Peter J. Jensen, Josh P. Graham, Trevor K. Busch, Owen Fitz, Sivani Jayanadh, Thomas E. Pashuck and Tomas Gonzalez-Fernandez
{"title":"Biocompatible composite hydrogel with on-demand swelling-shrinking properties for 4D bioprinting†","authors":"Peter J. Jensen, Josh P. Graham, Trevor K. Busch, Owen Fitz, Sivani Jayanadh, Thomas E. Pashuck and Tomas Gonzalez-Fernandez","doi":"10.1039/D5BM00551E","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D5BM00551E","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Hydrogels with tunable swelling and shrinking properties are of great interest in biomedical applications, particularly in wound healing, tissue regeneration, and drug delivery. Traditional hydrogels often fail to achieve high swelling without mechanical failure. In contrast, high-swelling hydrogels can absorb large amounts of liquid, expanding their volume by 10–1000 times, due to low crosslink density and the presence of hydrophilic groups. Additionally, some high-swelling hydrogels can also shrink in response to external stimuli, making them promising candidates for applications like on-demand drug delivery and biosensing. An emerging application of high-swelling hydrogels is four-dimensional (4D) printing, where controlled swelling induces structural transformations in a 3D printed construct. However, current hydrogel systems show limited swelling capacity, restricting their ability to undergo significant shape changes. To address these limitations, we developed a high-swelling composite hydrogel, termed SwellMA, by combining gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) and sodium polyacrylate (SPA). SwellMA exhibits a swelling capacity over 500% of its original area and can increase its original water weight by 100-fold, outperforming existing materials in 4D bioprinting. Furthermore, SwellMA constructs can cyclically swell and shrink on-demand upon changing the ionic strength of the aqueous solution. Additionally, SwellMA demonstrates superior cytocompatibility and cell culture properties than SPA, along with enhanced 3D printing fidelity. These findings demonstrate SwellMA's potential for advanced 4D printing and a broad range of biomedical applications requiring precise and dynamic control over hydrogel swelling and shrinking.</p>","PeriodicalId":65,"journal":{"name":"Biomaterials Science","volume":" 12","pages":" 3264-3279"},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2025/bm/d5bm00551e?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143955799","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Dual role of electrical stimulation and a biomimetic matrix in neural differentiation within a microfluidic platform†","authors":"Utku Devamoglu, Yagmur Arslan, Leila Sabour-Takanlou, Cigir Biray-Avci and Ozlem Yesil-Celiktas","doi":"10.1039/D4BM01702A","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D4BM01702A","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Neurodegenerative diseases mostly stem from oxidative stress and/or misfolded proteins in the central and peripheral nervous systems, posing clinical and economic burdens globally. Despite the advances in this field, biomimetic models recapitulating the neural microphysiological environment of both patients and healthy individuals are needed to accelerate drug development. Herein, a biomimetic microfluidic platform was developed to promote neural differentiation of stem cells by recapitulating physicochemical and physicomechanical factors in the neural microenvironment. In order to address this, the supportive role of electrical stimulation (ES) was assessed under various conditions by using immunofluorescence staining of mesenchymal stromal cell markers (CD45, CD90), the neuroepithelial stem cell protein marker (Nestin) and the microtubule-associated protein 2 marker (MAP2). Moreover, the combinational effect of ES and a cell-derived matrix (CDM), or a three-dimensional tissue-derived matrix (TDM), was explored. The matrices were obtained and characterized by scanning electron microscopy, contact angle analysis, DNA analysis, agarose gel electrophoresis, and in terms of extracellular matrix proteins. Neural differentiation was further validated by analysis of changes in gene expressions. ES applied in a rectangular manner with a 10 ms frequency at an intensity of 200 mV cm<small><sup>−1</sup></small> for 1 h per day for 7 days, followed by an additional 7 day recovery phase, revealed optimum neural differentiation for the combinational approach with brain TDM in both 2D and 3D. In conclusion, this work highlights the critical role of both physicochemical and physicomechanical factors in neural differentiation, offering valuable insights for advancing biomimetic models and stem cell research.</p>","PeriodicalId":65,"journal":{"name":"Biomaterials Science","volume":" 13","pages":" 3707-3721"},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144172043","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Mannat Jain, Isha M. Jadhav, Suyash Vinayak Dangat, Srinivasa Rao Singuru, Gautam Sethi, Eiji Yuba and Rajesh Kumar Gupta
