丝素蛋白在组织工程中的应用及进展

组织工程是生物支架材料、种子细胞和生物活性因子的有机组合,其中支架材料为种子细胞的黏附载体,为细胞的生长增殖及新陈代谢提供适宜的微环境,并最终被生物体逐渐降解而被再生组织替代。支架材料为周围组织提供机械支持,并引导再生组织按照预定结构和方向生长。同时,各种生物活性物质可以加入支架材料中,比如各种生长因子以及抗体等,扩大了支架材料的应用范围。丝素蛋白具有可控且缓慢的生物降解性,突出的机械性能,良好的生物相容性,支持多种细胞的黏附、生长和分化增殖,已经用于血管、骨、软骨及神经组织等方面的组织工程研究。     

生物组织再生材料

日前,库克医疗在中国正式推出一款高端生物组织再生材料——百得塞。据印第安纳大学与普渡大学外科学教授威廉？乌登介绍,百得塞有四项优点：包括携带生物信号强化组织再生、强效抗感染、完全再生新组织及再生组织强韧持久。该再生材料已被证实可以应用于各种疝的治疗。     

组织工程的诞生与发展——组织工程连载之一

传统器官移植受到器官来源、伦理以及机体免疫排斥等方面的限制而难以满足临床治疗需要。为了应对不断的挑战,组织工程得以诞生和发展。最初组织工程的含义是联合使用细胞、支架材料和生物活性因子以促进组织的修复和再生方面的研究和应用,随着研究的深入组织工程的概念得到不断发展。现代组织工程学是一门利用工程学和生命科学的原理,研究和开发具有生物活性的人工替代物,以维持、恢复或提高人体受损组织的功能的交叉学科。自诞生20多年来,组织工程的发展大致经历了三个阶段。再生医学是现代临床医学的重要分支,与干细胞和组织工程具有密切的联系。组织工程是完美的组织器官再生,是再生医学的关键研究领域,体现了再生医学的主要发展方向。再生医学的理论和技术方法促进了组织工程的发展。     

氧化石墨烯在骨组织工程中的应用

传统骨组织工程支架材料存在强度不足、生物活性低等缺点。近年来,碳纳米材料在骨再生方面展现出独特的优势。氧化石墨烯(graphene oxide, GO)是一种具有代表性的二维碳纳米材料,作为石墨烯的氧化形式,GO具有优异的力学性能、良好的生物相容性、大比表面积、易于改性等特点。GO不仅能够直接促进干细胞黏附、增殖和分化,还可以改善传统支架的机械性能、生物活性、抗菌能力、免疫调节能力等,基于GO的复合材料有望成为理想的骨再生支架。综述GO的物理化学性能、生物相容性、生物降解和清除等特性,总结GO作为涂层、控释材料和复合支架在骨组织工程中的最新应用,并对其未来研究方向进行展望。     

梯度信号分子功能支架的制备及再生医学应用

再生医学作为新兴的治疗手段,为受损组织再生带来新希望。如何实现生物支架的功能化是提高受损组织再生能力的关键因素之一。天然生物体内存在多种物理、化学信号梯度,调控多种生理学过程,促进细胞黏附、迁移和分化,从而提高组织损伤修复效果。近年来,研究发现在生物支架中引入梯度分布的物理或生物学信号,在组织修复及再生方面展现出独特作用,具有重大应用前景。该文阐述了近年来组织再生中信号梯度功能支架的分类、制备技术及其在再生医学中的研究进展,并对再生医学领域梯度功能支架进行展望。     

水凝胶负载干细胞外泌体在组织再生领域的应用研究进展

近年来,间充质干细胞(mesenchymal stem cells,MSCs)衍生的外泌体在组织再生领域引发许多关注。MSCs衍生外泌体作为细胞间通讯的信号分子,具有天然靶向性强、免疫原性低等特点,其通过MSCs旁分泌途径被细胞吸收,参与调控发挥促进细胞或组织再生功能。水凝胶作为再生医学领域的支架材料,具有良好的生物相容性、降解性等特点。将二者制成复合物联合使用后不仅可以提高外泌体在病变位置的滞留时间,且可通过原位注射等方法提高外泌体到达病变位置的剂量,在病变区域治疗效果显著且持续性改善。文中总结了现阶段外泌体与水凝胶复合物材料共同作用促进组织修复、再生的研究结果,以期为未来组织再生领域中的相关研究工作提供借鉴。     

