Design of Collagen and Gelatin-based Electrospun Fibers for Biomedical Purposes: An Overview.

Collagen and gelatin are essential natural biopolymers commonly utilized in biomaterials and tissue engineering because of their excellent physicochemical and biocompatibility properties. They can be used either in combination with other biomacromolecules or particles or even exclusively for the enhancement of bone regeneration or for the development of biomimetic scaffolds. Collagen or gelatin derivatives can be transformed into nanofibrous materials with porous micro- or nanostructures and superior mechanical properties and biocompatibility using electrospinning technology. Specific attention was recently paid to electrospun mats of such biopolymers, due to their high ratio of surface area to volume, as well as their biocompatibility, biodegradability, and low immunogenicity. The fiber mats with submicro- and nanometer scale can replicate the extracellular matrix structure of human tissues and organs, making them highly suitable for use in tissue engineering due to their exceptional bioaffinity. The drawbacks may include rapid degradation and complete dissolution in aqueous media. The use of gelatin/collagen electrospun nanofibers in this form is thus greatly restricted for biomedicine. Therefore, the cross-linking of these fibers is necessary for controlling their aqueous solubility. This led to enhanced biological characteristics of the fibers, rendering them excellent options for various biomedical uses. The objective of this review is to highlight the key research related to the electrospinning of collagen and gelatin, as well as their applications in the biomedical field. The review features a detailed examination of the electrospinning fiber mats, showcasing their varying structures and performances resulting from diverse solvents, electrospinning processes, and cross-linking methods. Judiciously selected examples from literature will be presented to demonstrate major advantages of such biofibers. The current developments and difficulties in this area of research are also being addressed.

Enhancing cellular affinity for skin disorders: Electrospun polyurethane/collagen nanofiber mats coated with phytoceramides.

Although the use of thermoplastic polyurethane (Tpu) nanofiber mats as wound dressings is of great interest due to their mechanical properties, they are hindered by their poor wettability and bioavailability. In this study, we aimed to improve the cellular affinity of Tpu nanofiber mats for skin disorders by incorporating extracted collagen (Col) from tendons and physically mixed with a layer of phytoceramides (Phyto) to produce TpuCol@X-Phyto mats in which the weight % of Phyto relatively to the weight of the solution was X = 0.5, 1, or 1.5 wt% via facile electrospinning approach. The collective observations strongly indicate the successful incorporation and retention of Phyto within the TpuCol architecture. An increase in the Phyto concentration decreased the water contact angle from 69.4°â€¯±â€¯3.47° to 57.9°â€¯±â€¯2.89°, demonstrating improvement in the hydrophilicity of Tpu and binary blend TpuCol nanofiber mats. The mechanical property of 1.0 wt% Phyto aligns with practical requirements owing to the presence of two hydroxyl groups and the amide linkage likely contributing to various hydrogen bonds, providing mechanical strength to the channel structure and a degree of rigidity essential for transmitting mechanical stress. The proliferation of human skin fibroblast (HSF) peaked significantly 100 % with TpuCol@X-Phyto mats coated for X =1.0 and 1.5 wt% of Phyto. Electrospun scaffolds with the highest Phyto content have shown the lowest degree of hemolysis, demonstrating the high level of compatibility between them and blood. The TpuCol@1.5Phyto mat also demonstrated higher efficacy in antibacterial and antioxidant activities, achieving a rate of DPPH radical scavenging of 83.3 % for this latter property. The most notable wound closure among all tested formulations was attributed to higher Phyto. Thus, the developed TpuCol@1.5Phyto nanofiber formula exhibited enhanced healing in an in vitro epidermal model.

Characterization and Biomedical Applications of Green-Synthesized Selenium Nanoparticles Using Tridax procumbens Stem Extract.

