Using polymeric materials to control stem cell behavior for tissue regeneration

Abstract

Background: Intranasal steroids are 1 of the most frequently prescribed medications for the treatment of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS), and saline irrigations are commonly used as an adjunct to medical therapy. We aimed to compare the efficacy of Dead Sea salt (DSS) irrigations and DSS nasal spray vs saline irrigations and topical nasal steroid spray in the treatment of symptoms of CRS. Methods: A total of 145 symptomatic adult patients without acute infection were initially enrolled and 114 completed the study. Patients completed a Sino‐Nasal Outcomes Test 20 (SNOT‐20) survey (primary outcome metric) and underwent endonasal examination, acoustic rhinometry, and smell testing (secondary outcome metrics). Patients were randomized to 2 groups. The experimental group (n = 59) self‐administered hypertonic DSS spray and DSS irrigation; the control group (n = 55) self‐administered fluticasone spray and hypertonic saline irrigation and spray. Patients and staff were blinded to group assignment. Outcomes were reassessed at 4 weeks. Results: The 2 groups were homogeneous with respect to pretreatment primary and secondary outcome metrics. Dropout rates were 30% in the DSS group and 36.6% in the control group. Both groups showed significant improvement in mean SNOT‐20 scores following treatment; however, the degree of improvement was not significantly different between groups (p = 0.082). There were no significant changes in secondary outcome metrics between the 2 groups. Conclusion: For patients with CRS, treatment with DSS irrigations and sprays appears as effective for symptom reduction as a combination of hypertonic saline irrigations and sprays and a topical steroid spray. © 2011 ARS‐AAOA, LLC.

Controlled release of drugs in electrosprayed nanoparticles for bone tissue engineering

“…Patients with organ failure currently have high morbidity and limited options for treatment but bioengineering of scaffolds (by EHDA) to serve as replacement tissue may be a viable option for them [14].…”

Influence of PCL molecular weight on mesenchymal stromal cell differentiation

“…The advent of defects or degeneration of these tissues can be due to traumatic injury, congenital, hereditary or autoimmune diseases. [5][6][7] For instance, the scaffold should allow nutrient exchange and waste removal through interconnected pores, the biomaterial should be biocompatible and biodegradable, while the mechanical properties of the scaffold should ideally mimic the mechanical properties of the native tissue and simultaneously shield the forming tissue from excessive mechanical loading. In some cases, the spontaneous healing capacity of skeletal tissues is not sufficient and temporary, or permanent, help is needed to support tissue healing.…”

Surface modification of polypyrrole/biopolymer composites for controlled protein and cellular adhesion

“…Increased pH will increase the nucleophilicity of the thiol, though too great of an increase will result in degradation due to competitive hydroxide ion attack on the polypyrrole (Forsyth & Truong 1995). Attempts to further improve the reaction using a phosphine-catalyzed reaction proved counter productive, either due to a decrease in pH or perhaps a side reaction due to phosphine attack on the polymer (Zhang & Kohn 2012).…”

“…Polysaccharides, particularly in the form of hydrogels, are attractive substrates for tissue engineering scaffolds due to their variety, biocompatibility, bioerodability, adjustable viscoelasticity, and relative ease of fabrication into macroscopic shapes (Aizawa et al 2012, Zhang & Kohn 2012. These materials can be chemically modified to change their bulk and surface properties, and they have been shown to effectively encapsulate drugs and growth factors (Patil et al 2010).…”