Fast dissolving electrospun polymeric films of anti-diabetic drug repaglinide: formulation and evaluation.

Objective: Repaglinide is a well-known FDA approved drug from category of meglitinide; used for the treatment of diabetes. However, its use is limited because of its poor water solubility which leads to erratic drug absorption. Present work focuses on formulation and evaluation of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) nanofibers to counter this problem of poor water solubility.Significance: Prepared nanofibers with hydrophilic polymers were expected to tackle the problem of poor water solubility.Methods: Nanofibers were prepared by electrospinning technique with the optimization of parameters affecting final product. Further prepared formulation was characterized using various techniques.Results: Successful development of drug loaded nanofibers was commenced utilizing electrospinning technique. Further casted film of same polymeric blend was prepared and compared with nanofibers. Optimized nanofibers showed an average diameter of 600-800 nm with smooth surface morphology. Prepared nanofibers and casted film was analyzed in terms of surface morphology, mechanical strength, solid state of drug present, effects of hydrogen bond formation and drug release profile. Results from the glucose tolerance test suggested both the formulations to be having better control over glucose levels as compared to free drug.Conclusion: Overall developed nanofibers presented themselves to be potential drug delivery candidates for drugs having poor water solubility.

Osteoconductive Amine-Functionalized Graphene-Poly(methyl methacrylate) Bone Cement Composite with Controlled Exothermic Polymerization.

Bone cement has found extensive usage in joint arthroplasty over the last 50 years; still, the development of bone cement with essential properties such as high fatigue resistance, lower exothermic temperature, and bioactivity has been an unsolved problem. In our present work, we have addressed all of the mentioned shortcomings of bone cement by reinforcing it with graphene (GR), graphene oxide (GO), and surface-modified amino graphene (AG) fillers. These nanocomposites have shown hypsochromic shifts, suggesting strong interactions between the filler material and the polymer matrix. AG-based nanohybrids have shown greater osteointegration and lower cytotoxicity compared to other nanohybrids as well as pristine bone cement. They have also reduced oxidative stress on cells, resulting in calcification within 20 days of the implantation of nanohybrids into the rabbits. They have significantly reduced the exothermic curing temperature to body temperature and increased the setting time to facilitate practitioners, suggesting that reaction temperature and settling time can be dynamically controlled by varying the concentration of the filler. Thermal stability and enhanced mechanical properties have been achieved in nanohybrids vis-à-vis pure bone cement. Thus, this newly developed nanocomposite can create natural bonding with bone tissues for improved bioactivity, longer sustainability, and better strength in the prosthesis.

Piezoelectric-based bioactive zinc oxide-cellulose acetate electrospun mats for efficient wound healing: an in vitro insight.

Being a complex physiological process involving the removal of damaged tissue debris and creating a new microenvironment for host tissue regeneration, wound healing is still a major challenge for healthcare professionals. Disruption of this process can lead to tissue inflammation, pathogenic infections, and scar formation. Current wound healing treatments primarily focus on passive tissue healing, lacking active engagement in the healing process. In recent years, a new class of functional biomaterials based on piezoelectric properties has emerged, which can actively participate in the wound healing process by harnessing mechanical forces generated from body movement. Herein, we have fabricated a bioactive Cellulose Acetate (CA) electrospun nanofibrous mat incorporating zinc oxide (ZnO) and investigated its efficiency for accelerated wound healing. We have characterized the physicochemical properties of the fabricated nanofibrous mats using various assays, including SEM, FTIR, TGA, mechanical testing, degradation analysis, porosity measurement, hemolysis assay, and piezoelectric d33 coefficient measurement. Through our investigation, we discovered the tunned piezoelectric coefficient of fabricated specimens due to incorporating ZnO into the CA fibers. In vitro studies also confirmed enhanced cell adhesion, proliferation, and migration, indicating faster wound healing potential. Overall, our findings support the efficacy of piezoelectric-based ZnO-incorporated bioactive CA nanofibrous mats for efficient wound healing.

Advancements in poly(methyl Methacrylate) bone cement for enhanced osteoconductivity and mechanical properties in vertebroplasty: A comprehensive review.

The evolution of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) based bone cement (BC) from plexiglass to a biomaterial has revolutionized the joint and vertebral arthroplasties field. This widely used grouting material possesses exceptional properties for medical applications, including excellent biocompatibility, impressive mechanical strength, and favorable handling characteristics. PMMA-based BC is preferred in challenging conditions such as osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures, scoliosis, vertebral hemangiomas, spinal metastases, and myelomas, where it is crucial in withstanding stress. This review aims to comprehensively analyze the available reports and guide further research toward enhanced formulations of vertebral BC, focusing on its osteoconductive and mechanical properties. Furthermore, the review emphasizes the significant impact of BC's mechanical properties and osteoconductivity on the success and longevity of vertebroplasty procedures.

Cellulose-based bioabsorbable and antibiotic coated surgical staple with bioinspired design for efficient wound closure.

