Teaching Tissue Repair Through an Inquiry-Based Learning Bioadhesives Module.

Bioadhesives are an important class of biomaterials for wound healing, hemostasis, and tissue repair. To develop the next generation of bioadhesives, there is a societal need to teach trainees about their design, engineering, and testing. This study designed, implemented, and evaluated a hands-on, inquiry-based learning (IBL) module to teach bioadhesives to undergraduate, master's, and PhD/postdoctoral trainees. Approximately 30 trainees across three international institutions participated in this IBL bioadhesives module, which was designed to last approximately 3 h. This IBL module was designed to teach trainees about how bioadhesives are used for tissue repair, how to engineer bioadhesives for different biomedical applications, and how to assess the efficacy of bioadhesives. The IBL bioadhesives module resulted in significant learning gains for all cohorts; whereby, trainees scored an average of 45.5% on the pre-test assessment and 69.0% on the post-test assessment. The undergraduate cohort experienced the greatest learning gains of 34.2 points, which was expected since they had the least theoretical and applied knowledge about bioadhesives. Validated pre/post-survey assessments showed that trainees also experienced significant improvements in scientific literacy from completing this module. Similar to the pre/post-test, improvements in scientific literacy were most significant for the undergraduate cohort since they had the least amount of experience with scientific inquiry. Instructors can use this module, as described, to introduce undergraduate, master's, and PhD/postdoctoral trainees to principles of bioadhesives.

Hydrogel-Embedded Poly(Lactic-co-Glycolic Acid) Microspheres for the Delivery of hMSC-Derived Exosomes to Promote Bioactive Annulus Fibrosus Repair.

OBJECTIVE: Intervertebral disk degeneration is a prevalent postoperative complication after discectomy, underscoring the need to develop preventative and bioactive treatment strategies that decelerate degeneration and seal annulus fibrosus (AF) defects. Human mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes (MSC-Exos) hold promise for cell-free bioactive repair; however, their ability to promote AF repair is poorly understood. The objective of this study was to evaluate the ability of MSC-Exos to promote endogenous AF repair processes and integrate MSC-Exos within a biomaterial delivery system. DESIGN: We characterize biophysical and biochemical properties of normoxic (Nx) and hypoxic (Hx) preconditioned MSC-Exos from young, healthy donors and examine their effects on AF cell proliferation, migration, and gene expression. We then integrate a poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) microsphere (PLGA µSphere) delivery platform within an interpenetrating network hydrogel to facilitate sustained MSC-Exo delivery. RESULTS: Hx MSC-Exos led to a more robust response in AF cell proliferation and migration than Nx MSC-Exos and was selected for a downstream protection experiment. Hx MSC-Exos maintained a healthy AF cell phenotype under a TNFα challenge in vitro and attenuated catabolic responses. In all functional assays, AF cell responses were more sensitive to Hx MSC-Exos than Nx MSC-Exos. PLGA µSpheres released MSC-Exos over a clinically relevant timescale without affecting hydrogel modulus or pH upon initial embedment and µSphere degradation. CONCLUSIONS: This MSC-Exo treatment strategy may offer benefits of stem cell therapy without the need for exogenous stem cell transplantation by stimulating cell proliferation, promoting cell migration, and protecting cells from the degenerative proinflammatory microenvironment.

Genipin-crosslinked fibrin seeded with oxidized alginate microbeads as a novel composite biomaterial strategy for intervertebral disc cell therapy.

Discectomy procedures alleviate disability caused by intervertebral disc (IVD) herniation, but do not repair herniation-induced annulus fibrosus (AF) defects. Cell therapy shows promise for IVD repair, yet cell delivery biomaterials capable of sealing AF defects and restoring biomechanical function have poor biological performance. To balance the biomechanical and biological demands of IVD cell delivery biomaterials, we engineered an injectable composite biomaterial using cell-laden, degradable oxidized alginate (OxAlg) microbeads (MBs) to deliver AF cells within high-modulus genipin-crosslinked fibrin (FibGen) hydrogels (FibGen + MB composites). Conceptually, the high-modulus FibGen would immediately stabilize injured IVDs, while OxAlg MBs would protect and release cells required for long-term healing. We first showed that AF cells microencapsulated in OxAlg MBs maintained high viability and, upon release, displayed phenotypic AF cell morphology and gene expression. Next, we created cell-laden FibGen + MB composites and demonstrated that OxAlg MBs functionalized with RGD peptides (MB-RGD) minimized AF cell apoptosis and retained phenotypic gene expression. Further, we showed that cell-laden FibGen + MB composites are biomechanically stable and promote extracellular matrix (ECM) synthesis in long-term in vitro culture. Lastly, we evaluated cell-laden FibGen + MB-RGD composites in a long-term bovine caudal IVD organ culture bioreactor and found that composites had low herniation risk, provided superior biomechanical and biological repair to discectomy controls, and retained anabolic cells within the IVD injury space. This novel injectable composite hydrogel strategy shows promise as an IVD cell delivery sealant with potentially broad applications for its capacity to balance biomechanical and biological performance.

