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In the present study, the effects of bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) on regulation of rat osteoblast (ROB) maturation in vitro were investigated. It was found that the proliferation, differentiation and mineralization of ROBs were all dose-dependently increased at particular times in the case of treatment with only one growth factor. To investigate the effects of combined treatment, ROBs were treated with either a single application of a relatively high dose of each growth factor, or binary/triple combined applications of relatively low doses of the growth factors. Osteogenic differentiation was significantly promoted in the triple combination treatment of BMP-2, VEGF and bFGF compared with the single or binary combination treatments. The optimal timing of the triple combination to enhance osteogenesis was also tested. When bFGF and VEGF were added in the early stage, and BMP-2 and VEGF were added in the late stage, osteogenic differentiation of ROBs could be enhanced more effectively. These results could be used to construct bone tissue engineering scaffolds that release growth factors sequentially.

The effects in vitro of a novel multiphase glass-ceramic (with nominal composition of 43.19% CaO, 7.68% MgO, and 49.13% SiO2 in weight percent) on cell adhesion, proliferation, differentiation and ultrastructure of human osteosarcoma cell line MG63, mouse fibroblasts L929, and human lung adenocarcinoma epithelial cell line A549 were investigated in this research. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) micrographs revealed that the surface morphology of this glass-ceramic was beneficial to cell adhesion. The glass-ceramic extracts at certain concentrations could stimulate the proliferation and differentiation of MG63 and L929 cells, whereas inhibit A549 proliferation, which might be resulted from the released Si ions. In addition, when cultured with 0.1mg/mL glass-ceramic powder suspension, the cell ultrastructure of MG63 showed abundant organelles and L929 displayed the phenomena of cellular stress response. While more interestingly, A549 exhibited chromatin condensation, mitochondria swell and RER expansion, which was presumed to be early signs of apoptosis. These results suggest that this novel CaO-MgO-SiO2-based multiphase glass-ceramic has potential for bone regeneration and tissue engineering applications., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Neuro-cytotoxicity of iron oxide nanoparticles (NPs) need to be considered. In this paper, magnetic Fe3O4 NPs are synthesized via a bio-mineralization process using silk fibroin (SF) as template. The prepared NPs with SF (SF-NPs) have more uniform grain size, better stability in weakly alkaline solution and higher saturation magnetization (about 82 emu/g) than pure NPs. After exposure to different concentration of SF-NPs (6.25-100 μg/mL), the reactive oxygen species generation in PC12 cells reduced compared with pure NPs. 1-5d treatment with SF-NPs did not destroy cell membrane and cyto-skeleton, and could improve the neurites extension in a dose-dependent manner at lower concentration (6.25-50 μg/mL), because SF peptide coating could delay the release of iron ions and the increase of surface crystal defects of NPs. Intact mitochondria in a neurite indicate the extension activity of neurites of cells treated with SF-NPs. Their high magnetic property and good neural-cytocompatibility provide the possibility of SF-NPs to be used as the contrast agents in brain MRI or the carrier of neural therapeutic drugs., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Angiogenesis, a complex biologic process, is regulated by a large number of angiogenic factors, including vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2). Whether Bone morphogenetic proteins-2 (BMP-2), the osteoinductive factor, could significantly reinforce the effect of VEGF and FGF-2 on angiogenesis has not been studied in detail. To study the positive effects of multiple growth factors on angiogenesis, HUVECs were treated with BMP-2, VEGF, or FGF-2 singly and in binary and ternary combinations. This study further investigates the optimal timing of the ternary combination of BMP-2, VEGF and FGF-2 for angiogenesis in the chorioallantoic membrane (FGF-2 CAM). Results of single applications of BMP-2, VEGF, or FGF-2 suggested that HUVECs angiogenesis could be promoted in a dose-dependent manner and that the optimal concentration of BMP, VEGF and FGF-2 was 10, 50 and 1 ng/mL, respectively. These results indicated that the angiogenic activity of VEGF and FGF-2 was amplified by combining with BMP-2. The ternary combination of BMP-2, VEGF and FGF-2 exhibited a positive and synergistic effect on HUVECs angiogenesis, with the lower concentrations of each factor (1 ng/mL of BMP-2, 25 ng/mL of VEGF and 0.1 ng/mL of FGF-2) being sufficient to show synergistic promotion. When VEGF and FGF-2 were added in the initial activation stage and BMP-2 was added in the maturation stage, both HUVECs angiogenesis in vitro and CAM angiogenesis in vivo could be enhanced more effectively. These results could provide a basis for the controlled release systems capable of delivering multiple factors sequentially to promote angiogenesis in tissue engineering.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a malignant disease that is prevalent all around the world, especially in Asia. The combined detection of four common HCC markers, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), carbohydrate antigen 125 (CA125) and 19-9 (CA19-9), can significantly improve the accuracy of early screening and diagnosis of this disease, which is very important for its effective treatment in a curable stage. In this article, hierarchical ZnO column arrays with core-shell structure were prepared, and specific antibodies of HCC markers were successfully conjugated onto ZnO arrays via the carbodiimide chemistry. The photoluminescence (PL) intensity of antibody-ZnO increased after HCC markers were bound. In the range of 0.5-15 ng/mL for AFP or CEA (or 0.5-15 U/mL for CA125 or CA19-9), the apparent linear relations between the PL enhancements and the concentrations of HCC markers offered simple standard curve for HCC detection in serum samples, indicating that the PL-enhanced antibody-ZnO arrays could be utilized in early clinical screening. A preliminary mechanism of PL intensity enhancement can be established based on this work.