{"title":"Overcoming the novel glycan–lectin checkpoints in tumor microenvironments for the success of the cross-presentation-based immunotherapy","authors":"Mannat Jain, Isha M. Jadhav, Suyash Vinayak Dangat, Srinivasa Rao Singuru, Gautam Sethi, Eiji Yuba and Rajesh Kumar Gupta","doi":"10.1039/D4BM01732C","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D4BM01732C","url":null,"abstract":"<p >In pursuit of meeting the ever-rising demand for cancer therapies, cross-presentation-based glyconanovaccines (GNVs) targeting C-type lectin receptors (CLRs) on DCs have shown significant potential as cutting-edge cancer immunotherapy. GNVs are an attractive approach to induce anti-cancer cytotoxic T lymphocyte responses. Despite immune checkpoints (ICs) being well established and an obstacle to the success of GNVs, glycan–lectin circuits are emerging as unique checkpoints due to their immunomodulatory functions. Given the role of aberrant tumor glycosylation in promoting immune evasion, mitigating these effects is crucial for the efficacy of GNVs. Lectins, such as siglecs and galectins, are detrimental to the tumor immune landscape as they promote an immunosuppressive TME. From this perspective, this review aims to explore glycan–lectin ICs and their influence on the efficacy of GNVs. We aim to discuss various ICs in the TME followed by drawbacks of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). We will also emphasize the altered glycosylation profile of tumors, addressing their immunosuppressive nature along with ways in which CLRs, siglecs, and galectins contribute to immune evasion and cancer progression. Considering the resistance towards ICIs, current and prospective approaches for targeting glycan–lectin circuits and future prospects of these endeavors in harnessing the full potential of GNVs will also be highlighted.</p>","PeriodicalId":65,"journal":{"name":"Biomaterials Science","volume":" 13","pages":" 3447-3497"},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2025/bm/d4bm01732c?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144148701","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Laura Dietz, Julia Simon, Kai R. Speth, Katharina Landfester and Volker Mailänder
{"title":"Plasma protein corona on silica nanoparticles enhances exocytosis†","authors":"Laura Dietz, Julia Simon, Kai R. Speth, Katharina Landfester and Volker Mailänder","doi":"10.1039/D4BM01189A","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D4BM01189A","url":null,"abstract":"<p >While the influence of the protein corona on nanoparticle uptake in mammalian cells is well understood, little is known about the influence of the protein corona on nanoparticle exocytosis. However, the exocytosis of nanoparticles also contributes to the therapeutic efficacy as it influences the net delivery of nanoparticles to a cell. In this study we demonstrate that the exocytosis of silica nanoparticles from HCT 116 cells is enhanced by the pre-adsorption of a human plasma protein corona. This pre-adsorption effect also depends on the diameter of the nanoparticles. The exocytosis of small silica nanoparticles (10 nm) is less pronounced, while the exocytosis of larger silica nanoparticles (100 nm) is significantly increased in the presence of a protein corona. A proteomic analysis of the plasma protein corona of the different-sized silica nanoparticles (10 nm, 30 nm, 50 nm, and 100 nm) reveals different protein compositions. Apolipoproteins and coagulation proteins are enriched in a size-dependent manner with high amounts of apolipoproteins adsorbed to small silica nanoparticles. The findings underscore the significance of the nanoparticle protein corona for exocytosis and demonstrate the need to engineer nanocarriers that are not exocytosed rapidly to enhance the efficacy in drug delivery.</p>","PeriodicalId":65,"journal":{"name":"Biomaterials Science","volume":" 13","pages":" 3532-3543"},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2025/bm/d4bm01189a?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144155291","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Shouyuan Jiang, Anyu Zhang, Behnam Akhavan, John Whitelock, Marcela M. Bilek, Steven G. Wise, Megan S. Lord and Jelena Rnjak-Kovacina