Background Selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) are one of the metal nanoparticles that have been widely utilized for their anti-microbial, anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory activities, and other biomedical applications. Tridax procumbens (TP) stem extract is a promising herb species rich in flavonoids, tannins, alkaloids, phytosterols, and hydroxycinnamates, which play a major role in wound healing applications.  Aim The study aims to synthesize SeNPs using TP stem extract, characterizations, and its biomedical applications. Materials and methods SeNPs were synthesized using TP stem extract. The green synthesis of SeNPs was confirmed by ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectra analysis. The synthesized SeNPs were characterized using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The agar well diffusion method was utilized to evaluate the anti-bacterial properties of the green synthesized SeNPs using TP stem extract. The anti-oxidant effect of SeNPs was tested using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay, ferric-reducing anti-oxidant power assay (FRAP), and hydroxyl radical scavenging assay (H2O2). The anti-inflammatory effect was investigated using the bovine serum albumin assay and egg albumin denaturation method, and the cytotoxic effect of the green synthesized SeNPs was tested using the brine shrimp lethality (BSL) assay. Results The green synthesis of SeNPs was confirmed using different types of analysis techniques. The characterizations were done by UV-visible spectroscopy analysis, exhibiting a maximum peak at the range of 330 nm. SEM analysis revealed the shape of the nanoparticle to be hexagonal. The agar well diffusion method exhibited the anti-bacterial efficacy of SeNPs against wound microorganisms with a zone of inhibition of 14.6 mm for Escherichia coli (E. coli), 15.8 mm for Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), and 15.4 mm for Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa). The TP stem-mediated SeNPs showed potential effects in anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and cytotoxic activity, which shows very little toxicity. Conclusion Overall, the green synthesis of TP-stem-mediated SeNPs has great potential in biomedical applications. Thus, the synthesized SeNPs exhibit significant anti-bacterial efficacy against wound pathogens. The TP stem-mediated SeNPs showed potential effects in anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and cytotoxic activity, which shows low toxicity. Furthermore, the green-synthesized SeNPs can be utilized in therapeutic management.

Imperceptible augmentation of living systems with organic bioelectronic fibres.

The functional and sensory augmentation of living structures, such as human skin and plant epidermis, with electronics can be used to create platforms for health management and environmental monitoring. Ideally, such bioelectronic interfaces should not obstruct the inherent sensations and physiological changes of their hosts. The full life cycle of the interfaces should also be designed to minimize their environmental footprint. Here we report imperceptible augmentation of living systems through in situ tethering of organic bioelectronic fibres. Using an orbital spinning technique, substrate-free and open fibre networks-which are based on poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):polystyrene sulfonate-can be tethered to biological surfaces, including fingertips, chick embryos and plants. We use customizable fibre networks to create on-skin electrodes that can record electrocardiogram and electromyography signals, skin-gated organic electrochemical transistors and augmented touch and plant interfaces. We also show that the fibres can be used to couple prefabricated microelectronics and electronic textiles, and that the fibres can be repaired, upgraded and recycled.

Artificial Polymerizations in Living Organisms for Biomedical Applications.

Within living organisms, numerous nanomachines are constantly involved in complex polymerization processes, generating a diverse array of biomacromolecules for maintaining biological activities. Transporting artificial polymerizations from lab settings into biological contexts has expanded opportunities for understanding and managing biological events, creating novel cellular compartments, and introducing new functionalities. This review summarizes the recent advancements in artificial polymerizations, including those responding to external stimuli, internal environmental factors, and those that polymerize spontaneously. More importantly, the cutting-edge biomedical application scenarios of artificial polymerization, notably in safeguarding cells, modulating biological events, improving diagnostic performance, and facilitating therapeutic efficacy are highlighted. Finally, this review outlines the key challenges and technological obstacles that remain for polymerizations in biological organisms, as well as offers insights into potential directions for advancing their practical applications and clinical trials.

Emerging Roles of Graphitic Carbon Nitride-based Materials in Biomedical Applications.

Graphite carbon nitride (g-C3N4) is a two-dimensional conjugated polymer with a unique energy band structure similar to graphene. Due to its outstanding analytical advantages, such as relatively small band gap (2.7 eV), low-cost synthesis, high thermal stability, excellent photocatalytic ability, and good biocompatibility, g-C3N4 has attracted the interest of researchers and industry, especially in the medical field. This paper summarizes the latest research on g-C3N4-based composites in various biomedical applications, including therapy, diagnostic imaging, biosensors, antibacterial, and wearable devices. In addition, the application prospects and possible challenges of g-C3N4 in nanomedicine are also discussed in detail. This review is expected to inspire emerging biomedical applications based on g-C3N4.