Discovery of peptide ligands that can target human ovarian cancer and deliver chemotherapeutics offers new opportunity for cancer therapy. The advent of phage-displayed peptide library facilitated the screening of such peptides. In vivo screening that set in a microanatomic and functional context was applied in our study, and a novel peptide WSGPGVWGASVK targeting ovarian cancer was isolated. The phage clone PC3-1 displaying peptide WSGPGVWGASVK can gain effective access to accumulate in the tumor sites after intravenous injection while reducing its accumulation in normal organs. Positive immunostaining of PC3-1 was located in both sites of tumor cells and tumor blood vessels, which resulted in a diffuse binding pattern through the tumor. In vitro study results confirmed the capability of peptide WSGPGVWGASVK binding to and being internalized by both tumor cells and angiogenic endothelial cells. Flow cytometry analysis revealed that the peptide bound to SKOV3 cells with Kd value of 5.43 ± 0.4 μM. Taken together, it suggested that peptide WSGPGVWGASVK is a lead candidate for delivering therapeutics to penetrate into tumors., (Copyright © 2013 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

By the first principle calculations based on the van der Waals density functional theory, we study the crystal structures and electronic properties of La-doped phenanthrene. Two stable atomic geometries of La₁phenanthrene are obtained by relaxation of atomic positions from various initial structures. The structure-I is a metal with two energy bands crossing the Fermi level, while the structure-II displays a semiconducting state with an energy gap of 0.15 eV, which has an energy gain of 0.42 eV per unit cell compared to the structure-I. The most striking feature of La₁phenanthrene is that La 5d electrons make a significant contribution to the total density of state around the Fermi level, which is distinct from potassium doped phenanthrene and picene. Our findings provide an important foundation for the understanding of superconductivity in La-doped phenanthrene.

The mesostructured cellular foams (MCFs) were synthesized in aqueous hydrochloric acid by using dilute Pluronic P123 solutions in the presence of 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene (TMB) as organic cosolvent. And the amino-functionalized MCFs (NH₂-MCFs) were prepared from primary MCFs by post-synthesis method using 3-aminopropyl-trimethoxysilane (APTMS) as the chemical modifier. The SEM and TEM observations showed the similar morphologies and pore structures of both MCFs and NH₂-MCFs, indicating that the surface modification had little effect on the morphologies and pore structures. Glucose oxidase (GOD) was physically adsorbed on MCFs and NH₂-MCFs at different pH. The maximum immobilized amount of GOD on NH₂-MCFs (487 mg g⁻¹) was much higher than that of MCFs (216 mg g⁻¹) at pH 5.0. The larger loading capacity of NH₂-MCFs suggested that the electrostatic interaction was the dominant force for GOD adsorption. Furthermore, the immobilized GOD exhibited improved thermal and storable stabilities. The GOD immobilized on NH₂-MCFs (NH₂-MCFs-GOD) still maintained 80% of initial activity after incubation at 60°C for 1 h, whereas the free GOD and the GOD immobilized on MCFs (MCFs-GOD) remained only 40% and 60%, respectively. Moreover, after stored at 4°C for 30 days, the free GOD, the MCFs-GOD and the NH₂-MCFs-GOD retained 37%, 52% and 73% of initial activities, respectively. Based on these results, possible mechanisms were also discussed., (Copyright © 2013 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Peptides are emerging as pharmaceutical agents in cancer therapy. The peptide, TLSGAFELSRDK (TLS) is a targeting ligand that can specifically triggers cellular uptake by binding to SKOV3 cells. Cell surface proteins and the C-terminal basic residues of the TLS are required for effective cell penetration, and the uptake process is energy-dependent. It inhibited the proliferation of SKOV3 cells and induced early-stage apoptosis by down-regulation of Bcl-2 expression mediated through a caspase-dependent pathway. The synergistic anti-proliferative effects of the peptide TLS and doxorubicin on SKOV3 cells were further investigated. Taken together, TLS, acting as a combination of a targeted ligand and a therapeutic agent, was a promising candidate for the development of peptide-based therapies in ovarian cancer.

In order to obtain magnetic nanorods (MNRs) with the neuro-cytocompatibility, silk-fibroin (SF)-coated Zn-ferrite NRs are successfully prepared via a mineralization process, and their saturation magnetization is 32emu g(-)(1). After the mineralization of 2d and 4d in the mixed solution of the concentrations of 15w/w% SF and 0.01M HCl, the lengths of NRs are ∼220nm and ∼2μm, respectively. Cell tests of NRs with 220nm length showed that the as-prepared Zn-ferrite NRs hardly produced toxicity on Escherichiacoli, Staphylococcusaureus, L929, and PC12 cells. The results of the outgrown neurites from PC12 cells indicated that the neurite length and the number of neurites were not significantly decreased at the low concentrations of SF-coated NRs (less than 0.25mg mL(-)(1)) in 1-5d culture time. TEM images of cell ultrathin sections indicated that, although Zn-ferrite NRs were split in the cytosol for 5d at the NR concentrations of 0.125mg mL(-)(1), some integrated mitochondria in a neurite suggested that SF-coated NRs inside cells did not influence the extension activity of neurites. Based on the good neuro-cytocompatibility and magnetic property of Zn-ferrite NRs, their potential applications in safe cell manipulation and axon guidance can be envisioned., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

