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Topic Review
Generation of Hierarchical Bicontinuous Morphology in Coinage Metals
The fundamental essence of material design lies in bringing together the competing aspects of a large specific surface area and rapid transport pathways. This review summarizes the recent advances in the strategies to create a hierarchical bicontinuous morphology in porous metals, focusing mainly on the hierarchical architectures in nanoporous gold. Understanding the advantages of generating hierarchical structures on distinct and well-defined length scales can play a huge role in solving problems in porous materials and can guide the synthesis of new materials for specific applications.
  • 800
  • 29 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Quartz Crystal Microbalance Monitoring in Cartilage Tissue Engineering
The main purpose of cartilage TE (CTE) is tissue regeneration, multiplication, and differentiation of cells into a desired tissue-specific form by selecting suitable cellular scaffolds and the cells’ favorable growth conditions. CTE represents a major challenge due to the specific properties of cartilage tissue, slow growth, characteristic structure of extracellular matrix (ECM), extraordinary mechanical properties, and a high degree of dedifferentiation in cell cultures. Cellular scaffolds used in CTE are essential because they allow for cultivation in 3D structures and stimulate hyaline cartilage formation. These scaffolds should meet the relevant requirements, including biocompatibility, suitable degradability, appropriate physicochemical, biological, and architectural features (porosity, pore permeability, mechanical properties and so on), and stimulate the cartilage phenotype. Designing an appropriate scaffold for CTE is a complex procedure, as it is necessary to create a framework with a specific and replicable architecture. It starts with finding the right biomaterial and follows with the right construction technique to prepare an ideal cellular scaffold to cover all the required characteristics. The development of the cartilage-like scaffold must be based on biocompatible and biodegradable biomaterials. At the same time the construction technique must allow the design of various shapes and sizes with a controlled microstructure to promote cellular adhesion, migration, and growth of the cells present in the target tissue. Finally, the stimulation of cartilage phenotype, the production of cartilage-specific ECM (e.g., aggrecan and collagen type 2), and the maintenance of the desired cellular morphology are essential for scaffold use in CTE. Failure to provide the mentioned characteristics leads to cell dedifferentiation and altered gene expression from cartilage-specific to (most commonly) fibroblastic type, a complex challenge that so far has not been conquered.
  • 797
  • 21 Oct 2022
Topic Review
2D Nanomaterial-Based Flame-Retardant PLA Materials
Poly (lactic acid) or polylactide (PLA) has gained widespread use in many industries and has become a commodity polymer. Its potential as a perfect replacement for petrochemically made plastics has been constrained by its extreme flammability and propensity to flow in a fire. Traditional flame-retardants (FRs), such as organo-halogen chemicals, can be added to PLA without significantly affecting the material’s mechanical properties.
  • 796
  • 13 Sep 2023
Topic Review
Bismuth Oxychloride Nanomaterials in Biomedical Applications
Photocatalytic nanomaterials (NMs) have been used for degrading pollution for a long time. As a typical photocatalytic NM, bismuth oxychloride (BiOCl) exhibits excellent photocatalytic performance due to its unique layered structure, electronic properties, optical properties, good photocatalytic activity, and stability. Some environmental pollutants, such as volatile organic compounds, antibiotics and their derivatives, heavy metal ions, pesticides, and microorganisms, could not only be detected but also be degraded by BiOCl-based NMs due to their excellent photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical properties. In particular, BiOCl-based NMs have been used as theranostic platforms because of their CT and photoacoustic imaging abilities, as well as photodynamic and photothermal performances.
  • 793
  • 26 May 2022
Topic Review
Laser-Promoted Immobilization of Ag Nanoparticles
Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are widely used for their bacteriostatic or antimicrobial properties. The antibacterial effects of AgNPs have been demonstrated on many bacteria, including bacteria resistant to common antibiotics. They prevent the adhesion and proliferation of bacteria to the surface of materials and suppress microorganisms already adhered. This property is used in the medical field where these materials protect equipment prone to biofilm formation, such as catheters and implants. AgNPs are also used in the treatment of wounds, where they accelerate the conversion of fibroblasts into myofibroblasts (collagen-producing connective tissue cells).
