Mineralization of fibrillar collagen with biomimetic process-directing agents has enabled scientists to gain insight into the potential mechanisms involved in intrafibrillar mineralization. Here, by ...using polycation- and polyanion-directed intrafibrillar mineralization, we challenge the popular paradigm that electrostatic attraction is solely responsible for polyelectrolyte-directed intrafibrillar mineralization. As there is no difference when a polycationic or a polyanionic electrolyte is used to direct collagen mineralization, we argue that additional types of long-range non-electrostatic interaction are responsible for intrafibrillar mineralization. Molecular dynamics simulations of collagen structures in the presence of extrafibrillar polyelectrolytes show that the outward movement of ions and intrafibrillar water through the collagen surface occurs irrespective of the charges of polyelectrolytes, resulting in the experimentally verifiable contraction of the collagen structures. The need to balance electroneutrality and osmotic equilibrium simultaneously to establish Gibbs-Donnan equilibrium in a polyelectrolyte-directed mineralization system establishes a new model for collagen intrafibrillar mineralization that supplements existing collagen mineralization mechanisms.
Display omitted
•Tragacanth gum is an important natural agrochemical derived from Astragalus trees.•Tragacanth gum serves as stabilizer and thickener in various food and bioproducts.•TG has been used ...for the biosynthesis of various metal/metal oxide nanoarchitectures.•TG-biobased compounds have been used in industrial and biomedical applications.
Natural polymers have distinct advantages over synthetic polymers because of their abundance, biocompatibility, and biodegradability. Tragacanth gum, an anionic polysaccharide, is a natural polymer which is derived from renewable sources. As a biomaterial, tragacanth gum has been used in industrial settings such as food packaging and water treatment, as well as in the biomedical field as drug carriers and for wound healing purposes. The present review provides an overview on the state-of-the-art in the field of tragacanth gum applications. The structure, properties, cytotoxicity, and degradability as well as the recent advances in industrial and biomedical applications of tragacanth gum are reviewed to offer a backdrop for future research.
Skin infections caused by bacteria, viruses and fungi are difficult to treat by conventional topical administration because of poor drug penetration across the stratum corneum. This results in low ...bioavailability of drugs to the infection site, as well as the lack of prolonged release. Emerging antimicrobial transdermal and ocular microneedle patches have become promising medical devices for the delivery of various antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral therapeutics. In the present review, skin anatomy and its barriers along with skin infection are discussed. Potential strategies for designing antimicrobial microneedles and their targeted therapy are outlined. Finally, biosensing microneedle patches associated with personalized drug therapy and selective toxicity toward specific microbial species are discussed.
Antimicrobial microneedle (MN) patches are portable medical devices for combating skin infections. Contrary to conventional topical administration, MNs enhance the bioavailability of antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral therapeutics to the skin and eyes. These promising armaments release their cargo in controlled release. They can respond to biosignals such as changes in pH and microbial enzyme load at the infection site.
Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are a large family of enzymes that degrade the extracellular matrix (ECM). Under pathologic conditions, overexpression of MMPs or insufficient control by tissue ...inhibitors of MMPs (TIMPs) results in the dysregulation of tissue remodeling and causes a variety of diseases such as encephalomyelitis, rheumatoid arthritis, Alzheimer's disease and tumors. Therefore, the high affinity of MMPs for biomolecules renders them attractive targets for inhibition when homeostasis breaks down in the ECM. There are 4 generations of MMP inhibitors (MMPIs), ranging from small molecules or peptides to antibodies and protein-engineered inhibitors of metalloproteinase. Although a plethora of MMPIs has been synthesized, most of them have failed in clinical trials or are still in the laboratory stage of development. The present review summarizes the development of MMPIs, their associated problems and discusses future directions for the development of the future generations of MMPIs.
Highlights • Processes responsible for the degradation of resin-bonded interfaces are described. • Durability of the resin–dentin bond strength may be improved by inhibiting intrinsic collagenolytic ...activity. • Cross-linking agents may increase the durability of resin–dentin bonds by increasing the mechanical properties of the collagen matrix.
3D and 4D printing are cutting-edge technologies for precise and expedited manufacturing of objects ranging from plastic to metal. Recent advances in 3D and 4D printing technologies in dentistry and ...maxillofacial surgery enable dentists to custom design and print surgical drill guides, temporary and permanent crowns and bridges, orthodontic appliances and orthotics, implants, mouthguards for drug delivery. In the present review, different 3D printing technologies available for use in dentistry are highlighted together with a critique on the materials available for printing. Recent reports of the application of these printed platformed are highlighted to enable readers appreciate the progress in 3D/4D printing in dentistry.
