A carboxymethyl chitosan and peptide-decorated polyetheretherketone ternary biocomposite with enhanced antibacterial activity and osseointegration as orthopedic/dental implants.

Carbon fiber-reinforced polyetheretherketone (CFRPEEK) possesses biomechanical properties such as elastic modulus similar to human bones and is becoming a dominant alternative to replace the traditional metallic implants. The defective osseointegration and bacterial infection risk of CFRPEEK, however, impede its clinical adoption. In the current study, a newly-developed carbon fiber-reinforced polyetheretherketone/nanohydroxyapatite (CFRPEEK/n-HA) ternary biocomposite was functionalized by covalently grafting carboxymethyl chitosan (CMC) followed by the decoration of a bone-forming peptide (BFP) assisted via the polydopamine tag strategy. Antibacterial test with Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) indicated that the CMC and peptide-conjugated substrates (pep-CMC-CFRPEEK/n-HA) significantly suppressed bacterial adhesion. In vitro cell attachment/growth, spreading assay, alkaline phosphatase activity, real-time PCR analysis, osteogenesis-related protein expression and calcium mineral deposition all disclosed greatly accelerated adhesion, proliferation and osteo-differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) on the pep-CMC-CFRPEEK/n-HA biocomposite due to the additive effect of the CMC polysaccharide and the small osteoinductive peptide. More importantly, in vivo evaluation of the beagle tibia model by means of micro-CT, histological analysis, SEM observation and fluorescent labeling confirmed the remarkably boosted bioactivity and osteointegration. The CFRPEEK/n-HA ternary composite with the dual functions of bacterial adhesion reduction and osteointegration promotion holds great potential as a bioactive implant material in orthopedic/dental applications based on this scheme.

Decoration of heparin and bovine serum albumin on polysulfone membrane assisted via polydopamine strategy for hemodialysis.

Renal failure brings about abnormality of waste and toxins and deposition in the body. In clinic, the waste and toxins in vitro are eliminated by hemodialysis device with polysulfone (PSF) porous membranes. In the work, decoration of heparin (Hep) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) on PSF membranes would be beneficial to improve the hemocompatibility and reduce the anaphylatoxin formation during hemodialysis. The PSF porous membranes are surface-modified by simply dipping them into dopamine aqueous solution for 8 h. Then, Hep and BSA are immobilized covalently onto the resultant membrane. Attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectra (ATR-FTIR) confirms that Hep and BSA are successfully introduced onto the surface of PSF membranes. Scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) display the changes of surface morphologies after modification. The result of water contact angle measurement shows that the hydrophilicity of PSF membranes is remarkably improved after coating polydopamine (pDA) and binding Hep and BSA. The experiments of hemocompatibility indicate that Hep and BSA grafted onto membranes suppress the adhesion of platelet and enhance the anticoagulation ability of PSF membranes. Furthermore, the protein adsorption tests reveal that Hep and BSA immobilized onto membranes depress the protein absorption and develop antifouling-protein ability of pristine membrane. This study proves a convenient and simple approach to graft two functional organic polymers which, respectively, play a vital role and then improve the hemocompatibility and biocompatibility of PSF membranes for their biomedical and blood-contacting applications.

In Vitro Biocompability/Osteogenesis and In Vivo Bone Formation Evalution of Peptide-Decorated Apatite Nanocomposites Assisted via Polydopamine.

Enhancing the biocompatibility and osteogenic activity of nano-apatite for applications in bone graft substitutes and bone tissue engineering have been the current challenge in regeneration of lost bone. Inspired by mussels, here we have developed facile biomimetic approaches for preparation of two types of peptide-conjugated apatite nanocompsoties assisted by polydopamine (pDA). We exploited polydopamine chemistry for the modification of nano-apatite crystals: polydopamine coated apatite (HA-c-pDA) and polydopamine template-mediated apatite (HA-t-pDA), on which bone forming peptide was subsequently immobilized under weakly basic conditions to obtain peptide-conjugated apatite nanocomposites (HA-c-pep and HA-t-pep, respectively). TEM images revealed that HA-c-pDA displayed typically rod-like morphology, while HA-t-pDA was sponge-like structure where pDA sheets were decorated by needle-like apatite crystals with low degree of crystallinity. In the cell culture experiments, HA-t-pep nanocomposite exhibited higher cell proliferation, spreading, and alkaline phosphatase activity as well as calcium nodule-formation, compared with pristine nano-HA and HA-c-pep nanocomposite. We then implanted the peptide-decorated apatite into rabbit calvarial defects and analyzed bone formation after 2 months. The data revealed that HA-t-pep group exhibited remarkably enhanced bioactivity and bone formation in vivo. Based on these results, our biomimetic approach could be a promising tool to develop peptide-conjugated apatites for bone regeneration. Meanwhile, the excellent biocompatibility and high osteogenesis of the peptide-conjugated apatite nanocomposite might confer its great potentials in bone repair, bone augmentation, as well as coating of biomedical implants.

