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Many studies have been devoted to investigating the potential of guided bone regeneration (GBR) membranes for bone defect reconstruction. Regardless of approaches for treating damaged bone tissues, a beneficial therapeutic strategy has remained a challenge. In this study, a novel GBR membrane with polycaprolactone (PCL) and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) containing different concentrations of metformin (Met) for improving osteogenic properties was developed. The membranes were evaluated for their hydrophilicity, degradation rate, swelling ratio, drug release, mechanical properties, and biological responses. The results showed a significant increase in hydrophilicity, swelling ratio, and degradation rate and no significant changes in mechanical properties of PCL/PVA membranes with Met concentration enhancement. A decrease in cell viability cultured on the surface of the PCL/PVA membrane was seen when the amount of Met was changed from 10 to 15 wt %. The results of the in vitro quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) also confirmed the higher secretion of osteogenic-related genes in a PCL/PVA/Cell/10 wt % Met scaffold than in the PCL/PVA/Cell sample. Therefore, further in vivo studies were conducted using the electrospun PCL/PVA membrane containing human endometrial stem cells (hEnSCs) and 10% Met. Histopathological and histomorphometric results confirmed that PCL/PVA/hEnSCs/10 wt % Met has excellent potential to differentiate hEnSCs into osteogenic lineages and bone regeneration in calvarial defects of rats. The results of this study confirm the high potential of the PCL/PVA/10 wt % Met fibrous membrane preseeded with hEnSCs in GBR applications.

In the current study, selenium particles were loaded into poly(e-caprolactone)/gelatin nanofibrous matrices in order to fabricate a potential wound dressing. The mats were produced by electrospinning of poly(e-caprolactone)/Gelatin (1:1 (w/w)) solution supplemented with 1 and 10 % (w/v) of selenium particles. Prepared wound dressings were investigated regarding their morphology, mechanical properties, surface wettability, water-uptake capacity, water vapor permeability, porosity, blood compatibility, microbial penetration test and cellular response. Dressings containing 1 % and 10 % selenium and selenium free mats were chosen to treat the full-thickness excisional wounds in Wistar rats. The study revealed that after 14 days, the wound closure of the mat containing 1 % selenium was about 95.5±6.38 % while wound closure of the negative control group was about 48.83±4.03 %. Our results showed the capability of nanofibrous containing selenium for successful wound treatment.

Engineering scaffolds that can not only act as a vehicle for stem cell delivery but also support axon regeneration, may significantly improve the treatment outcome of spinal cord injury (SCI). In t...

In the current study, electrospun poly(e-caprolactone)-gelatin (PCL-Gel) fibrous scaffolds containing magnesium oxide (MgO) particles and preseeded with human endometrial stem cells (hEnSCs) were developed to use as wound care material in skin tissue engineering applications. Electrospun fibers were fabricated using PCL-Gel (1:1 [wt/wt]) with different concentrations of MgO particles (1, 2, and 4 wt%). The fibrous scaffolds were evaluated regarding their microstructure, mechanical properties, surface wettability, and in vitro and in vivo performances. The full-thickness excisional wound model was used to evaluate the in vivo wound healing ability of the fabricated scaffolds. Our findings confirmed that the wounds covered with PCL-Gel fibrous scaffolds containing 2 wt% MgO and preseeded with hEnSCs have nearly 79% wound closure ability while sterile gauze showed 11% of wound size reduction. Our results can be employed for biomaterials aimed at the healing of full-thickness skin wounds.

Objective: To evaluate the application of a fabricated dressing containing kaolin for skin regeneration in a rat model of excisional wounds. Method: In the present study, kaolin was loaded into electrospun polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/chitosan polymer blend to develop a composite nanofibrous dressing. To make the yarns, kaolin with weight ratio of 5% was added to PVA/chitosan polymer blend and subsequently formed into nanofibres using the electrospinning method. Scaffolds were evaluated for to their microstructure, mechanical properties, surface wettability, water vapour transmission rate, water-uptake capacity, blood uptake capacity, blood compatibility, microbial penetration test, the number of colonies, and cellular response with the L929 cell line. Rats with full-thickness excisional wounds were treated with kaolin-containing and kaolin-free dressings. Results: The study showed that rats treated with the kaolin-incorporated mats demonstrated a significant closure to nearly 97.62±4.81% after 14 days compared with PVA/chitosan and the sterile gauze, which showed 86.15±8.11% and 78.50±4.22% of wound closure, respectively. The histopathological studies showed that in the PVA/chitosan/kaolin group, dense and regular collagen fibres were formed, while wounds treated with sterile gauze or PVA/chitosan scaffolds had random and loose collagen fibres. Conclusion: Our results show the potential applicability of PVA/chitosan/kaolin scaffolds as a wound care material.