A framework for decolonising and diversifying biomedical sciences curricula: rediscovery, representation and readiness.

To date, most efforts to decolonise curricula have focussed on the arts and humanities, with many believing that science subjects are objective, unbiased, and unaffected by colonial legacies. However, science is shaped by both contemporary and historical culture. Science has been used to support imperialism, to extract and exploit knowledge and natural resources, and to justify racist and ableist ideologies. Colonial legacies continue to affect scientific knowledge generation and shape contemporary research priorities. In the biomedical sciences, research biases can feed into wider health inequalities. Reflection of these biases in our taught curricula risks perpetuating long-standing inequities to future generations of scientists. We examined attitudes and understanding towards decolonising and diversifying the curriculum among students and teaching staff in the biomedical sciences at the University of Bristol, UK, to discover whether our current teaching practice is perceived as inclusive. We used a mixed methods study including surveys of staff (N = 71) and students (N = 121) and focus groups. Quantitative data showed that staff and students think decolonising the curriculum is important, but this is more important to female respondents (P < 0.001). Students are less aware than staff of current efforts to decolonise the curriculum, while students from minority ethnic groups feel less represented by the curriculum than white students. Thematic analysis of qualitative data revealed three themes that are important for a decolonised curriculum in our context: rediscovery, representation and readiness. We propose that this '3Rs framework' could guide future efforts to decolonise and diversify the curriculum in the biomedical sciences and beyond.

Biomedical literature mining: graph kernel-based learning for gene-gene interaction extraction.

The supervised machine learning method is often used for biomedical relationship extraction. The disadvantage is that it requires much time and money to manually establish an annotated dataset. Based on distant supervision, the knowledge base is combined with the corpus, thus, the training corpus can be automatically annotated. As many biomedical databases provide knowledge bases for study with a limited number of annotated corpora, this method is practical in biomedicine. The clinical significance of each patient's genetic makeup can be understood based on the healthcare provider's genetic database. Unfortunately, the lack of previous biomedical relationship extraction studies focuses on gene-gene interaction. The main purpose of this study is to develop extraction methods for gene-gene interactions that can help explain the heritability of human complex diseases. This study referred to the information on gene-gene interactions in the KEGG PATHWAY database, the abstracts in PubMed were adopted to generate the training sample set, and the graph kernel method was adopted to extract gene-gene interactions. The best assessment result was an F1-score of 0.79. Our developed distant supervision method automatically finds sentences through the corpus without manual labeling for extracting gene-gene interactions, which can effectively reduce the time cost for manual annotation data; moreover, the relationship extraction method based on a graph kernel can be successfully applied to extract gene-gene interactions. In this way, the results of this study are expected to help achieve precision medicine.

Biomedical potentials of alginate via physical, chemical, and biological modifications.

Alginate is a linear polysaccharide with a modifiable structure and abundant functional groups, offers immense potential for tailoring diverse alginate-based materials to meet the demands of biomedical applications. Given the advancements in modification techniques, it is significant to analyze and summarize the modification of alginate by physical, chemical and biological methods. These approaches provide plentiful information on the preparation, characterization and application of alginate-based materials. Physical modification generally involves blending and physical crosslinking, while chemical modification relies on chemical reactions, mainly including acylation, sulfation, phosphorylation, carbodiimide coupling, nucleophilic substitution, graft copolymerization, terminal modification, and degradation. Chemical modified alginate contains chemically crosslinked alginate, grafted alginate and oligo-alginate. Biological modification associated with various enzymes to realize the hydrolysis or grafting. These diverse modifications hold great promise in fully harnessing the potential of alginate for its burgeoning biomedical applications in the future. In summary, this review provides a comprehensive discussion and summary of different modification methods applied to improve the properties of alginate while expanding its biomedical potentials.

Designing intelligent bioorthogonal nanozymes: Recent advances of stimuli-responsive catalytic systems for biomedical applications.