In order to fabricate a tissue scaffold with the neurotrophic and electrical activities, conductive nerve growth factor (NGF)-conjugated polypyrrole-poly(l-lactic acid) (PPy-PLLA) composite fibers were prepared by oxidation polymerization and EDC chemistry with poly-l-lysine. PPy nanoparticles (∼70nm diameter) accumulated on PLLA fiber surface to form a rough thick shell (∼200nm thickness). These NGF-conjugated PPy-PLLA fibers could support PC12 neurite outgrowth and extension. Especially, 40% and 74% increase in PC12 neurite outgrowth and extension, respectively, could be obtained under electrical stimulation of 100mV/cm voltages through the composite fibers. A mechanism for the interaction between neurite extension and the NGF-conjugated PPy-PLLA fibers under electro-stimulation was proposed, to explain the synergistic effect of the rough PPy shell, conjugated NGF and electricity on neurite outgrowth and elongation., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Many kinds of cancer are difficult to treat because of their highly metastatic abilities. Thus, seeking new anticancer drugs or therapy strategies, which could reduce the motility of cancer cells or inhibit the migration and invasion of the cells, is an urgent affair. Several recent reports suggest various techniques (such as layer-by-layer assembly and biomimetic mineralization) aimed to functionalize human cells and microbial with polyelectrolytes, nanoparticles, or mineral coatings. Inspired by these studies, an artificial mineral shell could be formed to enclose cancer cells under the regulation of SIBLINGs-like proteins. Consequently, the connection between the cancer cell and substrate would be interfered or inhibited. Therefore, the motility of cancer cells would be weakened or inhibited due to the restriction of the artificial mineral shell. This hypothetical strategy might be as a new concept for cancer therapy., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Morphine-loaded poly(L-lactide)-poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(L-lactide) (PLLA-PEG-PLLA) microparticles were prepared using solution enhanced dispersion by supercritical CO2 (SEDS). The effects of process variables on the morphology, particles size, drug loading (DL), encapsulation efficiency and release properties of the microparticles were investigated. All particles showed spherical or ellipsoidal shape with the mean diameter of 2.04-5.73 μm. The highest DL of 17.92 % was obtained when the dosage ratio of morphine to PLLA-PEG-PLLA reached 1:5, and the encapsulation efficiency can be as high as 87.31 % under appropriate conditions. Morphine-loaded PLLA-PEG-PLLA microparticles displayed short-term release with burst release followed by sustained release within days or long-term release lasted for weeks. The degradation test of the particles showed that the degradation rate of PLLA-PEG-PLLA microparticles was faster than that of PLLA microparticles. The results collectively suggest that PLLA-PEG-PLLA can be a promising candidate polymer for the controlled release system.

There is an urgency to prepare non-neurotoxic nanoparticles (NPs) as MRI contrast agent. We prepared ZnFe2O4 NPs with monocrystal structure in the template of silk-fibroin (SF) peptide at room temperature. Analyses of their crystallite size and NPs diameter after the growth of 1 d and 8 d indicated that SF peptide could promote nucleation, growth and dispersion of NPs. Results of EDS, Raman and TG proved that there was 4 wt% of the chemical composition of SF in as-prepared NPs. A possible growth mechanism of ZnFe2O4 NPs in the template of SF is proposed. The saturation magnetizations of NPs with SF (SF-NPs) were about 15 and 30 emu/g for 1 and 8 d, respectively. SF-NPs obviously promoted the viability of PC12 cells at NPs concentration of 0.0625 mg/mL in 2 d and 5 d of co-culture. Analysis of neurite length indicated no significant decreases of the experimental groups at different SF-NPs concentrations (from 0.0625 to 0.5 mg/mL) after 5 d cell co-culture, because SF peptide coating could slow the release of iron/zinc ions from NPs. Furthermore, SF-NPs did not destroy the organelles, karyotheca and the neurite using the observation in the cell ultrathin sections. Based on their good magnetic property and neuro-cytocompatibility, the potential application of ZnFe2O4 NPs with SF as MRI contrast agents would be envisioned., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Fe3O4 nanoparticles (NPs) coated with WSG-peptide were prepared via a facile biomineralization technique at room temperature. The concentration of the peptides and the mixing time could substantially influence the morphology of as-prepared particles. The saturation magnetization of WSG-coated Fe3O4 particles were 35.92 emu/g, slightly higher than that of Fe3O4 without WSG peptides. Cell viability assay revealed that WSG-coated Fe3O4 particles had a good cellular compatibility. In addition, compared with Fe3O4 NPs, the mineralized Fe3O4 NPs coated with WSG peptides could more easily assemble into the cancer cell, indicating that the WSG-Fe3O4 NPs possess cancer targeting property. Thus, the WSG-coated Fe3O4 NPs could be used in cancer diagnosis and treatment fields., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Angiogenesis is a key component of bone formation. Delivery of growth factors for both angiogenesis and osteogenesis is about to gain important potential as a future therapeutic tool. This review focuses on these growth factors that have dual functions in angiogenesis and osteogenesis, and their localized application. A major hurdle in the clinical development of growth factor therapy so far is how to assure safe and efficacious therapeutic use of such factors and avoid unwanted side effects and toxicity. It is now firmly established from the available information that the type, dose, combinations and delivery kinetics of growth factors all play a decisive role for the success of growth factor therapy. All of these parameters have to be adapted and optimized for each animal model or clinical case. In this review we discuss some important parameters associated with growth factor therapy and present an overview of selected preclinical studies, followed by a conceptual description of both established and proposed delivery strategies meeting therapeutic needs., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were treated with bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) dose-dependently and time-dependently. Together they caused a strong synergistic effect on the osteogenic differentiation of MSCs, with lower concentrations of each factor being enough to show the synergistic promotion (50 ng BMP-2/ml, 1 ng VEGF/ml and 10 ng bFGF/ml). When both VEGF and bFGF were added in the early proliferating stage (the first 7 days) and BMP-2 was added in the late differentiation stage (the last 7 days), osteogenic differentiation of MSCs could be enhanced more effectively.

