International Journal of Molecular Sciences

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9335 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Cartilage Oligomeric Matrix Protein Gene Multilayers Inhibit Osteogenic Differentiation and Promote Chondrogenic Differentiation of Mesenchymal Stem Cells

by Peng Guo, Zhong-Li Shi, An Liu, Tiao Lin, Fang-Gang Bi, Ming-Min Shi and Shi-Gui Yan

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2014, 15(11), 20117-20133; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms151120117 - 5 Nov 2014

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 7325

Abstract

There are still many challenges to acquire the optimal integration of biomedical materials with the surrounding tissues. Gene coatings on the surface of biomaterials may offer an effective approach to solve the problem. In order to investigate the gene multilayers mediated differentiation of [...] Read more.

There are still many challenges to acquire the optimal integration of biomedical materials with the surrounding tissues. Gene coatings on the surface of biomaterials may offer an effective approach to solve the problem. In order to investigate the gene multilayers mediated differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), gene functionalized films of hyaluronic acid (HA) and lipid-DNA complex (LDc) encoding cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) were constructed in this study via the layer-by-layer self-assembly technique. Characterizations of the HA/DNA multilayered films indicated the successful build-up process. Cells could be directly transfected by gene films and a higher expression could be obtained with the increasing bilayer number. The multilayered films were stable for a long period and DNA could be easily released in an enzymatic condition. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay presented significantly higher (p < 0.01) COMP expression of MSCs cultured with HA/COMP multilayered films. Compared with control groups, the osteogenic gene expression levels of MSCs with HA/COMP multilayered films were down-regulated while the chondrogenic gene expression levels were up-regulated. Similarly, the alkaline phosphatase (ALP) staining and Alizarin red S staining of MSCs with HA/COMP films were weakened while the alcian blue staining was enhanced. These results demonstrated that HA/COMP multilayered films could inhibit osteogenic differentiation and promote chondrogenic differentiation of MSCs, which might provide new insight for physiological ligament-bone healing. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biomimetic and Functional Materials)

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13277 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Synthesis, Characterization and in Vitro Evaluation of New Composite Bisphosphonate Delivery Systems

by Joanna Kolmas, Marcin Sobczak, Ewa Olędzka, Grzegorz Nałęcz-Jawecki and Cezary Dębek

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2014, 15(9), 16831-16847; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms150916831 - 22 Sep 2014

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 6892

Abstract

In this study, new composite bisphosphonate delivery systems were obtained from polyurethanes (PUs) and nanocrystalline hydroxyapatite (HA). The biodegradable PUs were first synthesized from poly(ε-caprolactone) diols (PCL diols), poly(ethylene adipate) diol, 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate, 1,4-butanediol and HA. Moreover, the PCL diols were synthesized by [...] Read more.

In this study, new composite bisphosphonate delivery systems were obtained from polyurethanes (PUs) and nanocrystalline hydroxyapatite (HA). The biodegradable PUs were first synthesized from poly(ε-caprolactone) diols (PCL diols), poly(ethylene adipate) diol, 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate, 1,4-butanediol and HA. Moreover, the PCL diols were synthesized by the ring-opening polymerization catalysed by the lipase from Candida antarctica. Next, composite drug delivery systems for clodronate were prepared. The mechanical properties of the obtained biomaterials were determined. The cytotoxicity of the synthesized polymers was tested. The preliminary results show that the obtained composites are perspective biomaterials and they can be potentially applied in the technology of implantation drug delivery systems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biomimetic and Functional Materials)

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6631 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Epitaxial Relationships between Calcium Carbonate and Inorganic Substrates

by Taewook Yang, Jae Young Jho and Il Won Kim

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2014, 15(9), 16320-16330; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms150916320 - 15 Sep 2014

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 6151

Abstract

The polymorph-selective crystallization of calcium carbonate has been studied in terms of epitaxial relationship between the inorganic substrates and the aragonite/calcite polymorphs with implication in bioinspired mineralization. EpiCalc software was employed to assess the previously published experimental results on two different groups of [...] Read more.