Bioorthogonal nanozymes have emerged as a potent tool in biomedicine due to their unique ability to perform enzymatic reactions that do not interfere with native biochemical processes. The integration of stimuli-responsive mechanisms into these nanozymes has further expanded their potential, allowing for controlled activation and targeted delivery. As such, intelligent bioorthogonal nanozymes have received more and more attention in developing therapeutic approaches. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the recent advances in the development and application of stimuli-responsive bioorthogonal nanozymes. By summarizing the design outlines for anchoring bioorthogonal nanozymes with stimuli-responsive capability, this review seeks to offer valuable insights and guidance for the rational design of these remarkable materials. This review highlights the significant progress made in this exciting field with different types of stimuli and the various applications. Additionally, it also examines the current challenges and limitations in the design, synthesis, and application of these systems, and proposes potential solutions and research directions. This review aims to stimulate further research toward the development of more efficient and versatile stimuli-responsive bioorthogonal nanozymes for biomedical applications.

Biomaterials for extrusion-based bioprinting and biomedical applications.

Amongst the range of bioprinting technologies currently available, bioprinting by material extrusion is gaining increasing popularity due to accessibility, low cost, and the absence of energy sources, such as lasers, which may significantly damage the cells. New applications of extrusion-based bioprinting are systematically emerging in the biomedical field in relation to tissue and organ fabrication. Extrusion-based bioprinting presents a series of specific challenges in relation to achievable resolutions, accuracy and speed. Resolution and accuracy in particular are of paramount importance for the realization of microstructures (for example, vascularization) within tissues and organs. Another major theme of research is cell survival and functional preservation, as extruded bioinks have cells subjected to considerable shear stresses as they travel through the extrusion apparatus. Here, an overview of the main available extrusion-based printing technologies and related families of bioprinting materials (bioinks) is provided. The main challenges related to achieving resolution and accuracy whilst assuring cell viability and function are discussed in relation to specific application contexts in the field of tissue and organ fabrication.

Multifunctional surface of the nano-morphic PEEK implant with enhanced angiogenic, osteogenic and antibacterial properties.

Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) is a high-performance polymer suitable for use in biomedical coatings. The implants based on PEEK have been extensively studied in dental and orthopedic fields. However, their inherent inert surfaces and poor osteogenic properties limit their broader clinical applications. Thus, there is a pressing need to produce a multifunctional PEEK implant to address this issue. In response, we developed sulfonated PEEK (sPEEK)-Cobalt-parathyroid hormone (PTH) materials featuring multifunctional nanostructures. This involved loading cobalt (Co) ions and PTH (1-34) protein onto the PEEK implant to tackle this challenge. The findings revealed that the controlled release of Co2+ notably enhanced the vascular formation and the expression of angiogenic-related genes, and offered antimicrobial capabilities for sPEEK-Co-PTH materials. Additionally, the sPEEK-Co-PTH group exhibited improved cell compatibility and bone regeneration capacity in terms of cell activity, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) staining, matrix mineralization and osteogenic gene expression. It surpassed solely sulfonated and other functionalized sPEEK groups, demonstrating comparable efficacy even when compared to the titanium (Ti) group. Crucially, animal experiments also corroborated the significant enhancement of osteogenesis due to the dual loading of cobalt ions and PTH (1-34). This study demonstrated the potential of bioactive Co2+ and PTH (1-34) for bone replacement, optimizing the bone integration of PEEK implants in clinical applications.

Advances in biomaterials for oral-maxillofacial bone regeneration: spotlight on periodontal and alveolar bone strategies.