纳米硅酸镁锂在组织再生中的应用*

因外伤、肿瘤和先天发育异常等导致的组织缺损会严重影响患者的生理功能和心理健康。组织再生修复过程复杂,随着年龄的增长,机体本身再生修复的能力逐渐减弱,缺损组织的修复多以纤维结构混乱的瘢痕修复为主。硅酸镁锂(laponite,LAP)因其独特的纳米层状结构和表面电化学特点,能够与多种生物分子和药物相互作用,展现了较好的细胞相容性和生物活性,已被广泛应用于组织再生生物材料的功能化改性。综述LAP的性质特点及其在组织再生修复领域的应用,以期推进LAP研究成果更好地向临床转化。     

明胶微球在骨组织工程中的应用

骨组织工程通过联合利用种子细胞、生物活性因子和支架材料等要素来构建骨组织再生微环境,从而促进骨缺损的修复重建来诱导骨再生。明胶微球具有多孔性、生物降解性、生物相容性及生物安全性等优势,是一种极具应用潜能的骨修复材料。明胶微球用于体外培养种子细胞时可实现高效扩增。多官能团结构使其可作为促血管再生因子、促骨再生因子及抗感染因子等多种药物的递送载体,缓释药物的同时也可实现微球的多功能化。在构建明胶微球支架时与其他生物材料复合及血管化性能的赋予可提高支架材料的综合性能,但目前支架的设计还存在如何兼顾材料多孔结构和力学性能的问题。本文主要综述了明胶微球的常见制备技术及其近年来在骨组织工程中的应用,并对未来的发展前景进行展望。     

聚己内酯在组织工程中的应用进展

聚己内酯(PCL)以其具有的良好生物相容性及其力学特点,在组织工程领域已经成为主要的生物支架材料之一。利用生物支架材料,组织工程的目的是对组织、器官的丧失或功能障碍进行修复与重建。本文综述了对生物支架材料聚己内酯(PCL)的研究进展以及其在组织工程中的应用。     

Toll-like receptor信号通路在生物再生中的作用

再生是指生物体重新长出或构建恢复生物体失去或受伤部分的过程。揭示再生过程的调控机制已成为当今生物学领域内的重要课题。TLR(Toll-like receptor)信号通路是先天免疫系统中的重要组成部分,其可以识别病原相关分子模式和损伤相关分子模式,在不同物种中具有高度同源性。该文对TLR信号通路的分子机制及其与生物再生之间的关系进行了概述。目前对TLR信号通路的研究表明其不仅在免疫防御方面发挥作用,而且同样参与对生物再生的调控,在多种组织器官的再生过程中均发挥一定的功能。     

Composite scaffolds for cartilage tissue engineering

Tissue engineering remains a promising therapeutic strategy for the repair or regeneration of diseased or damaged tissues. Previous approaches have typically focused on combining cells and bioactive molecules (e.g., growth factors, cytokines and DNA fragments) with a biomaterial scaffold that functions as a template to control the geometry of the newly formed tissue, while facilitating the attachment, proliferation, and differentiation of embedded cells. Biomaterial scaffolds also play a crucial role in determining the functional properties of engineered tissues, including biomechanical characteristics such as inhomogeneity, anisotropy, nonlinearity or viscoelasticity. While single-phase, homogeneous materials have been used extensively to create numerous types of tissue constructs, there continue to be significant challenges in the development of scaffolds that can provide the functional properties of load-bearing tissues such as articular cartilage. In an attempt to create more complex scaffolds that promote the regeneration of functional engineered tissues, composite scaffolds comprising two or more distinct materials have been developed. This paper reviews various studies on the development and testing of composite scaffolds for the tissue engineering of articular cartilage, using techniques such as embedded fibers and textiles for reinforcement, embedded solid structures, multi-layered designs, or three-dimensionally woven composite materials. In many cases, the use of composite scaffolds can provide unique biomechanical and biological properties for the development of functional tissue engineering scaffolds.     

The effect of the chemical nature of implant materials on regeneration processes in an implant site

The literature data on implant materials for recovering from osseous injuries and defects were reviewed. Hydroxyapatite and bioactive glass are the leading artificial implant materials. Chitosan, polylactide, adgelon, and salicylic acid have found application in this area as biocompatible surgical materials that also promote wound healing and regeneration. When using hydroxyapatite as an implant material, its active groups, such as phosphate, hydroxyl, and others provide contacts; cell migration and adhesion on the matrix surface, formation of an intermediate layer of osteoid type, and fusion of bone and implant then occur. In the case of bioactive glass, the silanol groups are involved in bond formation. The study of mechanisms of bond formation between biological tissue and implant material and search for new biocompatible materials are important tasks of medical research in the field of implantation and post-traumatic regeneration.     