The polymorph-selective crystallization of calcium carbonate has been studied in terms of epitaxial relationship between the inorganic substrates and the aragonite/calcite polymorphs with implication in bioinspired mineralization. EpiCalc software was employed to assess the previously published experimental results on two different groups of inorganic substrates: aragonitic carbonate crystals (SrCO₃, PbCO₃, and BaCO₃) and a hexagonal crystal family (α-Al₂O₃, α-SiO₂, and LiNbO₃). The maximum size of the overlayer (aragonite or calcite) was calculated for each substrate based on a threshold value of the dimensionless potential to estimate the relative nucleation preference of the polymorphs of calcium carbonate. The results were in good agreement with previous experimental observations, although stereochemical effects between the overlayer and substrate should be separately considered when existed. In assessing the polymorph-selective nucleation, the current method appeared to provide a better tool than the oversimplified mismatch parameters without invoking time-consuming molecular simulation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biomimetic and Functional Materials)

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3023 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Dual Targeting Biomimetic Liposomes for Paclitaxel/DNA Combination Cancer Treatment

by Guo-Xia Liu, Gui-Qing Fang and Wei Xu

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2014, 15(9), 15287-15303; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms150915287 - 29 Aug 2014

Cited by 38 | Viewed by 8855

Abstract

Combinations of chemotherapeutic drugs with nucleic acid has shown great promise in cancer therapy. In the present study, paclitaxel (PTX) and DNA were co-loaded in the hyaluronic acid (HA) and folate (FA)-modified liposomes (HA/FA/PPD), to obtain the dual targeting biomimetic nanovector. The prepared [...] Read more.

Combinations of chemotherapeutic drugs with nucleic acid has shown great promise in cancer therapy. In the present study, paclitaxel (PTX) and DNA were co-loaded in the hyaluronic acid (HA) and folate (FA)-modified liposomes (HA/FA/PPD), to obtain the dual targeting biomimetic nanovector. The prepared HA/FA/PPD exhibited nanosized structure and narrow size distributions (247.4 ± 4.2 nm) with appropriate negative charge of −25.40 ± 2.7 mV. HA/FA/PD (PTX free HA/FA/PPD) showed almost no toxicity on murine malignant melanoma cell line (B16) and human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line (HepG2) (higher than 80% cell viability), demonstrating the safety of the blank nanovector. In comparison with the FA-modified PTX/DNA co-loaded liposomes (FA/PPD), HA/FA/PPD showed significant superiority in protecting the nanoparticles from aggregation in the presence of plasma and degradation by DNase I. Moreover, HA/FA/PPD could also significantly improve the transfection efficiency and cellular internalization rates on B16 cells comparing to that of FA/PPD (p < 0.05) and PPD (p < 0.01), demonstrating the great advantages of dual targeting properties. Furthermore, fluorescence microscope and flow cytometry results showed that PTX and DNA could be effectively co-delivered into the same tumor cell via HA/FA/PPD, contributing to PTX/DNA combination cancer treatment. In conclusion, the obtained HA/FA/PPD in the study could effectively target tumor cells, enhance transfection efficiency and subsequently achieve the co-delivery of PTX and DNA, displaying great potential for optimal combination therapy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biomimetic and Functional Materials)

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5098 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Microscopic Pillars and Tubes Fabricated by Using Fish Dentine as a Molding Template

by Weiqun Li, Xiaowei Liu, Yang Lu and Haimin Yao

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2014, 15(9), 14909-14920; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms150914909 - 25 Aug 2014

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 6627

Abstract

Biomaterials in nature exhibit delicate structures that are greatly beyond the capability of the current manufacturing techniques. Duplicating these structures and applying them in engineering may help enhance the performance of traditional functional materials and structures. Inspired by gecko’s hierarchical micro- and nano-fibrillar [...] Read more.