Co-doped ZnO particles were successfully prepared via a facile biomineralization process in the template of silk-fibroin (SF) peptides at room temperature, and SF peptides were coated onto the surface of particles. The ratio of Zn/Co in reactive solution could substantially influence the morphology of as-prepared particles, and the rough spherical particles including some nanoparticles of 50 nm diameters could be obtained at 4:1 ratio of Zn/Co. The saturation magnetization of SF-coated Co-ZnO particles was 8.63 emu/g, much larger than that of Co-ZnO without SF. L929 cell test revealed that the Co-doped ZnO particles had a good cellular compatibility at the concentration of less than 0.25 mg/mL due to silk-peptide coating, indicating that the prepared Co-doped ZnO particles have a potential for the biomedical applications., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Specific antibody of Human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) was conjugated onto hierarchical ZnO arrays through the carbodiimide technique, and the photoluminescence (PL) intensity of ZnO arrays were enhanced linearly with the linked antibody concentration in the range of 40-160 ng/mL, which resulted from the nano sheet structure and rough surface in hierarchical ZnO columns. After the specific combination between antigen and antibody on hierarchical ZnO arrays, the enhanced PL intensity of ZnO arrays was also basically linear with the concentration of HCG antigen. Thus, detection of HCG antigen in the range of 2-20 ng/mL was achieved based on PL intensity enhancement, suggesting that the prepared ZnO arrays are envisioned to be applied in the detection of early tumor markers in future., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Understanding magnetism and electron correlation in many unconventional superconductors is essential to explore mechanism of superconductivity. In this work, we perform a systematic numerical study of the magnetic and pair binding properties in recently discovered polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) superconductors including alkali-metal-doped picene, coronene, phenanthrene, and dibenzopentacene. The π-electrons on the carbon atoms of a single molecule are modelled by the one-orbital Hubbard model, and the energy difference [Formula: see text] between carbon atoms with and without hydrogen bonds is taking into account. We demonstrate that the spin polarized ground state is realized for charged molecules in the physical parameter regions, which provides a reasonable explanation of local spins observed in PAHs. In alkali-metal-doped dibenzopentacene, our results show that electron correlation may produce an effective attraction between electrons for the charged molecule with one or three added electrons.

Silk fibroin (SF)-coated Fe(3)O(4) nanoparticles (NPs) with good superparamagnetism were successfully prepared via a bio-mineralization process at room temperature. Two cell tests revealed that mineralized SF-coated Fe(3)O(4) NPs presented good cytocompatibility for L929 and osteoblast cells and higher cell density after 5 d with high concentrations of SF-coated Fe(3)O(4) NPs (up to 0.5 mg/mL). These resulted from SF surface coating on NPs, nano-surface morphology and iron ion release of Fe(3)O(4) NPs. The mineralized SF-coated Fe(3)O(4) NPs could be envisioned for various bone orthopedic and therapeutic applications, in which SF-coated NPs location is controlled through an external magnetic field to promoted bone growth., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Zinc oxide nanoparticles (NPs) with the size of ∼100 nm were prepared via a facile biomineralization process in the template of silk fibroin (SF) peptide at room temperature. These ZnO NPs have shown the remarkable behavior of low toxicity to gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus agalactiae), gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli), and eukaryotic cells (mouse L929 fibroblasts). Bacteriological testing indicated that ZnO NPs presented a 50% inhibitory effect on Streptococcus agalactiae at the concentrations of >100 mM, whereas at the same concentrations, the growth of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli were hardly inhibited. On the other hand, a remarkable proliferation of Staphylococcus aureus or Escherichia coli was observed at the concentrations of ZnO NPs <50 mM. Moreover, the cytotoxicity test demonstrated that ZnO NPs mineralized with SF peptide possessed a low toxicity to mouse L929 fibroblasts. The SF peptide coated on the surface of ZnO NPs permitted greater adhesion and consequently greater proliferation of mouse L929 fibroblasts. Besides, from TEM micrographs of the cell ultrastructure, endocytosis of NPs into the cytoplasm can be detected and the ultrastructure of the cell underwent few changes. The cell membrane retained integrity, euchromatin dispersed homogenously inside the cytoplasm, the mitochondrial architecture remained intact, and no intracellular vacuoles were observed. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy images and selected area electron diffraction patterns of ultrathin cell sections indicated that the crystal structure of NPs was not damaged by the organelle or cytoplasm. All these observations indicated that ZnO NPs mineralized with the SF peptide possess good cytocompatibility.

