Polydopamine Biomaterials for Skin Regeneration.

Designing biomaterials capable of biomimicking wound healing and skin regeneration has been receiving increasing attention recently. Some biopolymers behave similarly to the extracellular matrix (ECM), supporting biointerfacial adhesion and intrinsic cellular interactions. Polydopamine (PDA) is a natural bioadhesive and bioactive polymer that endows high chemical versatility, making it an exciting candidate for a wide range of biomedical applications. Moreover, biomaterials based on PDA and its derivatives have near-infrared (NIR) absorption, excellent biocompatibility, intrinsic antioxidative activity, antibacterial activity, and cell affinity. PDA can regulate cell behavior by controlling signal transduction pathways. It governs the focal adhesion behavior of cells at the biomaterials interface. These features make melanin-like PDA a fascinating biomaterial for wound healing and skin regeneration. This paper overviews PDA-based biomaterials' synthesis, properties, and interactions with biological entities. Furthermore, the utilization of PDA nano- and microstructures as a constituent of wound-dressing formulations is highlighted.

Polysaccharide-based electroconductive hydrogels: Structure, properties and biomedical applications.

Architecting an appropriate platform for biomedical applications requires setting a balance between simplicity and complexity. Polysaccharides (PSAs) play essential roles in our life in food resources, structural materials, and energy storage capacitors. Moreover, the diversity and abundance of PSAs have made them an indispensable part of food ingredients and cosmetics. PSA-based hydrogels have been extensively reviewed in biomedical applications. These hydrogels can be designed in different forms to show optimum performance. For instance, electroactive PSA-based hydrogels respond under an electric stimulus. Such performance can be served in stimulus drug release and determining cell fate. This review classifies and discusses the structure, properties, and applications of the most important polysaccharide-based electroactive hydrogels (agarose, alginate, chitosan, cellulose, and dextran) in medicine, focusing on their usage in tissue engineering, flexible electronics, and drug delivery applications.

Effect of mirror therapy on hand function in patients with hand orthopaedic injuries: a randomized controlled trial.

PURPOSE: To investigate the effects of mirror therapy (MT) in restoring hand function in patients with active range of motion (AROM) impairments following orthopaedic injuries. METHOD: In a randomized controlled trial (RCT), 30 patients with active ROM impairment (8 men and 22 women; mean age: 38 years) were measured. Intervention group received MT, 30 min a day, five days a week for three weeks, as well, half an hour conventional rehabilitation after each MT session. Patients in the control group received the same treatment programme, but instead of mirror, they observed directly the affected hand. In addition, both groups performed a 15 min home programme, including MT for intervention group and AROM with direct observation of the affected hand for control group, twice daily. Outcome measures, including total active motion (TAM) and Disabilities of Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) questionnaire, were administered pre- and post-treatment and three weeks later. This study was registered as an RCT, no. NCT01503762 in http://clinicaltrials.gov/ . RESULTS: Final analysis was performed on 23 patients. The mean (SD) changes at post-test from baseline TAM was 154 (32) in the MT (N = 12) and 61 (24) in the control group (N = 11); mean difference (95% CI) 93 (68-118), p = 0.001. The mean (SD) change at post-test from baseline DASH was -34 (7) in the MT (N = 12) and -15 (11) in the control group (N = 11); mean difference (95% CI) 19 (-27 to -11), p = 0.001. CONCLUSIONS: Despite significant improvement at post-test in both groups and maintenance of improvement during the follow-up period, MT combined with conventional rehabilitation produced more improvement in hand function than control group. IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION: Hand orthopaedic injuries can result in disabilities in activities of daily living. Mirror therapy (MT) provides perception of two healthy limbs through reflection of the healthy limb as the injured limb. In a randomized controlled trial, our study shows positive effects of MT combined with a classical rehabilitation programme to improve hand function in patients with orthopaedic injuries.