Extracellular Vesicles as an Emerging Treatment Option for Intervertebral Disc Degeneration: Therapeutic Potential, Translational Pathways, and Regulatory Considerations.

Emergent approaches in regenerative medicine look toward the use of extracellular vesicles (EVs) as a next-generation treatment strategy for intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration (IVDD) because of their ability to attenuate chronic inflammation, reduce apoptosis, and stimulate proliferation in a number of tissue systems. Yet, there are no Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved EV therapeutics in the market with an indication for IVDD, which motivates this article to review the current state of the field and provide an IVD-specific framework to assess its efficacy. In this systematic review, 29 preclinical studies that investigate EVs in relation to the IVD are identified, and additionally, the regulatory approval process is reviewed in an effort to accelerate emerging EV-based therapeutics toward FDA submission and timeline-to-market. The majority of studies focus on nucleus pulposus responses to EV treatment, where the main findings show that stem cell-derived EVs can decelerate the progression of IVDD on the molecular, cellular, and organ level. The findings also highlight the importance of the EV parent cell's pathophysiological and differentiation state, which affects downstream treatment responses and therapeutic outcomes. This systematic review substantiates the use of EVs as a promising cell-free strategy to treat IVDD and enhance endogenous repair.

Development of an At-home Metal Corrosion Laboratory Experiment for STEM Outreach in Biomaterials During the Covid-19 Pandemic.

Due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, many universities and outreach programs have switched to online learning platforms, which inhibits students from completing formative hands-on experiments. To address this, we developed a series of at-home experiments for undergraduate engineering students and adapted one of these experiments for outreach purposes. This experiment was well received by middle school students in the Young Eisner Scholars (YES) Program and resulted in significant learning gains by pre/post-test assessment. Additionally, students showed enhanced attitudes toward science after completing their at-home experiments, as measured by pre/post-surveys. These results motivate the use of similar at-home experiments with virtual instruction to remotely teach engineering concepts to diverse, underserved communities during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.

Controlled release for local delivery of drugs: barriers and models.

Controlled release systems are an effective means for local drug delivery. In local drug delivery, the major goal is to supply therapeutic levels of a drug agent at a physical site in the body for a prolonged period. A second goal is to reduce systemic toxicities, by avoiding the delivery of agents to non-target tissues remote from the site. Understanding the dynamics of drug transport in the vicinity of a local drug delivery device is helpful in achieving both of these goals. Here, we provide an overview of controlled release systems for local delivery and we review mathematical models of drug transport in tissue, which describe the local penetration of drugs into tissue and illustrate the factors - such as diffusion, convection, and elimination - that control drug dispersion and its ultimate fate. This review highlights the important role of controlled release science in development of reliable methods for local delivery, as well as the barriers to accomplishing effective delivery in the brain, blood vessels, mucosal epithelia, and the skin.

Protein release from dihydroxyacetone-based poly(carbonate ester) matrices.

The release of therapeutics from solid polymer matrices is an important field of study in the area of controlled release. Here we report on the hydrolytic degradation of directly compressed discs comprised of statistically random polycarbonate esters based on lactic acid and dihydroxyacetone. The controlled release of two model proteins, bovine serum albumin and lysozyme, was explored using two percentage loadings (5 and 10 wt.%). A first order release pattern and a trend for faster protein release with increasing dihydroxyacetone content were observed over a time period ranging from 2.5 to 70 days. To analyze the effects of the internal polymer matrix environment on protein stability the enzymatic activity of released lysozyme was monitored. The results show a high level of enzyme activity for the polycarbonate ester ratios with more dihydroxyacetone in the backbone and at least 50% activity over the first month of release from the co-polymer ratios with more lactic acid in the backbone. Modeling of the release kinetics using the Korsmeyer-Peppas model showed a high correlation, indicating that the release of protein is a complex mechanism controlled by protein diffusion through, and erosion of, the co-polymer matrix. The outcomes show that these polycarbonate esters may be useful materials for extended controlled release of proteins.