Biomaterials in nature exhibit delicate structures that are greatly beyond the capability of the current manufacturing techniques. Duplicating these structures and applying them in engineering may help enhance the performance of traditional functional materials and structures. Inspired by gecko’s hierarchical micro- and nano-fibrillar structures for adhesion, in this work we fabricated micro-pillars and tubes by adopting the tubular dentine of black carp fish teeth as molding template. The adhesion performances of the fabricated micro-pillars and tubes were characterized and compared. It was found that the pull-off force of a single pillar was about twice of that of the tube with comparable size. Such unexpected discrepancy in adhesion was analyzed based on the contact mechanics theories. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biomimetic and Functional Materials)

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3251 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Robust Non-Wetting PTFE Surfaces by Femtosecond Laser Machining

by Fang Liang, Jorge Lehr, Lisa Danielczak, Richard Leask and Anne-Marie Kietzig

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2014, 15(8), 13681-13696; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms150813681 - 8 Aug 2014

Cited by 65 | Viewed by 8378

Abstract

Nature shows many examples of surfaces with extraordinary wettability, which can often be associated with particular air-trapping surface patterns. Here, robust non-wetting surfaces have been created by femtosecond laser ablation of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). The laser-created surface structure resembles a forest of entangled fibers, [...] Read more.

Nature shows many examples of surfaces with extraordinary wettability, which can often be associated with particular air-trapping surface patterns. Here, robust non-wetting surfaces have been created by femtosecond laser ablation of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). The laser-created surface structure resembles a forest of entangled fibers, which support structural superhydrophobicity even when the surface chemistry is changed by gold coating. SEM analysis showed that the degree of entanglement of hairs and the depth of the forest pattern correlates positively with accumulated laser fluence and can thus be influenced by altering various laser process parameters. The resulting fibrous surfaces exhibit a tremendous decrease in wettability compared to smooth PTFE surfaces; droplets impacting the virgin or gold coated PTFE forest do not wet the surface but bounce off. Exploratory bioadhesion experiments showed that the surfaces are truly air-trapping and do not support cell adhesion. Therewith, the created surfaces successfully mimic biological surfaces such as insect wings with robust anti-wetting behavior and potential for antiadhesive applications. In addition, the fabrication can be carried out in one process step, and our results clearly show the insensitivity of the resulting non-wetting behavior to variations in the process parameters, both of which make it a strong candidate for industrial applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biomimetic and Functional Materials)

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790 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Antheraea pernyi Silk Fibroin-Coated PEI/DNA Complexes for Targeted Gene Delivery in HEK 293 and HCT 116 Cells

by Yu Liu, Renchuan You, Guiyang Liu, Xiufang Li, Weihua Sheng, Jicheng Yang and Mingzhong Li

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2014, 15(5), 7049-7063; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms15057049 - 25 Apr 2014

Cited by 33 | Viewed by 11184

Abstract

Polyethylenimine (PEI) has attracted much attention as a DNA condenser, but its toxicity and non-specific targeting limit its potential. To overcome these limitations, Antheraea pernyi silk fibroin (ASF), a natural protein rich in arginyl-glycyl-aspartic acid (RGD) peptides that contains negative surface charges in [...] Read more.

