We have prepared and tested in vivo a novel nanoengineered hybrid electroconductive cardiac patch for treating the infarcted myocardium. Of the prepared and tested patches, only those containing spherical nanogold were able to increase connexin-43 expression in neonatal rat cardiomyocytes cultured under electrical stimulation. In vivo data indicated that only nanogold-containing patches were able to recover cardiac function. Histological analysis also revealed that connexin-43 levels and blood vessel density were increased, while the scar size was reduced for animals that received the nanogold patch. Thus, our study indicates that the incorporation of electroconductive properties into a collagen-based cardiac patch can improve its therapeutic potential for treating myocardial infarction.

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Sprayable formulations of AgNPs were prepared by exchanging citrate capping agents with LL37-SH peptides. The AgNP@LL37 material was then combined with type I collagen to form a stable film once sprayed. The AgNP@LL37 spray prevented Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) proliferation and eradicated a P. aeruginosa biofilm, while being non-toxic for human skin fibroblasts embedded within 3D artificial skin constructs. Finally, no silver infiltration was observed after spraying on a full-thickness skin wound in a mouse model.

Collagen–silver/gold biomimetic matrices were developed for cardiac tissue engineering.

The interaction between nanoparticles and molecules plays a key role in determining the activity and performance of a given nanostructure. These interactions are pivotal for a variety of applications including drug delivery, surface manipulation for targeted therapies, and catalysis. However, to this day, gathering precise association parameters for the interaction of the molecules with nanostructures remains elusive and mostly imprecise. In this review, we present a critical discussion of the most commonly used techniques and models intended for determining the association of molecules with nanoparticles. Particular emphasis has been put on discussing the limitations and pitfalls related to determining association constants in this tutorial review.