  • 788
  • 09 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Biomaterials as Haemostatic Agents in Cardiovascular Surgery
Intraoperative haemostasis is of paramount importance in the practice of cardiovascular surgery. Topical haemostatic methods have advanced significantly and today we deal with various haemostatic agents with different properties and different mechanisms of action. The particularity of coagulation mechanisms after extracorporeal circulation, has encouraged the introduction of new types of topic agents to achieve haemostasis, where conventional methods prove their limits. These products have an important role in cardiac, as well as in vascular, surgery, mainly in major vascular procedures, like aortic dissections and aortic aneurysms.
  • 786
  • 31 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Heparin–Protamine Particles for Biomedical Application
Heparin and protamine are a clinically relevant pair of biomolecules. Heparin is a mixture of linear anionic polysaccharides with many sulfate groups. In cardiac and vascular surgery, the use of the anticoagulant is followed by the administration of protamine, a small arginine-rich cationic protein, to neutralize the heparin. The fact that pharmaceutical grade heparin and protamine are commercially available and clinically used in cardiac and vascular surgery makes these biomolecules attractive as building blocks for in vivo applications.
  • 772
  • 16 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Properties of Amphiphilic Janus Dendrimers
Amphiphilic Janus dendrimers are arrangements containing both hydrophilic and hydrophobic units, capable of forming ordered aggregates by intermolecular noncovalent interactions between the dendrimer units. Compared to conventional dendrimers, these molecular self-assemblies possess particular and effective attributes i.e., the presence of different terminal groups, essential to design new elaborated materials. 
  • 772
  • 15 Feb 2023
Topic Review
Anisotropic Chitosan Scaffolds for Cartilage Regeneration
The replacement of damaged or degenerated articular cartilage tissue remains a challenge, as this non-vascularized tissue has a very limited self-healing capacity. Therefore, tissue engineering (TE) of cartilage is a promising treatment option. Although significant progress has been made in recent years, there is still a lack of scaffolds that ensure the formation of functional cartilage tissue while meeting the mechanical requirements for chondrogenic TE. In this article, we report the application of flock technology, a common process in the modern textile industry, to produce flock scaffolds made of chitosan (a biodegradable and biocompatible biopolymer) for chondrogenic TE. By combining an alginate hydrogel with a chitosan flock scaffold (CFS+ALG), a fiber-reinforced hydrogel with anisotropic properties was developed to support chondrogenic differentiation of embedded human chondrocytes. Pure alginate hydrogels (ALG) and pure chitosan flock scaffolds (CFS) were studied as controls. Morphology of primary human chondrocytes analyzed by cLSM and SEM showed a round, chondrogenic phenotype in CFS+ALG and ALG after 21 days of differentiation, whereas chondrocytes on CFS formed spheroids. The compressive strength of CFS+ALG was higher than the compressive strength of ALG and CFS alone. Chondrocytes embedded in CFS+ALG showed gene expression of chondrogenic markers (COL II, COMP, ACAN), the highest collagen II/I ratio, and production of the typical extracellular matrix such as sGAG and collagen II. The combination of alginate hydrogel with chitosan flock scaffolds resulted in a scaffold with anisotropic structure, good mechanical properties, elasticity, and porosity that supported chondrogenic differentiation of inserted human chondrocytes and expression of chondrogenic markers and typical extracellular matrix.
  • 770
  • 11 Nov 2021
Topic Review
Properties and Sample Applications of Different Carbon Nanomaterial
Carbon nanomaterials such as nanodiamond and nano-fullerene C60 are common examples of zero-dimensional carbon nanomaterials that are utilized in implantable brain interfaces. Carbon nanomaterials offer superior charge injection capabilities and high conductivity, enabling high-throughput electrode interfaces that can enhance signal recording quality and stimulation efficiency. In addition, the optical properties and chemical stability of carbon nanomaterials, along with their large surface area, make them ideal for surface charge modification and the incorporation of fluorescent tags, cell-specific targeting molecules, and disease-specific targeting molecules.
  • 769
  • 19 Apr 2023
Topic Review
Cellulose-Based Hydrogel Photocatalysts and Their Applications
Cellulose hydrogels are cited for use in both the water treatmentand antimicrobial fields, emphasizing their adsorption properties as well as their photocatalytic properties. This paper mainly summarizes the properties, preparation methods, and classification of cellulose-based hydrogel materials and their different applications in the direction of photocatalysis over the past 15 years, providing a good basis for future development.
  • 768
  • 13 May 2022
Topic Review
Rationale for Biomimetic Materials Design
Biomimicry can take lessons regarding the secret laws that govern the perfect machines of our biological systems. Biomimetic materials are developed, thus, to emulate and replicate one or more attributes of a living organism, to restore a natural function, or to sustain an environment in terms of chemistry, processing, and structure of materials.
