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Polymers
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Biopolymer-Based Biomimetic Scaffolds II
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Biopolymer-Based Biomimetic Scaffolds II

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2025) | Viewed by 4115

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Sílvia J. Bidarra

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Guest Editor
INEB-NEWTherapies Group, Laboratório Associado IBMC-INEB Rua do Campo Alegre, 823, 4150-180 Porto, Portugal
Interests: materials science; biochemistry, genetics and molecular biology engineering; chemical engineering
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Chiara Emma Campiglio

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Guest Editor
Department of Management, Information and Production Engineering, Università degli Studi di Bergamo, Bergamo, Italy
Interests: biomaterials for tissue engineering; organ-on-chip; lung toxicology; kidney tissue engineering
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

As is widely known, tissue engineering offers a unique alternative to current clinical treatments. To develop a complex living tissue replacement, concerted efforts must be focused on creating extracellular matrix-mimicking biomaterials that encourage interactions with host cells to unlock the body’s innate powers of organization and self-repair.

There are several technologies available for the fabrication of biomimetic scaffolds that focus on the use of a substance innately able (or engineered) to assume a desirable form that can be applied to both synthesize a 3D cellular microenvironment for cell accommodation and guide new tissue formation. Moreover, the identification of a material able to maintain its structure and integrity for predictable periods can ensure new tissue formation and maturation. Among the materials used in tissue engineering, naturally occurring biopolymers are often chosen as they show high biocompatibility, a favorable pro-remodeling host immune response, and an instructive microenvironment for tissue remodeling. Their ability to mimic the chemical properties of the native extracellular matrix represents a great advantage that enables the fabrication of biomimetic scaffolds for the evaluation of cellular responses to material cues, providing tools for the in vitro modeling of diseases and the treatment of patients using precision medicine.

This Special Issue will present recent research (original research papers, review articles, and short communications) that focuses on the development and characterization of innovative biomimetic scaffolds made of naturally occurring polymers which are used to recapitulate tissue formation and repair mechanisms within a 3D functional microenvironment.

Dr. Sílvia J. Bidarra
Dr. Chiara Emma Campiglio
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. Polymers 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 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

  • natural polymers
  • biomaterials
  • biomimetic structure
  • scaffold
  • tissue engineering
  • biopolymer
  • biocompatibility
  • cell–material interaction

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 2232 KiB  
Article
Biochar as Sustainable Filler of Recycled Polylactic Acid (PLA): A New Generation of Processable Biocomposites
by Chiara Botta, Corinna Maria Grottola, Davide Amato and Maria Rosaria Acocella
Polymers 2024, 16(23), 3347; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16233347 - 29 Nov 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1546
Abstract
As an alternative to fossil-based polymers, polylactide acid (PLA) has stimulated a significant research effort in the past few years due to the demand for environmentally friendly products. Even though PLA is considered a sustainable or bio-based material, the long-term degradation in ambient [...] Read more.
As an alternative to fossil-based polymers, polylactide acid (PLA) has stimulated a significant research effort in the past few years due to the demand for environmentally friendly products. Even though PLA is considered a sustainable or bio-based material, the long-term degradation in ambient conditions increases the volume of waste at end-of-life. To overcome this issue, PLA waste can be recycled to produce new manufactures; however, this approach does not always ensure the same mechanical properties as the original PLA. This study shows for the first time that adding biochar, a carbon material derived from biomass pyrolysis, enhances the processability and stability of composite recycled PLA. Composites are provided in 1, 2.5, and 5 wt% of the biochar filler, resulting in good processability, a higher modulus of up to 20%, and a higher stability to degradation in the presence of UV aging treatment with respect to the raw material. Additionally, DSC analysis shows a significant nucleation effect induced by the biochar that achieves 30% crystallinity from an essentially amorphous PLA. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biopolymer-Based Biomimetic Scaffolds II)
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16 pages, 7646 KiB  
Article
Impact of Composition and Autoclave Sterilization on the Mechanical and Biological Properties of ECM-Mimicking Cryogels
by Laura Di Muzio, Susi Zara, Amelia Cataldi, Claudia Sergi, Vito Cosimo Carriero, Barbara Bigi, Simone Carradori, Jacopo Tirillò, Stefania Petralito, Maria Antonietta Casadei and Patrizia Paolicelli
Polymers 2024, 16(13), 1939; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16131939 - 7 Jul 2024
Viewed by 1764
Abstract
Cryogels represent a valid strategy as scaffolds for tissue engineering. In order to adequately support adhesion and proliferation of anchorage-dependent cells, different polymers need to be combined within the same scaffold trying to mimic the complex features of a natural extracellular matrix (ECM). [...] Read more.
Cryogels represent a valid strategy as scaffolds for tissue engineering. In order to adequately support adhesion and proliferation of anchorage-dependent cells, different polymers need to be combined within the same scaffold trying to mimic the complex features of a natural extracellular matrix (ECM). For this reason, in this work, gelatin (Gel) and chondroitin sulfate (CS), both functionalized with methacrylic groups to produce CSMA and GelMA derivatives, were selected to prepare cryogel networks. Both homopolymer and heteropolymer cryogels were produced, via radical crosslinking reactions carried out at −12 °C for 2 h. All the scaffolds were characterized for their mechanical, swelling and morphological properties, before and after autoclave sterilization. Moreover, they were evaluated for their biocompatibility and ability to support the adhesion of human gingival fibroblasts and tenocytes. GelMA-based homopolymer networks better withstood the autoclave sterilization process, compared to CSMA cryogels. Indeed, GelMA cryogels showed a decrease in stiffness of approximately 30%, whereas CSMA cryogels of approximately 80%. When GelMA and CSMA were blended in the same network, an intermediate outcome was observed. However, the hybrid scaffolds showed a general worsening of the biological performance. Indeed, despite their ability to withstand autoclave sterilization with limited modification of the mechanical and morphological properties, the hybrid cryogels exhibited poor cell adhesion and high LDH leakage. Therefore, not only do network components need to be properly selected, but also their combination and ability to withstand effective sterilization process should be carefully evaluated for the development of efficient scaffolds designed for tissue engineering purposes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biopolymer-Based Biomimetic Scaffolds II)
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