Adult mesenchymal stem cells for tissue engineering versus regenerative medicine

Adult mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can be isolated from bone marrow or marrow aspirates and because they are culture-dish adherent, they can be expanded in culture while maintaining their multipotency. The MSCs have been used in preclinical models for tissue engineering of bone, cartilage, muscle, marrow stroma, tendon, fat, and other connective tissues. These tissue-engineered materials show considerable promise for use in rebuilding damaged or diseased mesenchymal tissues. Unanticipated is the realization that the MSCs secrete a large spectrum of bioactive molecules. These molecules are immunosuppressive, especially for T-cells and, thus, allogeneic MSCs can be considered for therapeutic use. In this context, the secreted bioactive molecules provide a regenerative microenvironment for a variety of injured adult tissues to limit the area of damage and to mount a self-regulated regenerative response. This regenerative microenvironment is referred to as trophic activity and, therefore, MSCs appear to be valuable mediators for tissue repair and regeneration. The natural titers of MSCs that are drawn to sites of tissue injury can be augmented by allogeneic MSCs delivered via the bloodstream. Indeed, human clinical trials are now under way to use allogeneic MSCs for treatment of myocardial infarcts, graft-versus-host disease, Crohn's Disease, cartilage and meniscus repair, stroke, and spinal cord injury. This review summarizes the biological basis for the in vivo functioning of MSCs through development and aging.     

Bone regeneration and stem cells

This invited review covers research areas of central importance for orthopaedic and maxillofacial bone tissue repair, including normal fracture healing and healing problems, biomaterial scaffolds for tissue engineering, mesenchymal and foetal stem cells, effects of sex steroids on mesenchymal stem cells, use of platelet-rich plasma for tissue repair, osteogenesis and its molecular markers. A variety of cells in addition to stem cells, as well as advances in materials science to meet specific requirements for bone and soft tissue regeneration by addition of bioactive molecules, are discussed.     

Protein-based tissue engineering in bone and cartilage repair

Bioactive proteins signal host or transplanted cells to form the desired tissue type. Matrix systems are utilized to locally deliver the proteins and to maintain effective protein concentrations. For some indications, a matrix is required to define the physical form of the regenerated tissue. Substantial progress has been made in bone tissue engineering in recent years, based on the results of controlled clinical studies using bone morphogenetic proteins. Ongoing research in this area centers on the design of additional delivery matrices to expand the clinical indications, using synthetic delivery systems that mimic biological qualities of the natural materials currently in use. Although a similar rationale exists for the regeneration of articular cartilage with bioactive factors, advancement in this area has not been as substantial.     

Carboxylic acid-functionalized conductive polypyrrole as a bioactive platform for cell adhesion

Electroactive polymers such as polypyrrole (PPy) are highly attractive for a number of biomedical applications, including their use as coatings for electrodes or neural probes and as scaffolds to induce tissue regeneration. Surface modification of these materials with biological moieties is desired to enhance the biomaterial-tissue interface and to promote desired tissue responses. Here, we present the synthesis and physicochemical characterization of poly(1-(2-carboxyethyl)pyrrole) (PPyCOOH), a PPy derivative that contains a chemical group that can be easily modified with biological moieties at the N-position of the polymer backbone. FTIR, XPS, and fluorescence microscopy were used to demonstrate the successful incorporation of carboxylic acid (-COOH) functionality into PPy materials, and a four-point probe analysis was used to demonstrate electrical conductivity in the semiconductor range. Human umbilical vascular endothelial cells (HUVECs) cultured on PPyCOOH films surface-modified with the cell-adhesive Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) motif demonstrated improved attachment and spreading. Thus, PPyCOOH could be useful in developing PPy composites that contain a variety of biological molecules as bioactive conducting platforms for specific biomedical purposes.     

Recent advances in ceramic implants as drug delivery systems for biomedical applications

Research in the development of new bioceramics with local drug delivery capability for bone regeneration technologies is receiving great interest by the scientific biomedical community. Among bioceramics, silica-based ordered mesoporous materials are excellent candidates as bone implants due to two main reasons: first, the bioactive behavior of such materials in contact with simulated body fluids, ie, a carbonate hydroxyapatite similar to the mineral phase of bone is formed onto the materials surfaces. Second, their capability of acting as delivery systems of a large variety of biologically active molecules, including drugs to treat bone infection, inflammation or diseases, and molecules that promote bone tissue regeneration, such as peptides, proteins, growth factors, and other osteogenic agents. The recent chemical and technological advances in the nanometer scale has allowed the design of mesoporous silicas with tailored structural and textural properties aimed at achieving a better control over molecule loading and release kinetics. Moreover organic modification of mesoporous silica walls has been revealed as a key strategy to modulate molecule adsorption and delivery rates.     

