biopolymers, Natural Molecules and Nanomaterials for Tissue Regeneration)
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14 pages, 1226 KiB  
Article
Could the Enrichment of a Biomaterial with Conditioned Medium or Extracellular Vesicles Modify Bone-Remodeling Kinetics during a Defect Healing? Evaluations on Rat Calvaria with Synchrotron-Based Microtomography
by Alessandra Giuliani, Gabriela Sena, Giuliana Tromba, Emanuela Mazzon, Antonella Fontana, Francesca Diomede, Adriano Piattelli and Oriana Trubiani
Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(7), 2336; https://doi.org/10.3390/app10072336 - 29 Mar 2020
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3609
Abstract
Tissue engineering has been shown to offer promising approaches for bone regeneration, mostly based on replacement with biomaterials that provide specific environments and support for bone growth. In this context, we previously showed that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and their derivatives, such as [...] Read more.
Tissue engineering has been shown to offer promising approaches for bone regeneration, mostly based on replacement with biomaterials that provide specific environments and support for bone growth. In this context, we previously showed that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and their derivatives, such as conditioned medium (CM) and extracellular vesicles (EV), when seeded on collagen membranes (COL) or polylactide (PLA) biomaterials, are able to favor bone tissue regeneration, especially evidenced in animal model calvary defects. In the present study, we investigated whether the enrichment of a rat calvary defect site with CM, EVs and polyethylenimine (PEI)-engineered EVs could substantially modify the bone remodeling kinetics during defect healing, as these products were reported to favor bone regeneration. In particular, we focused the study, performed by synchrotron radiation-based high-resolution tomography, on the analysis of the bone mass density distribution. We proved that the enrichment of a defect site with CM, EVs and PEI-EVs substantially modifies, often accelerating, bone remodeling kinetics and the related mineralization process during defect healing. Moreover, different biomaterials (COL or PLA) in combination with stem cells of different origin (namely, human periodontal ligament stem cells-hPDLSCs and human gingival mesenchymal stem cells-hGMSCs) and their own CM, EVs and PEI-EVs products were shown to exhibit different mineralization kinetics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biopolymers, Natural Molecules and Nanomaterials for Tissue Regeneration)
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18 pages, 5692 KiB  
Article
Development of Bionanocomposites Based on PLA, Collagen and AgNPs and Characterization of Their Stability and In Vitro Biocompatibility
by Maria Râpă, Laura Mihaela Stefan, Traian Zaharescu, Ana-Maria Seciu, Anca Andreea Țurcanu, Ecaterina Matei, Andra Mihaela Predescu, Iulian Antoniac and Cristian Predescu
Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(7), 2265; https://doi.org/10.3390/app10072265 - 26 Mar 2020
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 3403
Abstract
Bionanocomposites including poly(lactic acid) (PLA), collagen, and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were prepared as biocompatible and stable films. Thermal properties of the PLA-based bionanocomposites indicated an increase in the crystallinity of PLA plasticized due to a small quantity of AgNPs. The results on the [...] Read more.
Bionanocomposites including poly(lactic acid) (PLA), collagen, and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were prepared as biocompatible and stable films. Thermal properties of the PLA-based bionanocomposites indicated an increase in the crystallinity of PLA plasticized due to a small quantity of AgNPs. The results on the stability study indicate the promising contribution of the AgNPs on the durability of PLA-based bionanocomposites. In vitro biocompatibility conducted on the mouse fibroblast cell line NCTC, clone 929, using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay showed high values of cell viability (>80%) after cell cultivation in the presence of bionanocomposite formulations for 48 h, while the percentages of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) released in the culture medium were reduced (<15%), indicating no damages of the cell membranes. In addition, cell cycle analysis assessed by flow cytometry indicated that all tested bionanocomposites did not affect cell proliferation and maintained the normal growth rate of cells. The obtained results recommend the potential use of PLA-based bionanocomposites for biomedical coatings. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biopolymers, Natural Molecules and Nanomaterials for Tissue Regeneration)
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Review

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43 pages, 6744 KiB  
Review
Doped Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles: Synthesis, Characterization and Potential Use in Nanomedicine
by Marco Carofiglio, Sugata Barui, Valentina Cauda and Marco Laurenti
Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(15), 5194; https://doi.org/10.3390/app10155194 - 28 Jul 2020
Cited by 167 | Viewed by 23438
Abstract
Smart nanoparticles for medical applications have gathered considerable attention due to an improved biocompatibility and multifunctional properties useful in several applications, including advanced drug delivery systems, nanotheranostics and in vivo imaging. Among nanomaterials, zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) were deeply investigated due to [...] Read more.