BackgroundSilk fibroin (SF) as a natural polymer holds great potential in biomedical research because of its biocompatibility, easy processing, high toughness, and strength. However, slow gelation time has narrowed its applications, specifically in cell-laden microparticles that are versatile structures for tissue engineering due to their unique features. In addition, most crosslinking methods used to decrease gelation time did not occur in a mid-condition. Methods This study aimed to use modified SF with phenol conjugation to accelerate crosslinking mediated via horseradish peroxidase (HRP)/ hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in a co-flow high-throughput microfluidic device for the ultimate goal of cell-laden silk fibroin-phenol (SF-Ph) microparticles formation. The physical and biochemical properties of fabricated cell-laden SF-Ph were evaluated to reveal its potential for tissue engineering.ResultsThe monodisperse microparticles in shape and size were formed in various diameters changing from 300 to 80 µm by altering oil phase velocity from SF-Ph substrate. More than 90% cell viability and three times cells upregulation of mitochondrial activity of enclosed-cells in microparticles with 150 ± 32 µm diameters revealed that these structures were suitable subcultures produced through a mild process based on morphological and MTT assays. It was noticed that cells approximately cover the microparticles until the 15th day. ConclusionSpherical micro-tissue formation in microparticles, resulting from cell growth promoted by cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions, adds significant weight to this method's applications.

Curcumin contains many biological activities as a natural bioactive substance, however, its low solubility stands as a huge bioavailability disadvantage. Recently, different methods have been developed for utilizing the tremendous medicinal properties of this material. In this study, an Oil/Water nano-emulsion of curcumin (Nano-CUR) has been woven in zein polymer at three percentages of 5%, 10%, and 15% (v/v). We have investigated the physicochemical properties of nanofibers (NFs) including FESEM, FTIR, tensile strength, encapsulation efficiency, and release profile, as well as biological properties. According to the data, the NFs have been observed to become significantly thinner and more uniformed as the involved percentage of Nano-CUR had been increased from 5 to 15%. It is considerable that the tensile strength can be increased by heightening the existing Nano-CUR from 5% towards 15%. The resultant NFs of zein/Nano-CUR 15% have exhibited higher in vitro release and lower encapsulation efficiency than the other evaluated zein/Nano-CUR NFs. It has been confirmed through the performed viability and antioxidant studies that zein/Nano-CUR 10% NFs are capable of providing the best conditions for cell proliferation. Considering the mentioned facts, this work has suggested that Nano-CUR can be successfully woven in zein NFs and maintain their biological properties.

Hybrid fibrous mat containing cell interactive molecules offers the ability to deliver the cells and drugs in wound bed, which will help to achieve a high therapeutic treatment. In this study, a co-electrospun hybrid of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), chitosan (Ch) and silk fibrous mat was developed and their wound healing potential by localizing bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs)-derived keratinocytes on it was evaluated in vitro and in vivo. It was expected that fabricated hybrid construct could promote wound healing due to its structure, physical, biological specifications. The fabricated fibrous mats were characterized for their structural, mechanical and biochemical properties. The shape uniformity and pore size of fibers showed smooth and homogenous structures of them. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) verified all typical absorption characteristics of Ch-PVA + Silk polymers as well as Ch-PVA or pure PVA substrates. The contact angle and wettability measurement of fibers showed that mats found moderate hydrophilicity by addition of Ch and silk substrates compared with PVA alone. The mechanical features of Ch-PVA + Silk fibrous mat increase significantly through co-electrospun process as well as hybridization of these synthetic and natural polymers. Higher degrees of cellular attachment and proliferation obtained on Ch-PVA + Silk fibers compared with PVA and Ch-PVA fibers. In terms of the capability of Ch-PVA + Silk fibers and MSC-derived keratinocytes, histological analysis and skin regeneration results showed this novel fibrous construct could be suggested as a skin substitute in the repair of injured skin and regenerative medicine applications.