The sub-micron glass-ceramic powders in CaO-MgO-SiO(2) system with 10 wt% B(2)O(3) additive were synthesized by sol-gel process. Then bioactive porous CaO-MgO-SiO(2) glass-ceramic coatings on Ti-6Al-4V alloy substrates were fabricated using electrophoretic deposition (EPD) technique. After being calcined at 850°C, the above coatings with thickness of 10-150 μm were uniform and crack-free, possessing porous structure with sub-micron and micron size connected pores. Ethanol was employed as the most suitable solvent to prepare the suspension for EPD. The coating porous appearance and porosity distribution could be controlled by adjusting the suspension concentration, applied voltage and deposition time. The heat-treated coatings possessed high crystalline and was mainly composed of diopside, akermanite, merwinite, calcium silicate and calcium borate silicate. Bonelike apatite was formed on the coatings after 7 days of soaking in simulated body fluid (SBF). The bonding strength of the coatings was needed to be further improved.

To develop more biomarkers for diagnosis and therapy of ovarian cancer, a 12-mer phage display library was used to isolate peptides that bound specifically to the human ovarian tumor cell line SK-OV-3. After five rounds of in vitro screening, the recovery rate of phages showed a 69-fold increase over the first round of washings and a group of phage clones capable of binding to SK-OV-3 cells were obtained. A phage clone named Z1 with high affinity and specificity to SK-OV-3 cells was identified in vitro. More importantly, the synthetic biotin-labeled peptide, ZP1 (=SVSVGMKPSPRP), which corresponded to the sequence of the inserted fragment of Z1, demonstrated a high specificity to SK-OV-3 cells especially when compared to other cell lines (A2780 and 3T3). ZP1 might therefore be a biomarker for targeting drug delivery in ovarian cancer therapy., (© Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2011)

To combine the advantages of different electrolytes in anodic oxidation, pure titanium samples were anodized in CH(3) COOH electrolyte according to a novel anodizing treatment regime and then in H(2) SO(4) electrolyte in potentialstatic mode. The in vitro bioactivity of the as-prepared titanium samples was evaluated by simulated body fluid (SBF) test. In addition, MG63 osteoblast-like cells were cultured on surfaces of the as-prepared titanium samples to evaluate osteoblast adhesion ability. The titanium samples after the two-step anodization treatment were covered by titania layers of anatase and/or rutile with several micrometres thickness and presented a multi-level porous surface morphology consisting of interlaced grooves about 20-μm wide overlaid with submicron scale pores. The SBF test results showed that the crystal titania layers prepared at appropriate conditions were able to induce apatite-forming in 7 days, indicating that the abundance of surface Ti-OH groups and (101)-oriented rutile structure both played important roles in in vitro bioactivity of titania layers. The cell experiment results showed that the macroscopic grooves could effectively promote osteoblast adhesion and growth and submicron scale pores might be beneficial to osteoblast adhesion. The two-step anodization treatment might be a promising candidate for surface modification of titanium implant., (Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

The aim of this research was to investigate the effect of the chemical composition on the mechanical properties, bioactivity, and cytocompatibility in vitro of bioceramics in the MgO-CaO-SiO(2) system. Three single-phase ceramics (merwinite, akermanite and monticellite ceramics) with different MgO contents were fabricated. The mechanical properties were tested by an electronic universal machine, while the bioactivity in vitro of the ceramics was detected by investigating the bone-like apatite-formation ability in simulated body fluid (SBF), and the cytocompatibility was evaluated through osteoblast proliferation and adhesion assay. The results showed that their mechanical properties were improved from merwinite to akermanite and monticellite ceramics with the increase of MgO contents, whereas the apatite-formation ability in SBF and cell proliferation decreased. Furthermore, osteoblasts could adhere, spread and proliferate on these ceramic wafers. Finally, the elongated appearance and minor filopodia of cells on merwinite ceramic were more obvious than the other two ceramics.

Three new chemical compositions based on the CaO-MgO-SiO(2) system were designed first, and then three novel glass-ceramics (M1, M2, and M3) were prepared by sol-gel method. X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed that they were predominantly composed of akermanite, wollastonite, and dicalcium silicate crystalline phases. The coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of M2 was 10.79 x 10(-6) degrees C(-1), closest to that of Ti-6Al-4V alloy, and the Young's modulus of M2 was 29.73 GPa, similar to that of the cortical bone. The bioactivity in vitro of M2 was evaluated by investigating its bonelike hydroxyapatite (HA)-formation ability in simulated body fluid (SBF), and the biocompatibility in vitro was detected by osteoblast proliferation, differentiation, and adhesion assay. The results revealed that M2 possessed bonelike carbonated hydroxyapatite (CHA)-formation ability in SBF and could significantly stimulate cell proliferation and differentiation. Furthermore, osteoblasts adhered and spread well on M2, indicating good bioactivity and biocompatibility in vitro.