The quest to design a flawless wound closure system began long ago and is still underway. Introducing surgical staples is one of the most significant breakthroughs in this effort. In this work, we developed a biodegradable surgical staple to meet the optimal wound closure system criteria and other clinical requirements, such as radiography compatibility and secondary infection prevention. To meet these requirements, a naturally derived cellulose acetate (CA) fiber-reinforced poly-(l-lactic acid) (PLLA) composite was synthesized, and its physicochemical properties were determined using several characterizations such as Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and Universal testing machine (UTM), etc. Taking cues from the Mantis's foreleg, a novel staple design was implemented and verified using Finite Element Analysis (FEA). The CA + PLLA staples were fabricated using melt-casted/3D-printing processes. The staples exhibited excellent biodegradation in both wound and physiological microenvironments with sufficient puncturing strength and later closed the wound's edges mechanically. In addition, the CA + PLLA staples also exhibit metal-like ductility properties to withstand horizontal skin tensions during the healing process. Further, the staples are coated with an antibiotic to combat infections effectively to provide better healing.

Detoxification of poly(methyl methacrylate) bone cement by natural antioxidant intervention.

Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) bone cement is the most widely used grouting material in the joint arthroplasties and vertebroplasties. The present investigation has been carried out to scavenge the radicals and monomer by addition of an antioxidant to minimize the toxicity of bone cement (BC). The in silico studies were employed to determine the potent natural antioxidant at physiological conditions. The antioxidant methionine demonstrated a strong binding affinity with free radicals and methyl methacrylate (MMA) monomer than cysteine. The designated amount of methionine was optimized by various assay methods and >2% methionine shows strong scavenging capacity in BC. Moreover, the antioxidant-loaded BC (ABC) demonstrated similar handling, physicochemical and mechanical properties to pristine bone cement. Significantly, the developed formulation shows superior biological characteristics such as cell proliferation (2 ± 1 BC and 6 ± 1 ABC), adhesion (0.32 ± 0.02 BC and 0.54 ± 0.01 ABC), and cell viability (81 ± 2% BC and 93 ± 1% ABC) toward human osteoblast-like cells (MG-63). Therefore, the novel antioxidant bone cement is a potential candidate for various orthopedic applications to eliminate the adverse effects, related to residual toxic radical and monomer in bone cement.

Natural fiber reinforced biodegradable staples: Novel approach for efficient wound closure.

Every year millions of lacerations and incisions taken place and require an effective methodology to manage the wound for a better life. The primary causes include mechanical trauma and surgical procedures. The rapid healing of the wound is critical to prevent further infection and reduction pain etc. Current options comprise of sutures, staplers, surgical strips and glues, again the intervention depends on the type of wound and the surgeon preference. The current wound closure techniques pose various potent limitations and confronting the problems to create a desired wound closure technique is necessary for faster and effective wound healing management. The surgical staplers are fast and easy to use wound closure devices, which approximates the edges of the wounds together by staples. The staples are mostly made up of metals like titanium and stainless steel. By modifying the existing stapling method using biodegradable staples that are expected to have good mechanical properties, not require removal procedure, minimized scarring and an overall acceleration in wound healing with minimal complications. Present, the paper focuses on the novel hypothesis on natural fiber reinforced biodegradable polymer staples as wound enclosures with high strength and degradability.

Piezoelectric material - A promising approach for bone and cartilage regeneration.

Bone and cartilage are major weight-bearing connective tissues in human and possesses utmost vulnerability for degeneration. The potential causes are mechanical trauma, cancer and disease condition like osteoarthritis and osteoporosis, etc. The regeneration/repair is a challenging, since their complex structures and activities. Current treatment options comprise of auto graft, allograft, artificial bone substituent, autologous chondrocyte implantation, mosaicplasty, marrow stimulation and tissue engineering. Were incompetent to overcome the problem like abandoned growth factor degradation, indistinct growth factor dose and lack of integrity and mechanical properties in regenerated tissues. Present, paper focuses on the novel hypothesis for regeneration of bone and cartilage by using piezoelectric smart property of scaffold material.

Bone cement/layered double hydroxide nanocomposites as potential biomaterials for joint implant.

Poly(methyl methacrylate)-based bone cement and layered double hydroxide (LDH) nanocomposites have been used as a grouting material for total joint arthroplasty. Few weight percentage of nanoLDH was uniformly dispersed in the bone cement matrix to have adequate interaction with matrix polymer. Mechanical strength, stiffness, toughness, and fatigue resistance of the nanocomposites are found to be higher than that of pure bone cement. Nanocomposites are thermally stable as compared to pristine bone cement. Direct mixing of the nanoLDH without any organic solvent makes these nanocomposites biocompatible. Biocompatibility was evaluated and compared with that of commercial bone cement by measuring hydrophilic nature, hemolysis assay, thrombosis assay, and deposition of apatite in simulated body fluid immersion. Finally, the viability of human osteoblast cells on the above developed nanocomposites was testified for actual biocompatibility. The experiment showed better cell growth in nanocomposites as compared to pure bone cement. Thus, these nanocomposites are found to be better grouting material than bone cement.