Immunoengineering strategies to enhance vascularization and tissue regeneration.

Immune cells have emerged as powerful regulators of regenerative as well as pathological processes. The vast majority of regenerative immunoengineering efforts have focused on macrophages; however, growing evidence suggests that other cells of both the innate and adaptive immune system are as important for successful revascularization and tissue repair. Moreover, spatiotemporal regulation of immune cells and their signaling have a significant impact on the regeneration speed and the extent of functional recovery. In this review, we summarize the contribution of different types of immune cells to the healing process and discuss ways to manipulate and control immune cells in favor of vascularization and tissue regeneration. In addition to cell delivery and cell-free therapies using extracellular vesicles, we discuss in situ strategies and engineering approaches to attract specific types of immune cells and modulate their phenotypes. This field is making advances to uncover the extraordinary potential of immune cells and their secretome in the regulation of vascularization and tissue remodeling. Understanding the principles of immunoregulation will help us design advanced immunoengineering platforms to harness their power for tissue regeneration.

Photopolymerization of a dental nanocomposite as restorative material using the argon laser.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of power density and irradiation time of an argon laser on the physico-mechanical properties of light-cured dental nanocomposites. The composites were cured with 260 mW/cm(2) and 340 mW/cm(2) power densities at different irradiation times. The degree of conversion (DC), flexural strength, flexural modulus, water sorption, solubility and reaction temperature were measured. The maximum DC (50%), which was achieved after approximately 20 s irradiation, and the reaction temperature rise (20°C) were demonstrated by composite containing 20% filler cured at 340 mW/cm(2). The composite with 25% filler cured at 340 mW/cm(2) showed the highest flexural strength and modulus, which were 32.2 MPa and 1.89 GPa, respectively. The minimum water sorption (3.8%) and solubility (1.2%) were achieved with the composite containing 25% filler cured at 340 mW/cm(2). Finally, the composite with 25% filler cured at 340 mW/cm(2) showed higher physico-mechanical properties.