Inductive tissue engineering with protein and DNA-releasing scaffolds

Cellular differentiation, organization, proliferation and apoptosis are determined by a combination of an intrinsic genetic program, matrix/substrate interactions, and extracellular cues received from the local microenvironment. These molecular cues come in the form of soluble (e.g. cytokines) and insoluble (e.g. ECM proteins) factors, as well as signals from surrounding cells that can promote specific cellular processes leading to tissue formation or regeneration. Recent developments in the field of tissue engineering have employed biomaterials to present these cues, providing powerful tools to investigate the cellular processes involved in tissue development, or to devise therapeutic strategies based on cell replacement or tissue regeneration. These inductive scaffolds utilize natural and/or synthetic biomaterials fabricated into three-dimensional structures. This review summarizes the use of scaffolds in the dual role of structural support for cell growth and vehicle for controlled release of tissue inductive factors, or DNA encoding for these factors. The confluence of molecular and cell biology, materials science and engineering provides the tools to create controllable microenvironments that mimic natural developmental processes and direct tissue formation for experimental and therapeutic applications.     

A new method of fabricating robust freeform 3D ceramic scaffolds for bone tissue regeneration

Fabrication of three‐dimensional (3D) scaffolds with appropriate mechanical properties and desired architecture for promoting cell growth and new tissue formation is one of the most important efforts in tissue engineering field. Scaffolds fabricated from bioactive ceramic materials such as hydroxyapatite and tricalcium phosphate show promise because of their biological ability to support bone tissue regeneration. However, the use of ceramics as scaffold materials is limited because of their inherent brittleness and difficult processability. The aim of this study was to create robust ceramic scaffolds, which have a desired architecture. Such scaffolds were successfully fabricated by projection‐based microstereolithography, and dilatometric analysis was conducted to study the sintering behavior of the ceramic materials. The mechanical properties of the scaffolds were improved by infiltrating them with a polycaprolactone solution. The toughness and compressive strength of these ceramic/polymer scaffolds were about twice those of ceramic scaffolds. Furthermore, the osteogenic gene expression on ceramic/polymer scaffolds was better than that on ceramic scaffolds. Through this study, we overcame the limitations of previous research on fabricating ceramic scaffolds and these new robust ceramic scaffolds may provide a much improved 3D substrate for bone tissue regeneration. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2013; 110: 1444–1455. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Comprehensive Genetic Analysis of Early Host Body Reactions to the Bioactive and Bio-Inert Porous Scaffolds

To design scaffolds for tissue regeneration, details of the host body reaction to the scaffolds must be studied. Host body reactions have been investigated mainly by immunohistological observations for a long time. Despite of recent dramatic development in genetic analysis technologies, genetically comprehensive changes in host body reactions are hardly studied. There is no information about host body reactions that can predict successful tissue regeneration in the future. In the present study, porous polyethylene scaffolds were coated with bioactive collagen or bio-inert poly(2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine-co-n-butyl methacrylate) (PMB) and were implanted subcutaneously and compared the host body reaction to those substrates by normalizing the result using control non-coat polyethylene scaffold. The comprehensive analyses of early host body reactions to the scaffolds were carried out using a DNA microarray assay. Within numerous genes which were expressed differently among these scaffolds, particular genes related to inflammation, wound healing, and angiogenesis were focused upon. Interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-10 are important cytokines in tissue responses to biomaterials because IL-1β promotes both inflammation and wound healing and IL-10 suppresses both of them. IL-1β was up-regulated in the collagen-coated scaffold. Collagen-specifically up-regulated genes contained both M1- and M2-macrophage-related genes. Marked vessel formation in the collagen-coated scaffold was occurred in accordance with the up-regulation of many angiogenesis-inducible factors. The DNA microarray assay provided global information regarding the host body reaction. Interestingly, several up-regulated genes were detected even on the very bio-inert PMB-coated surfaces and those genes include inflammation-suppressive and wound healing-suppressive IL-10, suggesting that not only active tissue response but also the inert response may relates to these genetic regulations.