The intricate nature of oral-maxillofacial structure and function, coupled with the dynamic oral bacterial environment, presents formidable obstacles in addressing the repair and regeneration of oral-maxillofacial bone defects. Numerous characteristics should be noticed in oral-maxillofacial bone repair, such as irregular morphology of bone defects, homeostasis between hosts and microorganisms in the oral cavity and complex periodontal structures that facilitate epithelial ingrowth. Therefore, oral-maxillofacial bone repair necessitates restoration materials that adhere to stringent and specific demands. This review starts with exploring these particular requirements by introducing the particular characteristics of oral-maxillofacial bones and then summarizes the classifications of current bone repair materials in respect of composition and structure. Additionally, we discuss the modifications in current bone repair materials including improving mechanical properties, optimizing surface topography and pore structure and adding bioactive components such as elements, compounds, cells and their derivatives. Ultimately, we organize a range of potential optimization strategies and future perspectives for enhancing oral-maxillofacial bone repair materials, including physical environment manipulation, oral microbial homeostasis modulation, osteo-immune regulation, smart stimuli-responsive strategies and multifaceted approach for poly-pathic treatment, in the hope of providing some insights for researchers in this field. In summary, this review analyzes the complex demands of oral-maxillofacial bone repair, especially for periodontal and alveolar bone, concludes multifaceted strategies for corresponding biomaterials and aims to inspire future research in the pursuit of more effective treatment outcomes.

Anastomotic leak rate following the implementation of a powered circular stapler in elective colorectal surgeries: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to compare the anastomotic leak rates between powered and manual circular staplers in elective left-sided colorectal resections. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study of elective left-sided colorectal resections before and after implementation of a powered circular stapler at a tertiary care center was conducted. The manual stapler group consisted of consecutive resections performed between January 2016 to December 2016 and the powered stapler group, between September 2021 and December 2022. Primary outcome was 30-day anastomotic leak rate. A chi-squared analysis was performed to compare anastomotic leak rates. Factors associated with anastomotic leak were examined. RESULTS: Two-hundred forty-seven patients were included: 154 in the manual stapler group and 93 in the powered stapler group. Mean (SD) age was 60 (15) years old, 37.7% were female and 72.9% of resections were performed for malignancy. Both groups had similar patient characteristics and surgical technique. Overall leak rate was 2.0% in the manual stapler group and 10.8% in the powered stapler group. The powered staplers were found to have 6.06 times the odds of leak compared to manual staplers (95% CI, 1.62-22.65; p = 0.01). None of the other factors were found to be associated with anastomotic leak. CONCLUSIONS: Patients who had left-sided colorectal anastomosis had higher anastomotic leak rates with powered compared to manual circular staplers. This finding is contrary to previous retrospective studies that found lower leak rates with powered staplers.

Cobalt(III) prodrug-based nanomedicine for inducing immunogenic cell death and enhancing chemo-immunotherapy.

Despite impressive advances in immune checkpoint blockade therapy, its efficacy as a standalone treatment remains limited. The influence of chemotherapeutic agents on tumor immunotherapy has progressively come to light in recent years, positioning them as promising contenders in the realm of combination therapy options for tumor immunotherapy. Herein, we present the rational design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of the first example of a Co(III) prodrug (Co2) capable of eliciting a localized cytotoxic effect while simultaneously inducing a systemic immune response via type II immunogenic cell death (ICD). To enhance its pharmacological properties, a glutathione-sensitive polymer was synthesized, and Co2 was encapsulated into polymeric nanoparticles (NP-Co2) to improve efficacy. Furthermore, NP-Co2 activates the GRP78/p-PERK/p-eIF2α/CHOP pathway, thereby inducing ICD in cancer cells. This facilitates the transformation of "cold tumors" into "hot tumors" and augments the effectiveness of the PD-1 monoclonal antibody (αPD-1). In essence, this nanomedicine, utilizing Co(III) prodrugs to induce ICD, provides a promising strategy to enhance chemotherapy and αPD-1 antibody-mediated cancer immunotherapy.

Advances in graphene-based 2D materials for tendon, nerve, bone/cartilage regeneration and biomedicine.

Two-dimensional (2D) materials, especially graphene-based materials, have important implications for tissue regeneration and biomedicine due to their large surface area, transport properties, ease of functionalization, biocompatibility, and adsorption capacity. Despite remarkable progress in the field of tissue regeneration and biomedicine, there are still problems such as unclear long-term stability, lack of in vivo experimental data, and detection accuracy. This paper reviews recent applications of graphene-based materials in tissue regeneration and biomedicine and discusses current issues and prospects for the development of graphene-based materials with respect to promoting the regeneration of tendons, neuronal cells, bone, chondrocytes, blood vessels, and skin, as well as applications in sensing, detection, anti-microbial activity, and targeted drug delivery.