{"title":"Biofunctionalization of electrospun silk scaffolds with perlecan for vascular tissue engineering†","authors":"Shouyuan Jiang, Anyu Zhang, Behnam Akhavan, John Whitelock, Marcela M. Bilek, Steven G. Wise, Megan S. Lord and Jelena Rnjak-Kovacina","doi":"10.1039/D5BM00364D","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D5BM00364D","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Electrospun silk fibroin scaffolds have garnered significant interest in vascular tissue engineering due to their biocompatibility, mechanical strength, and tunable degradation. However, their lack of intrinsic cell-binding domains limits endothelialization, a critical factor for vascular graft success. This study explores the biofunctionalization of electrospun silk scaffolds with recombinant perlecan domain V (rDV) using plasma immersion ion implantation (PIII) treatment, a surface modification method enabling robust covalent immobilization without the use of reagents. The biofunctionalized scaffolds enhanced endothelial cell adhesion, proliferation, and retention under physiological flow conditions while inhibiting smooth muscle cell proliferation. Additionally, the functionalized scaffolds demonstrated angiogenic potential <em>in vivo</em>. These findings underscore the potential of rDV-functionalized silk scaffolds as a promising candidate for small-diameter vascular grafts, addressing key challenges of endothelialization and vascular cell modulation in clinical applications.</p>","PeriodicalId":65,"journal":{"name":"Biomaterials Science","volume":" 13","pages":" 3598-3616"},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2025/bm/d5bm00364d?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144092182","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Yingjia Sun, Shixing Ma, Yang Shi, Mumian Chen, Yanhua Lan, Lingling Hu and Xiaofeng Yang
{"title":"Overcoming biological inertness: multifaceted strategies to optimize PEEK bioactivity for interdisciplinary clinical applications","authors":"Yingjia Sun, Shixing Ma, Yang Shi, Mumian Chen, Yanhua Lan, Lingling Hu and Xiaofeng Yang","doi":"10.1039/D4BM01693A","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D4BM01693A","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Polyether ether ketone (PEEK), characterized by a comparable elastic modulus to human bone with high wear resistance, radiolucency, and biocompatibility, demonstrates considerable promise for clinical applications. However, due to the significant limitations in clinical applications caused by the biological inertness of PEEK, it should first be modified to meet clinical needs. Currently, the field of PEEK modifications is rapidly advancing, with a particular emphasis on enhancing its biological properties. Most of the previous reviews have separately discussed strategies like antibacterial, osteogenic, and angiogenic enhancements for PEEK. This review combines cross-domain insights to update and synthesize recent research on PEEK composites, focusing on advanced multi-component sustained release platforms that mimic postoperative biological processes. Such temporal alignment between material functionality and physiological healing phases demonstrates unprecedented potential for expanding PEEK's clinical versatility.</p>","PeriodicalId":65,"journal":{"name":"Biomaterials Science","volume":" 12","pages":" 3106-3122"},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143955386","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Shu Sun, Jing Qin, Yifu Zhuang, Pengfei Cai, Xiao Yu, Hongsheng Wang, Xiumei Mo, Jinglei Wu, Mohamed EL-Newehy, Meera Moydeen Abdulhameed, Mingyue Fan, Wenhao Qian and Binbin Sun
{"title":"Development of MgO-loaded PLA/dECM antibacterial nanofibrous membranes for enhanced gingival regeneration†","authors":"Shu Sun, Jing Qin, Yifu Zhuang, Pengfei Cai, Xiao Yu, Hongsheng Wang, Xiumei Mo, Jinglei Wu, Mohamed EL-Newehy, Meera Moydeen Abdulhameed, Mingyue Fan, Wenhao Qian and Binbin Sun","doi":"10.1039/D4BM01346H","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D4BM01346H","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Clinically, gingival tissue repair is challenging due to the complex oral microbial environment and inflammation. The development of gingival membranes using tissue engineering techniques offers a promising solution to this issue. This study focuses on developing a nanofibrous gingival membrane, combining polylactic acid (PLA), decellularized extracellular matrix (dECM), and magnesium oxide (MgO) nanoparticles. Electrospinning was used to fabricate membranes with varying ratios of PLA, dECM, and MgO, and their mechanical, antibacterial, and cell-proliferation properties were evaluated. NIH-3T3 and rat gingival fibroblast (RGF) cells were cultured on the membranes to assess biocompatibility. A rat model with gingival defects was used to test <em>in vivo</em> tissue regeneration. It was indicated that the antibacterial nanofibrous membranes with MgO showed enhanced antibacterial effects and reduced inflammation, and promoted gingival tissue repair.</p>","PeriodicalId":65,"journal":{"name":"Biomaterials Science","volume":" 12","pages":" 3354-3366"},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143957201","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Sumi Choi, Minjeong Kim, Minjin Kim and Su-Hwan Kim