Peripheral nerve injury is a serious challenge which influences 2.8 percent of trauma patients. Tissue engineering of peripheral nerves mainly focuses on axonal regeneration via various nerve guides. The aim of this study is to evaluate a novel polyurethane (PU)/gelatin nanofibers (GNFs) conduit’s potential combination with resveratrol (RVT) for sciatic nerve regeneration in the rat. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) was used as a carrier for RVT. Different tests like contact angle, tensile strength etc. was used to evaluate properties of PU/GNFs conduits. In addition, the electron microscopy, MTT assay, and DAPI staining revealed its compatibility with Schwann cells. 24 male Wistar rats were allocated into four groups (n=6) (1) PU/GNF/PRP/Schwann cell, 2) PU/GNF/Schwann cell/PRP/RVT, 3) Positive control, and 4) Negative control in order to assess sciatic functional index (SFI), hot plate latency, electromyographical (EMG), the percentage of wet weight-loss of gastrocnemius muscle and histopathological studies using hematoxylin-eosin staining. The results represented sciatic functional index (SFI), hot plate latency, electromyographical improved significantly in group 1 and 2 compared to the negative control group. Histopathological findings showed remarkable improvements in myelin sheath regeneration and fibers condition in group 1 and 2 compared to the negative control group. Group 2 showed more resemblance to the normal sciatic nerve, with well-arranged fibers and an intact myelin sheath. This study successfully applied PU/GNFs/PRP/RVT conduits as a potential biocompatible nerve guide with proper mechanical properties, biocompatibility, and biodegradability that enhanced injured sciatic nerve’s recovery rate.

The focus of the current study was to develop a functional and bioactive scaffold through the combination of 3D polylactic acid (PLA)/polycaprolactone (PCL) with gelatin nanofibers (GNFs) and Taurine (Tau) for bone defect regeneration. GNFs were fabricated via electrospinning dispersed in PLA/PCL polymer solution, Tau with different concentrations was added, and the polymer solution converted into a 3D and porous scaffold via the thermally-induced phase separation technique. The characterization results showed that the scaffolds have interconnected pores with the porosity of up to 90%. Moreover, Tau increased the wettability and weight loss rate, while compromised the compressive strengths. The scaffolds were hemo- and cytocompatible and supported cell viability and proliferation. The in vivo studies showed that the defects treated with scaffolds filled with new bone. The computed tomography (CT) imaging and histopathological observation revealed that the PLA/PCL/Gel/Tau 10% provided the highest new bone formation, angiogenesis, and woven bone among the treatment groups. Our finding illustrated that the fabricated scaffold was able to regenerate bone within the defect and can be considered as the effective scaffold for bone tissue engineering application.

Functional wound dressing with tailored physicochemical and biological properties is vital for diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) treatment. Our main objective in the current study was to fabricate Cellulose Acetate/Gelatin (CA/Gel) electrospun mat loaded with berberine (Beri) as the DFU-specific wound dressing. The wound healing efficacy of the fabricated dressings was evaluated in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. The results demonstrated an average nanofiber diameter of 502 ± 150 nm, and the tensile strength, contact angle, porosity, water vapor permeability and water uptake ratio of CA/Gel nanofibers were around 2.83 ± 0.08 MPa, 58.07 ± 2.35°, 78.17 ± 1.04%, 11.23 ± 1.05 mg/cm2/hr, and 12.78 ± 0.32%, respectively, while these values for CA/Gel/Beri nanofibers were 2.69 ± 0.05 MPa, 56.93 ± 1°, 76.17 ± 0.76%, 10.17 ± 0.21 mg/cm2/hr, and 14.37 ± 0.42%, respectively. The antibacterial evaluations demonstrated that the dressings exhibited potent antibacterial activity. The collagen density of 88.8 ± 6.7% and the angiogenesis score of 19.8 ± 3.8 obtained in the animal studies indicate a proper wound healing. These findings implied that the incorporation of berberine did not compromise the physical properties of dressing, while improving the biological activities. In conclusion, our results indicated that the prepared mat is a proper wound dressing for DFU management and treatment.

The current study was conducted to promote the extent of peripheral nerve regeneration using a collagen type I hydrogel containing chitosan nanoparticle loaded by insulin. The developed hyd...

In the current study, tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH), an antibiotic against most of the medically relevant bacteria, was incorporated into poly (e-caprolactone)/poly lactic acid solution in order...

