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Nanomaterials and additive manufacturing towards the design of advanced scaffolds for hard tissue regeneration

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A special issue of Nanomaterials (ISSN 2079-4991).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2020) | Viewed by 38084

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Antonio Gloria

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Guest Editor

Institute of Polymers, Composites and Biomaterials, National Research Council of Italy, 80125 Naples, Italy
Interests: design for additive manufacturing; reverse engineering; design methods; creative design; mechanical analysis; modeling and simulation; biomechanics; biomimetics; design of polymer and composite structures; scaffold design; design of lightweight structures
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Massimo Martorelli

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Guest Editor

Department of Industrial Engineering, Fraunhofer JL IDEAS-University of Naples Federico II, P.le Tecchio 80, 80125 Naples, Italy
Interests: design for additive manufacturing; reverse engineering; design methods; creative design; mechanical analysis; modeling and simulation; biomechanics; scaffold design
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In the field of tissue engineering, the synergistic combination of cells and 3D porous scaffolds is fundamental. It is frequently reported that a scaffold should possess an interconnected pore network to support cell adhesion, proliferation and differentiation. Over the past years, many efforts have been made to design advanced scaffolds with improved properties for tissue regeneration.

In this context, unlike conventional technologies, additive manufacturing allows the fabrication of scaffolds with complex shapes, reproducible architecture, tailored mechanical and mass transport properties.

On the other hand, benefiting from the nanotechnology approach, nanomaterials and nanostructures have been widely developed and analyzed. As an effect of novel physical properties related to the nanoscale features, nanomaterials generally have more interesting properties if compared to their microstructured counterparts.

Nanoscale features play a crucial role in scaffold function and nanocomposites consisting of a polymer matrix reinforced with inorganic nanoparticles should better mimic the structure of hard tissues (i.e., bone).

Accordingly, it is through the combination of nanomaterials and additive manufacturing that the present Special Issue of Nanomaterials is aimed at presenting the current advances in the design of scaffolds for hard tissue regeneration.

For this reason, in the present Special Issue we invite contributions from leading groups in the field with the aim of providing a complete view of the current progresses.

Prof. Dr. Antonio Gloria
Prof. Dr. Massimo Martorelli
Guest Editors

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Keywords

additive Manufacturing
nanomaterials
scaffolds
hard Tissues
design for Additive Manufacturing
image Analysis
finite Element Analysis

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 3537 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Combination Design of Time-Dependent Magnetic Field and Magnetic Nanocomposites to Guide Cell Behavior

by Teresa Russo, Valentina Peluso, Antonio Gloria, Olimpia Oliviero, Laura Rinaldi, Giovanni Improta, Roberto De Santis and Vincenzo D’Antò

Nanomaterials 2020, 10(3), 577; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano10030577 - 22 Mar 2020

Cited by 39 | Viewed by 3615

Abstract

The concept of magnetic guidance is still challenging and has opened a wide range of perspectives in the field of tissue engineering. In this context, magnetic nanocomposites consisting of a poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) matrix and iron oxide (Fe₃O₄) nanoparticles were designed and manufactured for bone tissue engineering. The mechanical properties of PCL/Fe₃O₄ (80/20 w/w) nanocomposites were first assessed through small punch tests. The inclusion of Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles improved the punching properties as the values of peak load were higher than those obtained for the neat PCL without significantly affecting the work to failure. The effect of a time-dependent magnetic field on the adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) was analyzed. The Alamar Blue assay, confocal laser scanning microscopy, and image analysis (i.e., shape factor) provided information on cell adhesion and viability over time, whereas the normalized alkaline phosphatase activity (ALP/DNA) demonstrated that the combination of a time-dependent field with magnetic nanocomposites (PCL/Fe₃O₄ Mag) influenced cell differentiation. Furthermore, in terms of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)1/2 phosphorylation, an insight into the role of the magnetic stimulation was reported, also demonstrating a strong effect due the combination of the magnetic field with PCL/Fe₃O₄ nanocomposites (PCL/Fe₃O₄ Mag). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanomaterials and additive manufacturing towards the design of advanced scaffolds for hard tissue regeneration)

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Review

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28 pages, 1352 KiB

Open AccessReview

Calcium Phosphate Nanoparticles-Based Systems for RNAi Delivery: Applications in Bone Tissue Regeneration

by Tanya J. Levingstone, Simona Herbaj, John Redmond, Helen O. McCarthy and Nicholas J. Dunne

Nanomaterials 2020, 10(1), 146; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano10010146 - 14 Jan 2020