{"title":"Advances in oxygenation nanozymes for overcoming diabetic ulcers","authors":"Sumi Choi, Minjeong Kim, Minjin Kim and Su-Hwan Kim","doi":"10.1039/D5BM00340G","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D5BM00340G","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Diabetic ulcers, affecting 15–25% of diabetes patients worldwide, are characterized by localized hypoxia that impedes healing. This review explores the emerging field of <em>in situ</em> oxygen-generating nanozymes as a promising approach to diabetic ulcer treatment. Nanozymes, synthetic nanoparticles mimicking natural enzyme activities, have shown potential in generating oxygen <em>in situ</em>, scavenging reactive oxygen species, and modulating the wound microenvironment. Materials such as manganese dioxide, cerium dioxide, platinum nanoparticles, and molybdenum-based quantum dots have demonstrated efficacy in preclinical studies, often exhibiting multiple enzyme-like activities. These nanozymes have shown accelerated wound closure, enhanced angiogenesis, and improved tissue regeneration in animal models. However, challenges remain, including optimizing nanozyme–hydrogel interactions, addressing the potential toxicity of metal-based nanomaterials, and determining optimal oxygen concentrations for various wound conditions. Future research directions include developing biocompatible nanozymes, enhancing delivery systems, and exploring combination therapies. This review underscores the potential of nanozyme-based therapies to revolutionize the treatment of diabetic ulcers and potentially other hypoxia-related conditions.</p>","PeriodicalId":65,"journal":{"name":"Biomaterials Science","volume":" 13","pages":" 3498-3508"},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144074974","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Tracing the evolution of biomaterials: insights and challenges in regenerative medicine","authors":"Zigang Ge and Li Wang","doi":"10.1039/D5BM00301F","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D5BM00301F","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Functional tissue regeneration still remains a challenge in some tissues, while lack of comprehensive understanding about regenerative biology as well as roles biomaterials play significantly hinder its advances. In this article, important terms and research strategies on biomaterials are reviewed, while challenges faced, key progress, and breakthroughs that could potentially facilitate tissue regeneration are discussed, with an aim to optimize research strategies on biomaterials and shed light on their future.</p>","PeriodicalId":65,"journal":{"name":"Biomaterials Science","volume":" 14","pages":" 3789-3794"},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144197804","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Xinyuan Jiang, Yuling Zhu, Peixing Chen and Deng Liu
{"title":"Biomimetic nanofibers with cell membrane functionalization for enhanced tissue engineering","authors":"Xinyuan Jiang, Yuling Zhu, Peixing Chen and Deng Liu","doi":"10.1039/D5BM00290G","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D5BM00290G","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Recent advancements in tissue engineering have been driven by the development of nanofibrous scaffolds that replicate key structural and functional features of the natural extracellular matrix. Recently, cell membrane coating technology has emerged as a promising strategy to further enhance the biological functionality of nanofibers by conferring innate cellular recognition, immune evasion, and targeted signaling capabilities. This review aims to provide a comprehensive summary of the recent advancements in the fabrication, characterization, and modification of cell membrane-coated nanofibers for tissue repair. The review commences with an examination of diverse methodologies employed for nanofiber fabrication, encompassing electrospinning, melt electrospinning, and self-assembly techniques. This is followed by an overview of advanced cell membrane extraction methodologies and strategies for stable membrane integration with nanofibers. Subsequently, the review highlights state-of-the-art characterization techniques used to evaluate the physical, chemical, and biological properties of these composite scaffolds. Finally, we address the potential applications of these bioinspired nanofibers in bone regeneration, vascular repair, skin wound healing, and cancer therapy, and provide insights into future perspectives and challenges for clinical translation. Our analysis indicates that cell membrane-coated nanofibers represent a versatile platform for next-generation tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.</p>","PeriodicalId":65,"journal":{"name":"Biomaterials Science","volume":" 12","pages":" 3176-3191"},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143951863","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}