In the present study, gabapentin (GBP), an anticonvulsant drug used as an analgesic to control the neuropathic pains, was incorporated with cellulose acetate (CA) and gelatin (Gel) in order to develop a potential scaffold for neural tissue engineering applications. The wet-electrospinning method was used to produce the drug-loaded three-dimensional scaffolds from CA/Gel [1:1 (w/w)] solution in the water/ethanol (3:7) (v/v) coagulation baths containing 3%, 6% and 12% (w/v) of GBP. The scaffolds were evaluated regarding their morphology, contact angle, porosity, tensile strength and cellular response. The scaffold obtained from 6% (w/v) GBP bath was chosen as the optimum scaffold for further in vivo study in a sciatic nerve defect model in Wistar rats. The results of sciatic functional index, hot plate latency, weight-loss percentage of the wet gastrocnemius muscle and the histopathological examination using hematoxylin–eosin staining demonstrated that the GBP-containing scaffold significantly enhanced the regeneration of the created injury, which demonstrates its applicability for neural tissue engineering applications.

The hydrogel efficacy of taurine-loaded chitosan nanoparticle/alginate hydrogel was investigated for controlled release of the taurine substrate, which is known as an antioxidative drug. The composition of the fabricated hydrogels was explored by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. The swelling ability and degradation rate of hydrogels were also analyzed in phosphate-buffered saline at the physiological condition and alginate lyase for a period of 21 days. Moreover, morphologies and structure of hydrogels and cells were determined using a scanning electron microscope. The possible cytotoxicity of the fabricated hydrogel was carried out by seeding endometrial stem cells on hydrogels. The results demonstrated that hydrogel of chitosan nanoparticle/alginate hydrogel successfully controlled the release of taurine. We observed that the chitosan nanoparticle/alginate hydrogel possessed adjust swelling ability and degradation rate as compared to neat alginate hydrogel. The results proved that the chitosan nanoparticle/alginate hydrogel is non-cytotoxic and could be utilized as a promising composition in tissue engineering and drug delivery systems.

Porous alginate/polyvinyl alcohol hybrid scaffolds have been extensively used in cartilage, bone, and dental tissue substitute applications. However, its mechanical and osteogenesis properties are not good enough to meet the requirement for use in hard tissues repair applications. In this study, to achieve the best mechanical and physical properties, we carried out the cross-linking of PVA physically and alginate chemically. Hydroxyapatite nanoparticles (nHA), the important component of hard tissues, was added to the hydrogel to improve its mechanical properties and osteoconductivity. The results showed that the fabricated alginate/polyvinyl alcohol-nHA scaffold has around 81% interconnected porosity, hydrophilic surface with the contact angle of water on the surface in the range of 38 ± 0.29°, 3.51 MPa compressive strength, and a degradation rate of 71%. The periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs) culture results showed that both fabricated alginate/polyvinyl alcohol hybrid scaffolds with and without nHA had good cell attachment ability and could promote PDLSCs ingrowth. The real-time RT-PCR assay showed that the presence of nHA in the alginate/polyvinyl alcohol hybrid scaffold could significantly accelerate the expression of specific markers of pre- and mature osteoblast stages such as osteocalcin, alkaline phosphate, and osteopontin genes. These results showed that alginate/polyvinyl alcohol hybrid scaffolds with hydroxyapatite nanoparticles can be used in bone and dental substitute applications as osteoconductive and reinforcement components.

Hybrid electrospun fiber containing bioactive molecules, which offer the ability to deliver the cells into the wound bed, will help to achieve a high therapeutic effect. In this study, an electrospun polycaperlactone (PCL) and gelatin (Gela) scaffold containing curcumin loaded chitosan nanoparticle (NCs/Cur) was used to evaluate in vivo wound healing ability of the fabricated scaffolds. The electrospun hybrid scaffold seeded with human endometrial stem cells (EnSCs) showed desirable biocompatibility with the host immune system and wound healing ability in a full-thickness excisional animal model. The constructs were characterized for structural, mechanical and biochemical properties. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) confirmed all typical absorption characteristics of PCL and Gela polymers as well as NCs and Cur. The results showed the perfect contact angle, wettability and degradability of hybrid fiber scaffolds with the good mechanical and structural characteristics including shape uniformity, pore size and porosity. The cell attachment and proliferation on the PCL/Gela/NCs/Cur was higher than PCL and PCL/Gela scaffolds. In term of the capability of hybrid scaffold and EnSCs in histological analysis, this novel tissue-engineered construct could be suggested as a skin substitute to repair injured skin and regenerative medicine application.