Cited by 37 | Viewed by 6334

Abstract

Bone-related injury and disease constitute a significant global burden both socially and economically. Current treatments have many limitations and thus the development of new approaches for bone-related conditions is imperative. Gene therapy is an emerging approach for effective bone repair and regeneration, with notable interest in the use of RNA interference (RNAi) systems to regulate gene expression in the bone microenvironment. Calcium phosphate nanoparticles represent promising materials for use as non-viral vectors for gene therapy in bone tissue engineering applications due to their many favorable properties, including biocompatibility, osteoinductivity, osteoconductivity, and strong affinity for binding to nucleic acids. However, low transfection rates present a significant barrier to their clinical use. This article reviews the benefits of calcium phosphate nanoparticles for RNAi delivery and highlights the role of surface functionalization in increasing calcium phosphate nanoparticles stability, improving cellular uptake and increasing transfection efficiency. Currently, the underlying mechanistic principles relating to these systems and their interplay during in vivo bone formation is not wholly understood. Furthermore, the optimal microRNA targets for particular bone tissue regeneration applications are still unclear. Therefore, further research is required in order to achieve the optimal calcium phosphate nanoparticles-based systems for RNAi delivery for bone tissue regeneration. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanomaterials and additive manufacturing towards the design of advanced scaffolds for hard tissue regeneration)

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22 pages, 1170 KiB

Open AccessReview

Calcium Phosphate Nanoparticles for Therapeutic Applications in Bone Regeneration

by Tanya J. Levingstone, Simona Herbaj and Nicholas J. Dunne

Nanomaterials 2019, 9(11), 1570; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano9111570 - 06 Nov 2019

Cited by 103 | Viewed by 11811

Abstract

Bone injuries and diseases constitute a burden both socially and economically, as the consequences of a lack of effective treatments affect both the patients’ quality of life and the costs on the health systems. This impended need has led the research community’s efforts to establish efficacious bone tissue engineering solutions. There has been a recent focus on the use of biomaterial-based nanoparticles for the delivery of therapeutic factors. Among the biomaterials being considered to date, calcium phosphates have emerged as one of the most promising materials for bone repair applications due to their osteoconductivity, osteoinductivity and their ability to be resorbed in the body. Calcium phosphate nanoparticles have received particular attention as non-viral vectors for gene therapy, as factors such as plasmid DNAs, microRNAs (miRNA) and silencing RNA (siRNAs) can be easily incorporated on their surface. Calcium phosphate nanoparticles loaded with therapeutic factors have also been delivered to the site of bone injury using scaffolds and hydrogels. This review provides an extensive overview of the current state-of-the-art relating to the design and synthesis of calcium phosphate nanoparticles as carriers for therapeutic factors, the mechanisms of therapeutic factors’ loading and release, and their application in bone tissue engineering. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanomaterials and additive manufacturing towards the design of advanced scaffolds for hard tissue regeneration)

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19 pages, 1987 KiB

Open AccessReview

Reconstructing Bone with Natural Bone Graft: A Review of In Vivo Studies in Bone Defect Animal Model

by Mengying Liu and Yonggang Lv

Nanomaterials 2018, 8(12), 999; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano8120999 - 03 Dec 2018

Cited by 49 | Viewed by 7192

Abstract

Bone defects caused by fracture, disease or congenital defect remains a medically important problem to be solved. Bone tissue engineering (BTE) is a promising approach by providing scaffolds to guide and support the treatment of bone defects. However, the autologous bone graft has many defects such as limited sources and long surgical procedures. Therefore, xenograft bone graft is considered as one of the best substitutions and has been effectively used in clinical practice. Due to better preserved natural bone structure, suitable mechanical properties, low immunogenicity, good osteoinductivity and osteoconductivity in natural bone graft, decellularized and demineralized bone matrix (DBM) scaffolds were selected and discussed in the present review. In vivo animal models provide a complex physiological environment for understanding and evaluating material properties and provide important reference data for clinical trials. The purpose of this review is to outline the in vivo bone regeneration and remodeling capabilities of decellularized and DBM scaffolds in bone defect models to better evaluate the potential of these two types of scaffolds in BTE. Taking into account the limitations of the state-of-the-art technology, the results of the animal bone defect model also provide important information for future design of natural bone composite scaffolds. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanomaterials and additive manufacturing towards the design of advanced scaffolds for hard tissue regeneration)

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11960 KiB

Open AccessReview

ZnO Nanostructures for Tissue Engineering Applications

by Marco Laurenti and Valentina Cauda

Nanomaterials 2017, 7(11), 374; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano7110374 - 06 Nov 2017

Cited by 127 | Viewed by 8039

Abstract

This review focuses on the most recent applications of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanostructures for tissue engineering. ZnO is one of the most investigated metal oxides, thanks to its multifunctional properties coupled with the ease of preparing various morphologies, such as nanowires, nanorods, and nanoparticles. Most ZnO applications are based on its semiconducting, catalytic and piezoelectric properties. However, several works have highlighted that ZnO nanostructures may successfully promote the growth, proliferation and differentiation of several cell lines, in combination with the rise of promising antibacterial activities. In particular, osteogenesis and angiogenesis have been effectively demonstrated in numerous cases. Such peculiarities have been observed both for pure nanostructured ZnO scaffolds as well as for three-dimensional ZnO-based hybrid composite scaffolds, fabricated by additive manufacturing technologies. Therefore, all these findings suggest that ZnO nanostructures represent a powerful tool in promoting the acceleration of diverse biological processes, finally leading to the formation of new living tissue useful for organ repair. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanomaterials and additive manufacturing towards the design of advanced scaffolds for hard tissue regeneration)

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