Many biological surfaces in both the plant and animal kingdom possess unusual structural features at the micro- and nanometre-scale that control their interaction with water and hence wettability. An intriguing example is provided by desert beetles, which use micrometre-sized patterns of hydrophobic and hydrophilic regions on their backs to capture water from humid air. As anyone who has admired spider webs adorned with dew drops will appreciate, spider silk is also capable of efficiently collecting water from air. Here we show that the water-collecting ability of the capture silk of the cribellate spider Uloborus walckenaerius is the result of a unique fibre structure that forms after wetting, with the 'wet-rebuilt' fibres characterized by periodic spindle-knots made of random nanofibrils and separated by joints made of aligned nanofibrils. These structural features result in a surface energy gradient between the spindle-knots and the joints and also in a difference in Laplace pressure, with both factors acting together to achieve continuous condensation and directional collection of water drops around spindle-knots. Submillimetre-sized liquid drops have been driven by surface energy gradients or a difference in Laplace pressure, but until now neither force on its own has been used to overcome the larger hysteresis effects that make the movement of micrometre-sized drops more difficult. By tapping into both driving forces, spider silk achieves this task. Inspired by this finding, we designed artificial fibres that mimic the structural features of silk and exhibit its directional water-collecting ability.

Surface-porous titanium samples were prepared by anodic oxidation in H(2)SO(4), H(3)PO(4) and CH(3)COOH electrolytes under various electrochemical conditions. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) were employed to characterize the structure, morphology and chemical composition of the surface layer, respectively. Closer analysis on the effect of the electrochemical conditions on pore configuration was involved. It can be indicated that porous titania was formed on the surface layer, and the pore configuration was influenced by electrolyte composition and crystal structure of the titania. The fibroblast cells experiment showed that anodic oxidation of titanium surface could promote fibroblast adhesion on Ti substrate. The results suggested that anodic oxidation of Ti in CH(3)COOH was suitable to obtain surface-porous titanium oxides layers, which might be beneficial for better soft tissue ingrowths.

Monodispersed single crystalline alpha-GaOOH rods coated by silk fibroin (SF) have been prepared via a facile biomineralization process in the template of SF peptide. The carbon-coated alpha-Ga(2)O(3) and beta-Ga(2)O(3) rods are obtained by thermal treatment of the alpha-GaOOH rods at 600 and 800 degrees C, respectively. In vitro cytotoxicity studies of these gallium oxide rods showed no significant effect leading to restraint of cell proliferation of L929, Hela, and HaCat cells in less than 0.1 mg/mL prepared rods. On the basis of their excellent luminescence emission properties and cellular compatibilities, possible applications for bio-optoelectronic devices can be envisioned.

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of dynamic loading on the in vitro degradation properties of poly(L-lactic acid)/beta-tricalcuim phosphate (PLLA/beta-TCP) composite scaffolds. These scaffolds were prepared by a technique, namely solvent self-proliferating/model compressing/particulate leaching, and they were incubated in a customized simulated body fluid (SBF) flow system under dynamic loading conditions for 6 weeks. The bioactivity and the degradation behaviors of the composite scaffolds were systematically investigated through the formation of apatite, the mass and porosity changes, the molecular weight changes of PLLA, the compressive strength changes, etc. Results show a high level of apatite deposition on the scaffolds, suggesting their good bioactivity in the SBF. Changes in mass, porosity, molecular weight and compressive strength of the scaffolds happened more under dynamic loading conditions than that under flow only SBF conditions. Dynamic loading with the investigated frequency promoted the degradation of the scaffolds, but did not markedly deteriorate the mechanical properties of the scaffolds. All the results suggest that the composite scaffolds have great potential to be applied in bone replacements or repairs under the in vivo load-bearing conditions.

In this paper, olive-like ZnO particles were successfully synthesized via a facile biomineralization process in the template of silk fibroin (SF) peptide at room temperature. The coat of SF peptide on the surface of ZnO particles had a substantial influence on their morphology during the biomineralization. Room-temperature photoluminescence behavior of ZnO particles indicated that the visible blue emission peak centered at 410 nm was enhanced with the mineralization time. Bacteriological tests revealed that the mineralized ZnO particles with SF peptide were not toxic for Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Streptococcus agalactiae, presenting good cytocompatibility due to the surface coat of peptide. Their potential applications in bio-optical detectors could be envisioned.

The structure of the adhesive silk of the Uloborus walckenaerius spider has remained unsolved due to its unremarkable material properties. In this work, we investigate the microstructure of Uloborus spider cribellar silk using probe microscopy techniques. Nanofibrils in a section of cribellar silk from the pyriform gland was observed by atomic force microscopy, and the results showed a segmented substructure with alpha-helices for individual protein molecules. The height and width of each nanofibril segment suggests a webing pattern of alpha-helix molecules. Force spectra of the cribellar nanofibrils indicate that a modular substructure within single protein molecules is demonstrated through unfolding this fibril molecule. The substructure features of this Uloborus spider cribellar silk is obviously different from the structures of other spider silks analyzed by single-molecule force spectroscopy.

