Viability Assays of PLLA Fibrous Membranes Produced by Rotary Jet Spinning for Application in Tissue Engineering

Abstract Tissue engineering suggests different forms to reconstruct tissues and organs. One of the ways is through the use of polymeric biomaterials such as poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA). PLLA is a recognized material in tissue engineering due to its characteristics as biocompatibility and bioresorbability. In this work PLLA fibrous membranes were produced by a simple technique known as rotary jet spinning. The rotary jet spinning consists of fibrous membranes production, with fibers of scale nano/micrometric, from a polymeric solution through the centrifugal force generated by the equipment. The membranes formed were subjected to preliminary in vitro assays to verify the cytotoxicity of the membranes made in contact with the cells. Direct cytotoxicity assays were performed through the MTT, AlamarBlue® and Live/Dead® tests, with fibroblastic and osteoblastic cells. The results obtained in this study showed that PLLA membranes produced by rotary jet spinning showed promising results in the 24-hours contact period of the cells with the PLLA fibrous membranes. The information presented in this preliminary study provides criteria to be taken in the future procedures that will be performed with the biomaterial produced, aiming at its improvement.

Cardiac tissue engineering: current state-of-the-art materials, cells and tissue formation / Engenharia de tecidos cardíacos: atual estado da arte a respeito de materiais, células e formação tecidual

ABSTRACT Cardiovascular diseases are the major cause of death worldwide. The heart has limited capacity of regeneration, therefore, transplantation is the only solution in some cases despite presenting many disadvantages. Tissue engineering has been considered the ideal strategy for regenerative medicine in cardiology. It is an interdisciplinary field combining many techniques that aim to maintain, regenerate or replace a tissue or organ. The main approach of cardiac tissue engineering is to create cardiac grafts, either whole heart substitutes or tissues that can be efficiently implanted in the organism, regenerating the tissue and giving rise to a fully functional heart, without causing side effects, such as immunogenicity. In this review, we systematically present and compare the techniques that have drawn the most attention in this field and that generally have focused on four important issues: the scaffold material selection, the scaffold material production, cellular selection and in vitro cell culture. Many studies used several techniques that are herein presented, including biopolymers, decellularization and bioreactors, and made significant advances, either seeking a graft or an entire bioartificial heart. However, much work remains to better understand and improve existing techniques, to develop robust, efficient and efficacious methods.

RESUMO Doenças cardiovasculares são responsáveis pelo maior número de mortes no mundo. O coração possui capacidade de regeneração limitada, e o transplante, por consequência, representa a única solução em alguns casos, apresentando várias desvantagens. A engenharia de tecidos tem sido considerada a estratégia ideal para a medicina cardíaca regenerativa. Trata-se de uma área interdisciplinar, que combina muitas técnicas as quais buscam manter, regenerar ou substituir um tecido ou órgão. A abordagem principal da engenharia de tecidos cardíacos é criar enxertos cardíacos, sejam substitutos do coração inteiro ou de tecidos que podem ser implantados de forma eficiente no organismo, regenerando o tecido e dando origem a um coração completamente funcional, sem desencadear efeitos colaterais, como imunogenicidade. Nesta revisão, apresentase e compara-se sistematicamente as técnicas que ganharam mais atenção nesta área e que geralmente focam em quatro assuntos importantes: seleção do material a ser utilizado como enxerto, produção do material, seleção das células e cultura de células in vitro. Muitos estudos, fazendo uso de várias das técnicas aqui apresentadas, incluindo biopolímeros, descelularização e biorreatores, têm apresentado avanços significativos, seja para obter um enxerto ou um coração bioartifical inteiro. No entanto, ainda resta um grande esforço para entender e melhorar as técnicas existentes, para desenvolver métodos robustos, eficientes e eficazes.

Cytotoxicity Assessment of a Poly(methyl methacrylate) Synthesized for the Direct Fabrication of Bone Tissues

ABSTRACT A cytotoxicity study is performed on a poly(methyl methacrylate) polymer (PMMA) to be used for the fabrication of bone tissue by Rapid Prototyping (RP). The solution polymerization is conducted in a pilot plant reactor using more appropriated reagents in consideration of the medical application. Moreover, the polymer is efficiently handled to avoid the side effect of the monomer, reducing the concentration of this specie to 287,731 µg MMA/kg PMMA. The cytotoxicity of the polymer is determined through growth monitoring, adherence and morphology of L-929 cells. Additionally, MTT and LIVE/DEAD tests are performed. The results showed continuous and progressive growth of the cells on the surface of the specimens. Moreover, the material did not influence on the viability of mesenchymal cells and inverted fluorescence microscopy images showed a polyanionic dye calcein well retained in the cells in contact with the PMMA as well as the negative control after 72 hours. Thus, the polymer was efficiently synthesized and handled for the expected demands.

Paired evaluation of calvarial reconstruction with prototyped titanium implants with and without ceramic coating

PURPOSE: To investigate the osseointegration properties of prototyped implants with tridimensionally interconnected pores made of the Ti6Al4V alloy and the influence of a thin calcium phosphate coating. METHODS: Bilateral critical size calvarial defects were created in thirty Wistar rats and filled with coated and uncoated implants in a randomized fashion. The animals were kept for 15, 45 and 90 days. Implant mechanical integration was evaluated with a push-out test. Bone-implant interface was analyzed using scanning electron microscopy. RESULTS: The maximum force to produce initial displacement of the implants increased during the study period, reaching values around 100N for both types of implants. Intimate contact between bone and implant was present, with progressive bone growth into the pores. No significant differences were seen between coated and uncoated implants. CONCLUSION: Adequate osseointegration can be achieved in calvarial reconstructions using prototyped Ti6Al4V Implants with the described characteristics of surface and porosity. .

Non-linear multivariable predictive control of an alcoholic fermentation process using functional link networks

Neste trabalho um controlador preditivo não linear multivariável foi desenvolvido para um processo de fermentação alcoólica extrativa. O modelo interno do controlador foi representado por duas redes do tipo Functional Link (FLN), identificadas usando dados de simulação gerados a partir de um modelo validado experimentalmente. A estrutura FLN apresenta como vantagem o treinamento rápido e convergência garantida, já que a estimação dos seus pesos é um problema de otimização linear. Além disso, a eliminação de pesos não significativos gera modelos parsimoniosos, o que permite a rápida execução em algoritmos de controle preditivo baseado em modelo. Os resultados mostram que o algoritmo proposto tem grande potencial para identificação e controle de processos não lineares.