[Aesthetic evaluation of nasolabial angle alteration on the soft tissue profile of skeleton class I].

OBJECTIVE: To study the influence of nasolabial angle alteration on facial profile attractiveness and investigate the perception differences in profile attractiveness among laypeople. METHODS: A young Chinese female with normal hard and soft tissue cephalometric values was chosen as a research object. Profile photograph was taken in a natural head position. Photoshop software was chosen to rotate the nose tip and upper lip, thus changing the degree and direction of nasolabial angle. A total of 33 different profile pictures were achieved. Thirty-three professional orthodontists and 64 non-professionals were chosen to score these 33 pictures. RESULTS: When the upper lip position was fixed, the profile was considerably attractive because the angle of nasal tip was not changed or altered. When the nasal tip rotation angle was fixed, profiles with a retroclined upper lip were considered significantly attractive by the layperson and professional groups. Regardless of the direction of the nasal tip rotation, the respondents considered the profile with a retroclined upper lip highly attractive. CONCLUSION: The soft tissue profile with a retroclined upper lip looks considerably attractive in Chinese female populations. Therefore, during an orthodontic treatment, appropriate retraction of the incisor is recommended to improve soft tissue profile attractiveness.

Enhancement of osteogenesis on micro/nano-topographical carbon fiber-reinforced polyetheretherketone-nanohydroxyapatite biocomposite.

As an FDA-approved implantable material, carbon fiber-reinforced polyetheretherketone (CFRPEEK) possesses excellent mechanical properties similar to those of human cortical bone and is a prime candidate to replace conventional metallic implants. The bioinertness and inferior osteogenic properties of CFRPEEK, however, limit its clinical application as orthopedic/dental implants. The present work aimed at developing a novel carbon fiber-reinforced polyetheretherketone-nanohydroxyapatite (PEEK/CF/n-HA) ternary biocomposite with micro/nano-topographical surface for the enhancement of the osteogenesis as a potential bioactive material for bone grafting and bone tissue-engineering applications. The combined modification of oxygen plasma and sand-blasting could improve the hydrophily and generate micro/nano-topographical structures on the surface of the CFRPEEK-based ternary biocomposite. The results clearly showcased that the micro-/nano-topographical PEEK/n-HA/CF ternary biocomposite demonstrated the outstanding ability to promote the proliferation and differentiation of MG-63 cells in vitro as well as to boost the osseointegration between implant and bone in vivo, thereby boding well application to bone tissue engineering.

Effect of surface roughness on osteogenesis in vitro and osseointegration in vivo of carbon fiber-reinforced polyetheretherketone-nanohydroxyapatite composite.

As United States Food and Drug Administration-approved implantable material, carbon fiber-reinforced polyetheretherketone (CFRPEEK) possesses an adjustable elastic modulus similar to cortical bone and is a prime candidate to replace surgical metallic implants. The bioinertness and inferior osteogenic properties of CFRPEEK, however, limit its clinical application as orthopedic/dental implants. In this study, CFRPEEK-nanohydroxyapatite ternary composites (PEEK/n-HA/CF) with variable surface roughness have been successfully fabricated. The effect of surface roughness on their in vitro cellular responses of osteoblast-like MG-63 cells (attachment, proliferation, apoptosis, and differentiation) and in vivo osseointegration is evaluated. The results show that the hydrophilicity and the amount of Ca ions on the surface are significantly improved as the surface roughness of composite increases. In cell culture tests, the results reveal that the cell proliferation rate and the extent of osteogenic differentiation of cells are a function of the size of surface roughness. The composite with moderate surface roughness significantly increases cell attachment/proliferation and promotes the production of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and calcium nodule formation compared with the other groups. More importantly, the PEEK/n-HA/CF implant with appropriate surface roughness exhibits remarkably enhanced bioactivity and osseointegration in vivo in the animal experiment. These findings will provide critical guidance for the design of CFRPEEK-based implants with optimal roughness to regulate cellular behaviors, and to enhance biocompability and osseointegration. Meanwhile, the PEEK/n-HA/CF ternary composite with optimal surface roughness might hold great potential as bioactive biomaterial for bone grafting and tissue engineering applications.

Peptide-decorated polyvinyl alcohol/hyaluronan nanofibers for human induced pluripotent stem cell culture.

Realization of the full potential of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) in clinical applications requires development of well-defined conditions for their growth and differentiation. A novel fully defined polyvinyl alcohol/hyaluronan (PVA/HA) polysaccharide nanofiber was developed for hiPSCs culture in commercially available xeno-free, chemically defined medium. Vitronectin peptide (VP) was immobilized to PVA/HA nanofibers through NHS/EDC chemistry. The hiPSCs successfully grew and proliferated on the VP-decorated PVA/HA nanofibers, similar to those on Matrigel™. Such well-defined, xeno-free and safe nanofiber substrate that supports culture of hiPSCs will not only help to accelerate the translational perspectives of hiPSCs, but also provide a platform to investigate the cell-nanofiber interaction mechanisms that regulate stem cell proliferation and differentiation.