Ni-doped ZnO rod arrays were successfully prepared on glass substrate from the aqueous solution at a temperature of 80 degrees C. The densities, diameters, and lengths of the rods can easily be well controlled through the concentrations of dopants, and the dopant Ni ions were incorporated into the wurtzite-structure of ZnO crystal. Room temperature photoluminescence spectrum of rod arrays show a strong emission band at 410 nm, and the oxygen deficiencies in ZnO structures were significantly reduced with Ni doped in ZnO rod arrays. The field dependence of magnetization measured at room temperature exhibited the obvious ferromagnetic properties.

Why is it that drops do not slip down inclined thin fibers or spider silks? The possible explanation is based on the existence of fiber size, which causes a sustaining force that pins these drops. Following this explanation, the drop remains in equilibrium until a critical value of the sustaining force is reached. We suggest an alternative analyses, from the point of view of the inclined fiber at which the drop slips down is predicted. This result does not depend explicitly on silk surface roughness, but only on the drop size and surface tensions.

In this work, hierarchical ZnO particles were prepared using a biomineralization strategy at room temperature in the presence of peptides acidified from spider silk proteins. A mechanism of the mineralization of the ZnO particles was that the affinity of original ZnO nanoparticles and zinc ions in the peptide chains played an important role in controlling the biocrystallizing formation of the pore ZnO particles. The intensity of their visible green luminescence was enhanced with increases of the mineralization time due to the porous surface defects. The hierarchical ZnO materials with biomolecules will facilitate their photoluminescence spectra applications as biosensors or optoelectronic nanodevices in the future, when covalently coupled with peptides or other biomolecules to achieve patterned growth over large areas of substrate.

In this work, indomethacin-loaded poly(l-lactic acid)/poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (IDMC-PLLA/PLGA) microparticles were prepared using solution-enhanced dispersion by supercritical fluids (SEDS) technique in an effort to obtain alternative IDMC formulation for drug delivery system. Surface morphology, particle size and particle size distribution, drug encapsulation efficiency, drug release kinetics, in vitro cytotoxicity and the cellular uptake of drug-loaded microparticles were investigated. The drug-loaded microparticles exhibited sphere-like shape and small particle size with narrow particle size distribution. IDMC was amorphously dispersed within the PLLA/PLGA matrix after the SEDS process. In vitro release studies revealed that the drug-loaded microparticles substantially enhanced the dissolution rate of IDMC compared to the free IDMC, and demonstrated a biphasic drug release profile. In vitro cytotoxicity assays indicated that drug-loaded microparticles possessed longer sustained inhibition activity on proliferation of the non-small-cell lung cancer A549 cell lines than did free IDMC. Fluorescence microscopy and transmission electron microscopy identified the phagocytosis of drug-loaded microparticles into the A549 cells and characteristic morphology of cell apoptosis such as the nuclear aberrations, condensation of chromatin, and swelling damage in mitochondria. These results collectively suggested that IDMC-PLLA/PLGA microparticles prepared using SEDS would have potentials in anti-tumor applications as a controlled drug release dosage form without harmful organic solvent residue.

In this study, paclitaxel loaded poly( L-lactic acid) (PTX-PLLA) microparticles were prepared using solution enhanced dispersion by supercritical CO2(SEDS) technique. This supercritical antisolvent technique offers the advantage of negligible organic solvent residua in the drug loaded microparticles. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that microparticles exhibited rather spherical shape and small particle size with narrow particle size distribution. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) indicated that PTX was amorphously dispersed in the PLLA matrix. The drug loading and encapsulation efficiency of PTX-PLLA microparticles were 14.33% and 62.68%, respectively. In vitro cytotoxicity evaluation of PTX-PLLA microparticles against nonsmall-cell lung cancer A549 and ovarian cancer SKOV3 cell lines indicated that PTX-PLLA had superior antiproliferation activity against the A549 and SKOV3 cell lines, compared with free PTX formulations. The cellular internalization of fluorescent microparticles was evidenced by fluorescence microscope and further confirmed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). This was attributed to the efficient intracellular accumulation of PTX via cell phagocytosis and sustained release of PTX from PLLA matrix. The anticancer activity of PTX-PLLA was associated with PTX-induced cell apoptosis such as nuclear aberrations, condensation of chromatin and swelling damage in mitochondria. The cell apoptosis index detected by flow cytometry was higher in PTX-PLLA group than in free PTX. The PTX-PLLA formulation, which was obtained through micronization of PTX and encapsulation of micronized PTX into PLLA simultaneously in the SEDS process, significantly potentiated the anticancer activity of PTX.

In this work, poly(L-lactic acid)/poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLLA/PLGA) microparticles were prepared using the technique of solution-enhanced dispersion by supercritical fluids (SEDS). For comparison, separate PLLA and PLGA microparticles were also produced by the same SEDS process. The produced microparticles were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, laser particle size analyzer, X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and gas chromatography. Results indicate that PLLA/PLGA microparticles possess sphere-like shapes with smooth surfaces. The mean particle size of PLLA/PLGA microparticles ranges from 1.76 to 2.15 microm, depending on the feeding ratio of PLLA to PLGA used in the SEDS process. The crystallinity of PLLA/PLGA microparticles decreases after the SEDS processing, so that the produced microparticles are in an amorphous state. Pure PLGA was hard to precipitate in small, fine microparticle form without the presence of PLLA. A model drug, paclitaxel, was encapsulated into PLLA/PLGA microparticles by the same SEDS process, and the in vitro release rate of paclitaxel from these PLLA/PLGA composites could be modulated by variation of the mixing ratio PLLA:PLGA. The prepared microparticles have negligible residual organic solvent. Drug-loaded PLLA/PLGA microparticles produced by SEDS have potential as an advanced colloidal suspension for pharmaceutical applications.

