Bioactive Materials for Soft Tissue Repair

Abstract

Over the past decades, age-related pathologies have increased abreast the aging population worldwide. The increased age of the population indicates that new tools, such as biomaterials/scaffolds for damaged tissues, which display high efficiency, effectively and in a limited period of time, for the regeneration of the body's tissue are needed. Indeed, scaffolds can be used as templates for three-dimensional tissue growth in order to promote the tissue healing stimulating the body's own regenerative mechanisms. In tissue engineering, several types of biomaterials are employed, such as bioceramics including calcium phosphates, bioactive glasses, and glass–ceramics. These scaffolds seem to have a high potential as biomaterials in regenerative medicine. In addition, in conjunction with other materials, such as polymers, ceramic scaffolds may be used to manufacture composite scaffolds characterized by high biocompatibility, mechanical efficiency and load-bearing capabilities that render these biomaterials suitable for regenerative medicine applications. Usually, bioceramics have been used to repair hard tissues, such as bone and dental defects. More recently, in the field of soft tissue engineering, this form of scaffold has also shown promising applications. Indeed, soft tissues are continuously exposed to damages, such as burns or mechanical traumas, tumors and degenerative pathology, and, thereby, thousands of people need remedial interventions such as biomaterials-based therapies. It is known that scaffolds can affect the ability to bind, proliferate and differentiate cells similar to those of autologous tissues. Therefore, it is important to investigate the interaction between bioceramics and somatic/stem cells derived from soft tissues in order to promote tissue healing. Biomimetic scaffolds are frequently employed as drug-delivery system using several therapeutic molecules to increase their biological performance, leading to ultimate products with innovative functionalities. This review provides an overview of essential requirements for soft tissue engineering biomaterials. Data on recent progresses of porous bioceramics and composites for tissue repair are also presented.

MicroRNAs Modulate Signaling Pathways in Osteogenic Differentiation of Mesenchymal Stem Cells

“…Biomaterials provide the biological structure that supports MSC osteogenic differentiation [2,[11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18]. The addition of ions has been proved to enhance the osteogenic potential of scaffolds [19].…”

A Review of the Effects of Collagen Treatment in Clinical Studies

“…The use of different biomaterials in periodontal regeneration has been studied for years. Several treatment options for periodontal disease include open flap debridement (OFD), biologically active regenerative materials, bone-replacement graft materials, scaling and root planning, and guided tissue regeneration with barrier membranes [87][88][89][90][91][92]. The combined use of barrier membranes and biomaterials was shown to be more effective than using OFD alone.…”

Tendon Tissue Repair in Prospective of Drug Delivery, Regenerative Medicines, and Innovative Bioscaffolds

“…Exposure of musculoskeletal tissues to hypergravity may constitute a way of simulating (over)loading or, eventually, to be used as a measure to rescue cell phenotype after exposure to near-weightlessness conditions [103]. Effects of hypergravity (5,10,15, and 20 g) on the viability of hTDCs and expression of tendon-related genes were evaluated. It was found that the expression of scleraxis (Scx), tenascin (TNC), decorin (DCN), and III (COL3A1) was significantly increased by 4-, 5.4-, 6.4-, and 7-folds, respectively, at 15 g after 16 h. However, no difference was observed in the transcription level of tenomodulin (TNMD) and collagen type I (COL1A1) as compared to the control (Figure 8).…”

“…Several natural and synthetic polymers are currently in use to fabricate 3D scaffolds with enormous processing flexibility. Natural polymers like gelatin, chitosan, alginate, collage, and synthetic polymers, such as poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid), polylactide, polycaprolactone, polyurethane, and poly(glycerol sebacate), are common biomaterials used for tissue engineering [15]. Based on the wide range of materials available to date, the selective process plays a pivotal role, and it is influenced by several parameters like biodegradability, compatibility, severity of injury, and type of tendon tissue [16][17][18].…”