  • 767
  • 25 Oct 2023
Topic Review
Natural Superhydrophobic Surfaces and Wetting Regimes
In nature, many kinds of plants and animals have superhydrophobic surfaces, attracting extensive attention due to their unique properties, such as self-cleaning, water-proofing, uniaxial water transport, etc. Although the apparent contact angles (CAs) of these surfaces are similar, the CAHs may be different considering the chemical compositions of these surfaces. Additionally, the important “lotus leaf effect” and “rose petal effect” are proposed according to the water repellency/adhesion.
  • 765
  • 04 Jul 2023
Topic Review
Organic Electronics in Biosensing
The promising field of organic electronics has ushered in a new era of biosensing technology, thus offering a promising frontier for applications in both medical diagnostics and environmental monitoring. 
  • 763
  • 27 Nov 2023
Topic Review
Gold Nanoclusters in Tumor Theranostic and Combination Therapy
The rising incidence and severity of malignant tumors threaten human life and health, and the current lagged diagnosis and single treatment in clinical practice are inadequate for tumor management. Gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) are nanomaterials with small dimensions (≤3 nm) and few atoms exhibiting unique optoelectronic and physicochemical characteristics, such as fluorescence, photothermal effects, radiosensitization, and biocompatibility.
  • 762
  • 02 Dec 2022
Topic Review
Polysaccharide-Based Hydrogels Drug Delivery in Cancer Therapy
Hydrogels are three-dimensional crosslinked structures with physicochemical properties similar to the extracellular matrix (ECM). By changing the hydrogel’s material type, crosslinking, molecular weight, chemical surface, and functionalization, it is possible to mimic the mechanical properties of native tissues. Hydrogels are currently used in the biomedical and pharmaceutical fields for drug delivery systems, wound dressings, tissue engineering, and contact lenses. Polysaccharide-based hydrogels can be used as drug delivery systems for the efficient release of various types of cancer therapeutics, enhancing the therapeutic efficacy and minimizing potential side effects.
  • 760
  • 01 Feb 2023
Topic Review
Silica-Based Stimuli-Responsive Systems
Silica nanoparticles are safe vehicles for antitumor molecules due to their stability in physiological medium, high surface area and easy functionalization, and good biocompatibility. Silica surface can be engineered with specific organic moieties for the development of stimuli-responsive systems (SRSs), that is, delivery nanostructures that release their cargo under the action of a specific stimulus. When used as drug carriers, these stimuli-responsive nanoparticles are good candidates for strong therapeutic activity with no toxicity effects.
  • 751
  • 29 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Carbohydrates for Drug Delivery and Tissue Engineering
Carbohydrate-based biomaterials are a unique platform for active molecular transport and targeted drug delivery, providing biocompatibility, biodegradability, and a reduction in toxic side effects.
  • 750
  • 27 Jun 2023
Topic Review
Metal-Oxide FET Biosensor for Point-of-Care Testing
Metal-oxide semiconducting materials are promising for building high-performance field-effect transistor (FET) based biochemical sensors. The existence of well-established top-down scalable manufacturing processes enables the reliable production of cost-effective yet high-performance sensors, two key considerations toward the translation of such devices in real-life applications. Metal-oxide semiconductor FET biochemical sensors are especially well-suited to the development of Point-of-Care testing (PoCT) devices, as illustrated by the rapidly growing body of reports in the field. Yet, metal-oxide semiconductor FET sensors remain confined to date, mainly in academia.
  • 743
  • 31 Jan 2023
Topic Review
Silk Fibroin in Human and Veterinary Medicine
The properties of silk make it a promising material for medical applications, both in human and veterinary medicine. Its predominant amino acids, glycine and alanine, exhibit low chemical reactivity, reducing the risk of graft rejection, a notable advantage over most synthetic polymers. Hence, silk is increasingly used as a material for 3D printing in biomedicine. It can be used to build cell scaffolding with the desired cytocompatibility and biodegradability. In combination with gelatine, silk can be used in the treatment of arthritis, and as a hydrogel, to regenerate chondrocytes and mesenchymal cells. When combined with gelatine and collagen, it can also make skin grafts and regenerate the integumentary system. In the treatment of bone tissue, it can be used in combination with polylactic acid and hydroxyapatite to produce bone clips having good mechanical properties and high immunological tolerance.
  • 743
  • 04 Dec 2023
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