Paramagnetic Functionalization of Biocompatible Scaffolds for Biomedical Applications: A Perspective

Abstract

The burst of research papers focused on the tissue engineering and regeneration recorded in the last years is justified by the increased skills in the synthesis of nanostructures able to confer peculiar biological and mechanical features to the matrix where they are dispersed. Inorganic, organic and hybrid nanostructures are proposed in the literature depending on the characteristic that has to be tuned and on the effect that has to be induced. In the field of the inorganic nanoparticles used for decorating the bio-scaffolds, the most recent contributions about the paramagnetic and superparamagnetic nanoparticles use was evaluated in the present contribution. The intrinsic properties of the paramagnetic nanoparticles, the possibility to be triggered by the simple application of an external magnetic field, their biocompatibility and the easiness of the synthetic procedures for obtaining them proposed these nanostructures as ideal candidates for positively enhancing the tissue regeneration. Herein, we divided the discussion into two macro-topics: the use of magnetic nanoparticles in scaffolds used for hard tissue engineering for soft tissue regeneration.

Incorporation of Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles into Collagen Formulation for 3D Electrospun Scaffolds

“…Moreover, following the activation of SPIONs with an oscillating external magnetic field, the differentiation of osteoprogenitor cell populations towards an osteogenic lineage can be favoured [21,27]. In this regard, SPIONs have also demonstrated great potential in the design of magnetic scaffolds for different tissue engineering applications [28,29], especially in the regeneration of bone tissue [30,31], where improved implant integration and newly developed tissue with higher density have been achieved by applying an external magnetic field [32].…”

Synthesis and characterization of growth factor free nanoengineered bioactive scaffolds for bone tissue engineering

“…Gelatin is denatured collagen; it has a structure and chemical composition that resembles the extracellular matrix. The studies have shown that HA and Fe 3 O 4 can enhance the mineralization of the scaffold and have a vital role in the proliferation and differentiation of osteoblasts [ 31 ]. Although HA and Fe 3 O 4 have been used as doping elements in scaffolds for Bone TE, the simultaneous incorporation of them in the PCEC/Gel system has not been reported yet.…”

Recent Advance of Liposome Nanoparticles for Nucleic Acid Therapy

“…It is not only the first choice for imaging the brain and central nervous system, but also the main tool for evaluating the function of heart disease and detecting tumors [ 125 , 126 , 127 ]. Paramagnetic nanoparticles have the advantages of small size, large specific surface area, good suspension stability, and directional transport and enrichment under the effect of an external magnetic field, which shows great potential applications in the biomedical field [ 128 ]. Among many magnetic nanoparticles, Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles are magnetic materials with strong magnetism, simple preparation, and good biocompatibility, which are widely used in tumor diagnosis and treatment, immune detection, and gene delivery [ 129 , 130 ].…”