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The search for innovative materials for manufacturing skin dressings is constant and high demand. In this context, the present study investigated the effects of a 3D printed skin dressing made of spongin-like collagen (SC) extract from marine sponge ( Chondrilla caribensis ), used in 3 concentrations of SC and alginate (C1, C2, C3). For this proposal, the physicochemical, morphological and in vitro biological results were investigated. The results demonstrated that, after immersion, C2 presented a higher mass loss and C3 present a higher pH in experimental periods. Also, a higher porosity was observed for C1 and C2 skin dressings, with a higher swelling ratio for C2. For Fourier transform infrared, peaks of Amide A, -CH2, -COOH and C-O-C were seen. Moreover, the macroscopic image demonstrated a skin dressing with rough surface and grayish color that is naturally observed in Chondrilla caribensis . For scanning electron microscopy analysis the presence of pores could be observed for all skin dressings, with fibers disposed in layers. The in vitro analyses demonstrated the viability of HFF-1 and L929 cell lines 70% of the values found for cell proliferation compared to Control Group. Furthermore, the cell adhesion analysis demonstrated that both cell lines adhered to the 3 different skin dressings and non-cytotoxicity was observed. Taking together, all the results suggest that the skin dressings are biocompatible and present non-cytotoxicity in the in vitro studies, being considered a suitable material for tissue engineering proposals., (© 2025 IOP Publishing Ltd. All rights, including for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies, are reserved.)

Biosilica (BS) and spongin (SPG) from marine sponges are highlighted for their potential to promote bone regeneration. Moreover, 3D printing is introduced as a technology for producing bone grafts with optimized porous structures, allowing for better cell attachment, proliferation, and differentiation. Thus, this study aimed to characterize the BS and BS/SPG 3D printed scaffolds and to evaluate the biological effects in vitro. The scaffolds were printed using an ink containing 4 wt.% of sodium alginate. The physicochemical characteristics of BS and BS/SPG 3D printed scaffolds were analyzed by SEM, EDS, FTIR, porosity, evaluation of mass loss, and pH measurement. For in vitro analysis, the cellular viability of the MC3T3-E1 cell lineage was assessed using the AlamarBlue ® assay and confocal microscopy, while genotoxicity and mineralization potential were evaluated through the micronucleus assay and Alizarin Red S, respectively. SEM analysis revealed spicules in BS, the fibrillar structure of SPG, and material degradation over the immersion period. FTIR indicated peaks corresponding to silicon oxide in BS samples and carbon oxide and amine in SPG samples. BS-SPG scaffolds exhibited higher porosity, while BS scaffolds displayed greater mass loss. pH measurements indicated a significant decrease induced by BS, which was mitigated by SPG over the experimental periods. In vitro studies demonstrated the biocompatibility and non-cytotoxicity of scaffold extracts. .Also, the scaffolds promoted cellular differentiation. The micronucleus test further confirmed the absence of genotoxicity. These findings suggest that 3D printed BS and BS/SPG scaffolds may possess desirable morphological and physicochemical properties, indicating in vitro biocompatibility., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

The inorganic part of marine sponges, called Biosilica (BS), presents an osteogenic potential and the ability of consolidating fractures. Moreover, 3D printing technique is highly effective for manufacturing scaffolds for tissue engineering proposals. Thus, the aims of this study were to characterize the 3D rinted scaffolds, to evaluate the biological effects in vitro and to investigate the in vivo response using an experimental model of cranial defects in rats. The physicochemical characteristics of 3D printed BS scaffolds were analyzed by FTIR, EDS, calcium assay, evaluation of mass loss and pH measurement. For in vitro analysis, the MC3T3-E1 and L929 cells viability was evaluated. For the in vivo evaluation, histopathology, morphometrical and immunohistochemistry analyses were performed in a cranial defect in rats. After the incubation, the 3D printed BS scaffolds presented lower values in pH and mass loss over time. Furthermore, the calcium assay showed an increased Ca uptake. The FTIR analysis indicated the characteristic peaks for materials with silica and the EDS analysis demonstrated the main presence of silica. Moreover, 3D printed BS demonstrated an increase in MC3T3-E1 and L929 cell viability in all periods analyzed. In addition, the histological analysis demonstrated no inflammation in days 15 and 45 post-surgery, and regions of newly formed bone were also observed. The immunohistochemistry analysis demonstrated increased Runx-2 and OPG immunostaining. Those findings support that 3D printed BS scaffolds may improve the process of bone repair in a critical bone defect as a result of stimulation of the newly formed bone., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: Previous studies have experimentally validated and reported that chemical constituents of marine sponges are a source of natural anti-inflammatory substances with the biotechnological potential to develop novel drugs., Aims: Therefore, the aim of this study was to perform a systematic review to provide an overview of the anti-inflammatory substances isolated from marine sponges with therapeutic potential., Methods: This systematic review was performed on the Embase, PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science electronic databases. In total, 613 were found, but 340 duplicate studies were excluded, only 100 manuscripts were eligible, and 83 were included., Results: The results were based on in vivo and in vitro assays, and the anti-inflammatory effects of 251 bioactive compounds extracted from marine sponges were investigated. Their anti-inflammatory activities include inhibition of pro-inflammatory mediators, such as tumor necrosis factor- α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), nitrite or nitric oxide (NO), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), interleukin 1β (IL-1β), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), phospholipase A2 (PLA2), nuclear transcription factor-kappa B (NF-κB), leukotriene B4 (LTB4), cyclooxygenase- 1 (COX-1), and superoxide radicals., Conclusion: In conclusion, data suggest (approximately 98% of articles) that substances obtained from marine sponges may be promising for the development of novel anti-inflammatory drugs for the treatment of different pathological conditions., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Malaria is an infectious disease caused by protozoan parasites of the Plasmodium genus through the bite of female Anopheles mosquitoes, affecting 228 million people and causing 415 thousand deaths in 2018. Artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) are the most recommended treatment for malaria; however, the emergence of multidrug resistance has unfortunately limited their effects and challenged the field. In this context, the ocean and its rich biodiversity have emerged as a very promising resource of bioactive compounds and secondary metabolites from different marine organisms. This systematic review of the literature focuses on the advances achieved in the search for new antimalarials from marine sponges, which are ancient organisms that developed defense mechanisms in a hostile environment. The principal inclusion criterion for analysis was articles with compounds with IC 50 below 10 µM or 10 µg/mL against P. falciparum culture. The secondary metabolites identified include alkaloids, terpenoids, polyketides endoperoxides and glycosphingolipids. The structural features of active compounds selected in this review may be an interesting scaffold to inspire synthetic development of new antimalarials for selectively targeting parasite cell metabolism.