Streptococcus agalactiae and Staphylococcus aureus are two pathogenetic agents of several infective diseases in humans. Biocidal effects and cellular internalization of ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) on two bacteria are reported, and ZnO NPs have a good bacteriostasis effect. ZnO NPs were synthesized in the EG aqueous system through the hydrolysis of ionic Zn2+ salts. Particle size and shape were controlled by the addition of the various surfactants. Bactericidal tests were performed in an ordinary broth medium on solid agar plates and in liquid systems with different concentrations of ZnO NPs. The biocidal action of ZnO materials was studied by transmission electron microscopy of bacteria ultrathin sections. The results confirmed that bactericidal cells were damaged after ZnO NPs contacted with them, showing both gram-negative membrane and gram-positive membrane disorganization. The surface modification of ZnO NPs causes an increase in membrane permeability and the cellular internalization of these NPs whereas there is a ZnO NP structure change inside the cells.

The ceramic of merwinite (Ca3MgSi2O8) was prepared by sintering sol-gel-derived merwinite powder compacts. The mechanical properties and the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of the merwinite ceramic were determined. In vitro bioactivity of the merwinite ceramics was evaluated. Our results showed that the sintered body was single-phase merwinite ceramic, and that its bending strength, fracture toughness and Young's modulus were approximately 151 MPa, 1.72 MPa m(1/2) and 31 GPa, respectively. The CTE of the ceramic was 9.87 x 10(-6) degrees C(-1) and close to that for the Ti-6Al-4V alloy (9.80 x 10(-6) degrees C(-1)). Immersion of the sintered body in simulated body fluid induced surface precipitation of Ca-P rich layers. Cell culture experiment results confirmed that soluble ionic products from merwinite dissolution significantly stimulated osteoblast proliferation, and osteoblasts adhered and spread well on merwinite ceramic surfaces.

Mono-phase ceramics of monticellite (CaMgSiO4) were successfully synthesized by sintering sol-gel-derived monticellite powder compacts at 1,480 degrees C for 6 h. The mechanical properties and the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of the monticellite ceramics were tested. In addition, the bioactivity in vitro of the monticellite ceramics was evaluated by investigating their bone-like apatite-formation ability in simulated body fluid (SBF), and the biocompatibility in vitro was detected by osteoblast adhesion and proliferation assay. The results showed that the bending strength, fracture toughness and Young's modulus of the monticellite ceramics were about 159.7 MPa, 1.63 MPa m1/2 and 51 GPa, respectively. The CTE was 10.76x10(-6) degrees C(-1) and close to that of Ti-6Al-4V alloy (10.03x10(-6) degrees C(-1)). Furthermore, the monticellite ceramics possessed bone-like apatite-formation ability in SBF and could release soluble ionic products to significantly stimulate cell growth and proliferation. In addition, osteoblasts adhered and spread well on the monticellite ceramics, which indicated good bioactivity and biocompatibility.

An aqueous solution method has been developed for preparing Cu-ferrite nanorods (NRs) array and nanowires (NWs) on Cu substrate. The Cu-ferrite NRs exhibit a clear uniaxial anisotropy with the easy axis along rods. The decrease of the reduced remanence from 0.24 in the parallel magnetic field to almost zero in the perpendicular field shows a strong effect of the demagnetizing field perpendicular to the rod axis. The weaker uniaxial anisotropy makes NWs the lower saturation magnetization.

Single-crystalline Fe3O4 nanowires with uniform diameters and the largest aspect ratio (>500) were prepared by a one-step sol-gel process in the presence of ethylene glycol and poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(propylene glycol)-block-poly(ethylene glycol).

Preparation of mesoporous Fe3O4 (magnetite) hollow spheres has been reported using hydrothermal synthesis and calcinations. The carboxyl-functionalized PS spheres were used as the templates coated by Fe3O4 particles and ethylene glycol (EG) as an organic structure directing agent. PS and EG were removed by calcinations method. The surface area after calcination at 500 degrees C is found to be 74 m(2) g(-1). The hollow spheres exhibited the weak ferromagnetism.

A novel method of fabricating core-shell structure particles, comprising nearly monodisperse polystyrene (PS) spheres as cores and Fe3O4 as shells, is submitted. In this research, the magnetite (Fe3O4) shell was prepared by seeded growth from the reaction of FeCl2 with diethylene glycol (DEG) in aqueous solutions. The thickness of the shell were controlled in the range of 0-60 nm by using slow injection. The composition and the structure of the shell were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TG), and vibrating-sample magnetometry (VSM). It is found that there are some differences between the magnetic composite spheres shelled with Fe3O4 and pure Fe3O4 particles, such as the size of the magnetites and the ferromagnetic property. Furthermore, the spheres exhibited the superparamagnetic characterization when the thickness of the Fe3O4 shell was less than 15 nm.