A mechanistic analysis of the quantitation of α-hydroxy ketones by the bicinchoninic acid assay.

A new class of compounds amenable to quantification by the bicinchoninic acid (BCA) assay was identified, allowing an expansion of compounds quantifiable within the assay's capacity. In this article, we demonstrate that compounds containing the α-hydroxy ketone structure are easily measured under standard BCA assay conditions. A nonchromophore analyte containing the α-hydroxy ketone structure, 1,3-dihydroxypropan-2-one (commonly known as dihydroxyacetone), and various structural derivatives were explored on an equimolar basis in the BCA assay. Combined with earlier studies exploring α-hydroxy ketones within copper oxidation systems, the data support the mechanism of this class of compound's ability to enolize through an enediol intermediate to generate a strong signal in the BCA assay. This new quantification technique also highlights the potential for α-hydroxy ketones to interfere with other analytes quantified by the BCA assay.

Poly(carbonate-ester)s of dihydroxyacetone and lactic acid as potential biomaterials.

The synthesis of new polymeric biomaterials using biocompatible building blocks is important for the advancement of the biomedical field. We report the synthesis of statistically random poly(carbonate-ester)s derived from lactic acid and dihydroxyacetone by ring-opening polymerization. The monomer mole feed ratio and initiator concentration were adjusted to create various copolymer ratios and molecular weights. A dimethoxy acetal protecting group was used to stabilize the dihydroxyacetone and was removed using elemental iodine and acetone at reflux to produce the final poly(lactide-co-dihydroxyacetone) copolymers. The characteristics of the copolymers in their protected and deprotected forms were characterized by (1)H NMR, (13)C NMR, GPC, TGA, and DSC. Hydrolytic degradation of the deprotected copolymers was tracked over an 8-week time frame. The results show that faster degradation occurred with increased carbonate content in the copolymer backbone. The degradation pattern of the copolymers was visualized using SEM and revealed a trend toward surface erosion as the primary mode of degradation.

A rapidly resorbable hemostatic biomaterial based on dihydroxyacetone.

We have developed a rapid acting, rapidly resorbable, non-toxic, topical hemostatic agent comprised of a PEGylated, polymerized sequence of dihydroxyacetone (MPEG-pDHA) that is highly effective in vivo. Twenty-eight Sprague-Dawley rats underwent left lateral hepatectomy. To the cut edge of the liver, rats received MPEG-pDHA (50 mg), normal saline (0.5 mL), or Instat (50 mg), a commercially available hemostatic compound. Bleeding time and total blood loss were quantified. Coagulation studies and scanning electron microscopy were performed on phlebotomized blood combined with MPEG-pDHA. Rats treated with MPEG-pDHA had significantly decreased bleeding time (97 s) and total blood loss (1.35 g) compared to normal saline (464 s and 3.83 g, p < 0.05 for each), and a significantly shorter bleeding time compared to Instat (165 s, p < 0.05). Histology confirmed that all MPEG-pDHA was metabolized within 3 weeks. The addition of MPEG-pDHA to whole blood did not significantly affect prothrombin time (12.0 s vs. 13.2 s, p = 0.130), partial thromboplastin time (27.0 s vs. 21.8 s, p = 0.118), or thrombin clotting time. MPEG-pDHA is an effective and rapidly resorbable hemostatic agent that may find broad hemostatic application in a wide range of surgical procedures.

Trends in sexual risk-taking among urban young men who have sex with men, 1999-2002.

As part of an HIV prevention study, 15-25 year-old young men who have sex with men (YMSM) were surveyed in community settings annually from 1999 to 2002. Data are presented from six comparison communities in the study; these communities recruited Latinos (Jackson Heights, NYC; San Gabriel Valley, CA), African Americans (Atlanta, GA); Asians/Pacific Islanders (San Diego, CA); and primarily white men (Detroit, MI and Twin Cities, MN). Men were asked about unprotected anal intercourse (UAI) in the past three months with male partners. The prevalence of UAI reported in these six communities ranged 27-35% in 1999, compared with 14% to 39% in 2002. Significant reductions in UAI over time were observed in Jackson Heights and San Gabriel Valley. A quadratic trend was noted in Detroit, with a significant increase in UAI from 1999 to 2000 followed by a significant decrease in UAI from 2000 to 2002. There was a nonsignificant increase in UAI in the Twin Cities, and no significant trends in UAI in Atlanta or San Diego. Behavioral trends among YMSM vary considerably across subpopulations and highlight the necessity of local behavioral surveillance and culturally tailored prevention efforts for specific racial and ethnic groups.