Biomaterials and bone grafts, with the ability of stimulating tissue growth and bone consolidation, have been emerging as very promising strategies to treat bone fractures. Despite its well-known positive effects of biosilicate (BS) on osteogenesis, its use as bone grafts in critical situations such as bone defects of high dimensions or in non-consolidated fractures may not be sufficient to stimulate tissue repair. Consequently, several approaches have been explored to improve the bioactivity of BS. A promising strategy to reach this aim is the inclusion of an organic part, such as collagen, in order to mimic bone structure. Thus, the present study investigated the biological effects of marine spongin (SPG)-enriched BS composites on the process of healing, using a critical experimental model of cranial bone defect in rats. Histopathological and immunohistochemistry analyzes were performed after two and six weeks of implantation to investigate the effects of the material on bone repair (supplemental material-graphical abstract). Histological analysis demonstrated that for both BS and BS/SPG, similar findings were observed, with signs of material degradation, the presence of granulation tissue along the defect area and newly formed bone into the area of the defect. Additionally, histomorphometry showed that the control group presented higher values for Ob.S/BS (%) and for N.Ob/T.Ar (mm 2 ) (six weeks post-surgery) compared to BS/SPG and higher values of N.Ob/T.Ar (mm 2 ) compared to BS (two weeks post-surgery). Moreover, BS showed higher values for OV/TV (%) compared to BS/SPG (six weeks post-surgery). Also, VEGF immunohistochemistry was increased for BS (two weeks post-surgery) and for BS/SPG (six weeks) compared to CG. TGFb immunostaining was higher for BS compared to CG. The results of this study demonstrated that the BS and BS/SPG scaffolds were biocompatible and able to support bone formation in a critical bone defect in rats. Moreover, an increased VEGF immunostaining was observed in BS/SPG.

One of the most promising strategies to improve the biological performance of bone grafts is the combination of different biomaterials. In this context, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of the incorporation of marine spongin (SPG) into Hydroxyapatite (HA) for bone tissue engineering proposals. The hypothesis of the current study is that SPG into HA would improve the biocompatibility of material and would have a positive stimulus into bone formation. Thus, HA and HA/SPG materials were produced and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis was performed to characterize the samples. Also, in order to evaluate the in vivo tissue response, samples were implanted into a tibial bone defect in rats. Histopathological, immunohistochemistry, and biomechanical analyses were performed after 2 and 6 weeks of implantation to investigate the effects of the material on bone repair. The histological analysis demonstrated that composite presented an accelerated material degradation and enhanced newly bone formation. Additionally, histomorphometry analysis showed higher values of %BV/TV and N.Ob/T.Ar for HA/SPG. Runx-2 immunolabeling was higher for the composite group and no difference was found for VEGF. Moreover, the biomechanical analysis demonstrated similar values for all groups. These results indicated the potential of SPG to be used as an additive to HA to improve the biological performance for bone regeneration applications. However, further long-term studies should be carried out to provide additional information regarding the material degradation and bone regeneration.

Marine life and its rich biodiversity provide a plentiful resource of potential new products for the society. Remarkably, marine organisms still remain a largely unexploited resource for biotechnology applications. Among them, marine sponges are sessile animals from the phylum Porifera dated at least from 580 million years ago. It is known that molecules from marine sponges present a huge therapeutic potential in a wide range of applications mainly due to its antitumor, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and antibiotic effects. In this context, this article reviews all the information available in the literature about the potential of the use of marine sponges for bone tissue engineering applications. First, one of the properties that make sponges interesting as bone substitutes is their structural characteristics. Most species have an efficient interconnected porous architecture, which allows them to process a significant amount of water and facilitates the flow of fluids, mimicking an ideal bone scaffold. Second, sponges have an organic component, the spongin, which is analogous to vertebral collagen, the most widely used natural polymer for tissue regeneration. Last, osteogenic properties of marine sponges is also highlighted by their mineral content, such as biosilica and other compounds, that are able to support cell growth and to stimulate bone formation and mineralization. This review focuses on recent studies concerning these interesting properties, as well as on some challenges to be overcome in the bone tissue engineering field. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 105B: 1717-1727, 2017., (© 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)