Polyethylenimine (PEI) has attracted much attention as a DNA condenser, but its toxicity and non-specific targeting limit its potential. To overcome these limitations, Antheraea pernyi silk fibroin (ASF), a natural protein rich in arginyl-glycyl-aspartic acid (RGD) peptides that contains negative surface charges in a neutral aqueous solution, was used to coat PEI/DNA complexes to form ASF/PEI/DNA ternary complexes. Coating these complexes with ASF caused fewer surface charges and greater size compared with the PEI/DNA complexes alone. In vitro transfection studies revealed that incorporation of ASF led to greater transfection efficiencies in both HEK (human embryonic kidney) 293 and HCT (human colorectal carcinoma) 116 cells, albeit with less electrostatic binding affinity for the cells. Moreover, the transfection efficiency in the HCT 116 cells was higher than that in the HEK 293 cells under the same conditions, which may be due to the target bonding affinity of the RGD peptides in ASF for integrins on the HCT 116 cell surface. This result indicated that the RGD binding affinity in ASF for integrins can enhance the specific targeting affinity to compensate for the reduction in electrostatic binding between ASF-coated PEI carriers and cells. Cell viability measurements showed higher cell viability after transfection of ASF/PEI/DNA ternary complexes than after transfection of PEI/DNA binary complexes alone. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release studies further confirmed the improvement in the targeting effect of ASF/PEI/DNA ternary complexes to cells. These results suggest that ASF-coated PEI is a preferred transfection reagent and useful for improving both the transfection efficiency and cell viability of PEI-based nonviral vectors. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biomimetic and Functional Materials)

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1087 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Hydraulic Mechanism of the Unfolding of Hind Wings in Dorcus titanus platymelus (Order: Coleoptera)

by Jiyu Sun, Mingze Ling, Wei Wu, Bharat Bhushan and Jin Tong

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2014, 15(4), 6009-6018; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms15046009 - 9 Apr 2014

Cited by 48 | Viewed by 9166

Abstract

In most beetles, the hind wings are thin and fragile; when at rest, they are held over the back of the beetle. When the hind wing unfolds, it provides the necessary aerodynamic forces for flight. In this paper, we investigate the hydraulic mechanism [...] Read more.

In most beetles, the hind wings are thin and fragile; when at rest, they are held over the back of the beetle. When the hind wing unfolds, it provides the necessary aerodynamic forces for flight. In this paper, we investigate the hydraulic mechanism of the unfolding process of the hind wings in Dorcus titanus platymelus (Oder: Coleoptera). The wing unfolding process of Dorcus titanus platymelus was examined using high speed camera sequences (400 frames/s), and the hydraulic pressure in the veins was measured with a biological pressure sensor and dynamic signal acquisition and analysis (DSA) during the expansion process. We found that the total time for the release of hydraulic pressure during wing folding is longer than the time required for unfolding. The pressure is proportional to the length of the wings and the body mass of the beetle. A retinal camera was used to investigate the fluid direction. We found that the peak pressures correspond to two main cross-folding joint expansions in the hind wing. These observations strongly suggest that blood pressure facilitates the extension of hind wings during unfolding. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biomimetic and Functional Materials)

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Review

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609 KiB

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An Overview of Poly(lactic-co-glycolic) Acid (PLGA)-Based Biomaterials for Bone Tissue Engineering

by Piergiorgio Gentile, Valeria Chiono, Irene Carmagnola and Paul V. Hatton

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2014, 15(3), 3640-3659; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms15033640 - 28 Feb 2014

Cited by 1258 | Viewed by 45211

Abstract

Poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid (PLGA) has attracted considerable interest as a base material for biomedical applications due to its: (i) biocompatibility; (ii) tailored biodegradation rate (depending on the molecular weight and copolymer ratio); (iii) approval for clinical use in humans by the U.S. [...] Read more.

Poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid (PLGA) has attracted considerable interest as a base material for biomedical applications due to its: (i) biocompatibility; (ii) tailored biodegradation rate (depending on the molecular weight and copolymer ratio); (iii) approval for clinical use in humans by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA); (iv) potential to modify surface properties to provide better interaction with biological materials; and (v) suitability for export to countries and cultures where implantation of animal-derived products is unpopular. This paper critically reviews the scientific challenge of manufacturing PLGA-based materials with suitable properties and shapes for specific biomedical applications, with special emphasis on bone tissue engineering. The analysis of the state of the art in the field reveals the presence of current innovative techniques for scaffolds and material manufacturing that are currently opening the way to prepare biomimetic PLGA substrates able to modulate cell interaction for improved substitution, restoration, or enhancement of bone tissue function. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biomimetic and Functional Materials)

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