SolunumWear: A smart textile system for dynamic respiration monitoring across various postures.

We introduce SolunumWear, a multi-sensory e-textile system designed for respiration in daily life settings, addressing the gap in continuous, real-world respiration event monitoring. Leveraging a textile pressure sensor belt to capture chest movements and a wireless data acquisition system, SolunumWear offers a promising solution for both medical and wellness applications. The system's efficacy was evaluated through a human study involving 10 healthy adults (six female and four male) across various breathing rates and postures, demonstrating a strong correlation (R value = 0.836) with the gold-standard system. The study highlights the system's computational and communication efficiencies, with latencies of approximately 4.84 s and 2.13 ms, respectively. These findings highlight the efficacy of SolunumWear as a wireless, wearable technology for respiration monitoring in daily settings. This research contributes to the expanding body of knowledge on smart textile-based health monitoring technologies, demonstrating its potential to provide reliable respiratory data in real-world environments.

The interrelation of scientific, ethical, and translational challenges for precision medicine with multimodal biomarkers - A qualitative expert interview study in dermatology research.

This qualitative study examines the impact of scientific, ethical, and translational challenges of precision medicine for atopic dermatitis and psoriasis. The study explores how these challenges affect biomarker research for inflammatory skin diseases as identified by stakeholders, including patient board representatives, pharmaceutical industry partners, and postdoctoral and senior researchers from multiple disciplines in biomarker research. We recruited participating experts both within and associated with the international Biomarkers in Atopic Dermatitis and Psoriasis (BIOMAP) consortium to ensure representation of the different organizational units of the consortium. For the study, we followed the COREQ checklist. The interviews were conducted using GDPR-safe online platforms and the pseudonymized transcripts were analyzed using Atlas.ti. We analyzed the interviews from participants' personal experiences, topic-oriented, and group specific to identify the main themes presented in this article. The findings were presented to peers and to the wider BIOMAP audience, discussed, and a draft was circulated within the consortium for feedback. In this study, we identify and discuss the interrelation of challenges that are relevant to improving precision medicine with multimodal biomarkers. We show how scientific challenges can interrelate with ethical and translational issues, and explain these interdependencies and articulate epistemic and social factors of interdisciplinary collaboration. Based on our findings, we suggest that including patient representatives' perspectives is crucial for highly interrelated and widely diverse research. The proposed integrative perspective is beneficial for all involved stakeholders. Effective communication of science requires reflection on the tension between scientific uncertainty and the goals of precision medicine. Furthermore, we show how changing the perception of the diseases, atopic dermatitis, and psoriasis can benefit patients beyond medical practice.

Impact of Basic Course in Biomedical Research (BCBR) on Medical Teachers and Postgraduate Students Across India: A Cross-Sectional Survey-Based Study.

Introduction Despite world-class medical facilities and clinical expertise in India, various challenges have hampered biomedical research, including limited funding, overburdened healthcare professionals, and inadequate research infrastructure. The National Medical Commission (NMC) has recognized the need to enhance research capabilities in the medical community and mandated the Basic Course in Biomedical Research (BCBR). This study evaluates the impact of BCBR on medical teachers and postgraduate students across India. Methods A cross-sectional survey-based study was conducted among 245 participants who completed BCBR, out of 1,187 who were sent the questionnaire. A structured questionnaire collected data on demographics, motivations for taking the course, knowledge and skills improvement, and research output. Statistical analyses were performed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 29.0 (Released 2022; IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA). Results Participants included diverse age groups, with motivations ranging from regulatory compliance to a genuine desire for research knowledge. The majority scored over 70% in the course, indicating substantial knowledge improvement. BCBR positively influenced research output with increased research proposal submissions, publications, and improved thesis mentoring. The analysis showed that participants' designations and branches of study significantly affected course performance, while gender did not. The study revealed a strong correlation between pre-course and post-course performance across various research topics. Conclusion BCBR, mandated by the NMC, not only fulfills regulatory requirements but also promotes a research culture in India's medical community.