As skin defects cannot regenerate by themselves, tissue engineering through tissue-mimicking scaffolds holds promise for treating such defects. In this study, cellulose acetate (CA)-based three-dimensional scaffolds were produced using the wet-electrospinning technique, and the influence of concentrations on the properties of the wet-electrospun scaffolds was investigated for the first time. CA with concentrations of 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12 and 14 % (w/v) were dissolved in acetone to fabricate the scaffolds. Wet electrospinning was carried out under an applied voltage of 15 kV and a tip-to-bath distance of 10 cm into the aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) (pH ~13) as a coagulation bath. The specimens with concentrations of 4–7 % (w/v) just produced droplets. The concentration of 8 % (w/v) produced beaded fibers, and the fibers of 9, 10, 12 and 14 % (w/v) were almost oriented in a random, dispersive manner and formed a non-woven structure morphology under scanning electron microscope (SEM) observation. The porosity measurement via the liquid displacement method showed that all scaffolds could not meet the accepted ideal porosity percentage of above 80 %, and the highest recorded porosity percentage was 69.5 % for the 12 % (w/v) scaffold. The contact angle measurement data displayed the high hydrophobicity of all scaffolds, which was expected because of the hydrophobic nature of CA. In vitro L929 mouse fibroblast cell culture demonstrated that all scaffolds presented a non-toxic environment and enhanced cell proliferation and attachment.

This study aimed to investigate the potential of a composite poly(lactic acid)/polycaprolactone (PLA/PCL) blend electrospun nanofiber containing both nano-hydroxyapatite (nHA) and zeolite for promoting the proliferation of human dental pulp-derived stem cells (hDPSCs) with possible application in dental tissue engineering. For this purpose, nHA and Zeolite were synthesized via the hydrothermal method and their morphological features and crystals properties were studied by FE-SEM and X-ray diffraction, respectively. PCL-PLA/nHA/zeolite nanofibers were fabricated via electrospinning and characterized through FT-IR and water contact angle measurement methods. Then, the viability and adhesion of hDPSCs on the fibers were investigated by MTT assay and FE-SEM, respectively. The results showed that the viability of hDPSCs on the PCL-PLA/Zeolite scaffolds was significantly improved after 1, 7 and 14 days of culturing and maximum enhancing on the cell viability was detected after 3 days on PCL-PLA/nHA scaffolds (P ≤ 0.001). After 7 and 14 days of incubation, cell growth on the scaffolds containing both nHA and Zeolite was better than the nanofibers which were loaded with nHA alone. Briefly, these results revealed that Zeolite-loaded nanofiber is the most suitable scaffold for bone and tooth tissue engineering applications. More studies are required to investigate the efficiency of zeolite-based nanofibrous scaffolds for the development of artificial scaffolds for dental tissue regeneration.

The efficacy of Alginate/ Polyvinyl alcohol/ Hydroxyapatite nanopowders (Alg/PVA/HANPs) mats was investigated for increasing periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs) differentiation into the osteoblast cells. The Alg/PVA/HANPs nanofibers were fabricated through electospinning process and following ionic crosslinking of Ca+2 and glutaraldehyde crosslinkers. The physical features of mats and expression of osteoblast cell markers were evaluated. Results showed the diameter of nanofiber increases with decreasing the incorporation of HANPs in Alg/PVA nanofiber. According to MTT assay the viability of cells on scaffolds are better in the all of groups, so the scaffolds were not toxic for the cultured cells. The osteogenic culture media appropriately enhanced osteopontin and osteocalcin markers. Furthermore, in vitro study indicated that the Alg/PVA/HANPs nanofiber provided a suitable three-dimensional structure for osteoblast cells differentiation. Thus, the Alg/PVA/HANPs scaffold can be recommended for in bone repair.

The present study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of cellulose acetate/gelatin/nanohydroxyapatite (CA/Gel/nHA) nanocomposite mats as the wound dressing. The dressings were prepared with electrospinning of CA/Gel solutions containing 12.5, 25 and 50 mg nHA. The dressings were evaluated regarding their water uptake capacity, morphology, tensile strength, water vapour transmission rate, wettability and cellular response with L929 cell line. The results showed that the concentration of nHA had a direct correlation with porosity, water contact angle, water uptake, water vapor transmission rate and proliferation. In vivo studies showed that all dressings had higher wound closure percent than the sterile gauze, as the control. The highest wound closure value was achieved in the CA/Gel +25 mg nHA group, which showed 93.5 ± 1.6%. The histological and the histomorphometric examinations of the wounds revealed that the CA/Gel +25 mg nHA dressing had the greatest collagen synthesis, re-epithelialization, neovascularization and also the best cosmetic appearance. Based on our finding, it could be concluded the applicability of electrospun nanofibrous CA/Gel/nHA dressings for successful wound treatment.