Smart nanoparticles for medical applications have gathered considerable attention due to an improved biocompatibility and multifunctional properties useful in several applications, including advanced drug delivery systems, nanotheranostics and in vivo imaging. Among nanomaterials, zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) were deeply investigated due to their peculiar physical and chemical properties. The large surface to volume ratio, coupled with a reduced size, antimicrobial activity, photocatalytic and semiconducting properties, allowed the use of ZnO NPs as anticancer drugs in new generation physical therapies, nanoantibiotics and osteoinductive agents for bone tissue regeneration. However, ZnO NPs also show a limited stability in biological environments and unpredictable cytotoxic effects thereof. To overcome the abovementioned limitations and further extend the use of ZnO NPs in nanomedicine, doping seems to represent a promising solution. This review covers the main achievements in the use of doped ZnO NPs for nanomedicine applications. Sol-gel, as well as hydrothermal and combustion methods are largely employed to prepare ZnO NPs doped with rare earth and transition metal elements. For both dopant typologies, biomedical applications were demonstrated, such as enhanced antimicrobial activities and contrast imaging properties, along with an improved biocompatibility and stability of the colloidal ZnO NPs in biological media. The obtained results confirm that the doping of ZnO NPs represents a valuable tool to improve the corresponding biomedical properties with respect to the undoped counterpart, and also suggest that a new application of ZnO NPs in nanomedicine can be envisioned. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biopolymers, Natural Molecules and Nanomaterials for Tissue Regeneration)
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20 pages, 4834 KiB  
Review
Bioactive Glasses and Glass/Polymer Composites for Neuroregeneration: Should We Be Hopeful?
by Saeid Kargozar, Masoud Mozafari, Maryam Ghenaatgar-Kasbi and Francesco Baino
Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(10), 3421; https://doi.org/10.3390/app10103421 - 15 May 2020
Cited by 23 | Viewed by 12512
Abstract
Bioactive glasses (BGs) have been identified as highly versatile materials in tissue engineering applications; apart from being used for bone repair for many years, they have recently shown promise for the regeneration of peripheral nerves as well. They can be formulated in different [...] Read more.
Bioactive glasses (BGs) have been identified as highly versatile materials in tissue engineering applications; apart from being used for bone repair for many years, they have recently shown promise for the regeneration of peripheral nerves as well. They can be formulated in different shapes and forms (micro-/nanoparticles, micro-/nanofibers, and tubes), thus potentially meeting the diverse requirements for neuroregeneration. Mechanical and biological improvements in three-dimensional (3D) polymeric scaffolds could be easily provided by adding BGs to their composition. Various types of silicate, borate, and phosphate BGs have been examined for use in neuroregeneration. In general, BGs show good compatibility with the nervous system compartments both in vitro and in vivo. Functionalization and surface modification plus doping with therapeutic ions make BGs even more effective in peripheral nerve regeneration. Moreover, the combination of BGs with conductive polymers is suggested to improve neural cell functions at injured sites. Taking advantage of BGs combined with novel technologies in tissue engineering, like 3D printing, can open new horizons in reconstructive approaches for the nervous system. Although there are great potential opportunities in BG-based therapies for peripheral nerve regeneration, more research should still be performed to carefully assess the pros and cons of BGs in neuroregeneration strategies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biopolymers, Natural Molecules and Nanomaterials for Tissue Regeneration)
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