Display omitted
In this study, nanocomposite hydrogels composed of sodium carboxymethylated starch (CMS)-containing CuO nanoparticles (CMS@CuO) were synthesized and used as experimental wound healing materials. The ...hydrogels were fabricated by a solution-casting technique using citric acid as a crosslinking agent. They were characterized by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) to evaluate their physicochemical properties. In addition, swelling, antibacterial activities, antioxidant activities, cytotoxicity, and in vivo wound healing were investigated to evaluate the wound healing potential of the CMS@CuO nanocomposite hydrogels. Growth inhibition of the Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogens, antioxidant activity, and swelling were observed in the CMS@CuO nanocomposite hydrogels containing 2 wt.% and 4 wt.% CuO nanoparticles. The hydrogel containing 2 wt.% CuO nanoparticles displayed low toxicity to human fibroblasts and exhibited good biocompatibility. Wounds created in rats and treated with the CMS@2%CuO nanocomposite hydrogel healed within 13 days, whereas wounds were still present when treated for the same time-period with CMS only. The impact of antibacterial and antioxidant activities on accelerating wound healing could be ascribed to the antibacterial and antioxidant activities of the nanocomposite hydrogel. Incorporation of CuO nanoparticles in the hydrogel improved its antibacterial properties, antioxidant activity, and degree of swelling. The present nanocomposite hydrogel has the potential to be used clinically as a novel wound healing material.
Excessive and unwarranted administration of antibiotics has invigorated the evolution of multidrug‐resistant microbes. There is, therefore, an urgent need for advanced active compounds. Ionic liquids ...with short‐lived ion‐pair structures are highly tunable and have diverse applications. Apart from their unique physicochemical features, the newly discovered biological activities of ionic liquids have fascinated biochemists, microbiologists, and medical scientists. In particular, their antimicrobial properties have opened new vistas in overcoming the current challenges associated with combating antibiotic‐resistant pathogens. Discussions regarding ionic liquid derivatives in monomeric and polymeric forms with antimicrobial activities are presented here. The antimicrobial mechanism of ionic liquids and parameters that affect their antimicrobial activities, such as chain length, cation/anion type, cation density, and polymerization, are considered. The potential applications of ionic liquids in the biomedical arena, including regenerative medicine, biosensing, and drug/biomolecule delivery, are presented to stimulate the scientific community to further improve the antimicrobial efficacy of ionic liquids.
Antimicrobial activities of ionic liquids have fascinated biochemists, microbiologists, and medical scientists. The antimicrobial effect of ionic liquids could be tuned by tailoring their structural features. The antibacterial mechanism and the structure–property relationship of ionic liquids with their bactericidal properties are comprehensively discussed. In addition, cytotoxicity as well as the biomedical applications of ionic liquid derivatives are highlighted.
Microbial colonization on material surfaces is ubiquitous. Biofilms derived from surface‐colonized microbes pose serious problems to the society from both an economical perspective and a health ...concern. Incorporation of antimicrobial nanocompounds within or on the surface of materials, or by coatings, to prevent microbial adhesion or kill the microorganisms after their attachment to biofilms, represents an important strategy in an increasingly challenging field. Over the last decade, many studies have been devoted to preparing meta‐based nanomaterials that possess antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal activities to combat pathogen‐related diseases. Herein, an overview on the state‐of‐the‐art antimicrobial nanosized metal‐based compounds is provided, including metal and metal oxide nanoparticles as well as transition metal nanosheets. The antimicrobial mechanism of these nanostructures and their biomedical applications such as catheters, implants, medical delivery systems, tissue engineering, and dentistry are discussed. Their properties as well as potential caveats such as cytotoxicity, diminishing efficacy, and induction of antimicrobial resistance of materials incorporating these nanostructures are reviewed to provide a backdrop for future research.
Different types of metal‐based nanostructures and their applications in biomedical fields, antimicrobial activity, and their cytotoxicity aspects are described here. In addition, the potential development of nanometals and the problems facing them in the future are comprehensively presented, hoping to trigger exchanges and discussions from all fields of scientists.
Failure of dental treatments is mainly due to the biofilm accumulated on the dental materials. Many investigations have been conducted on the advancements of antimicrobial dental materials. Polymeric ...and inorganic nanoscopical agents are capable of inhibiting microorganism proliferation. Applying them as fillers in dental materials can achieve enhanced microbicidal ability. The present review provides a broad overview on the state-of-the-art research in the field of antimicrobial fillers which have been adopted for incorporation into dental materials over the last 5 years. The antibacterial agents and applications are described, with the aim of providing information for future investigations.
Microbial infection is the primary cause of dental treatment failure. The present review provides an overview on the state-of-art in the field of antimicrobial nanoscopical or polymeric fillers that have been applied in dental materials. Trends in the biotechnological development of these antimicrobial fillers over the last 5 years are reviewed to provide a backdrop for further advancement in this field of research.
Display omitted
PDF
