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Functional Bio-based Materials for Regenerative Medicine: From Bench to Bedside explores the use of bio-based materials for the regeneration of tissues and organs. The book presents an edited collection of 28 topics in 2 parts focused on the translation of these materials from laboratory research (the bench) to practical applications in clinical settings (the bedside). Chapter authors highlight the significance of bio-based materials, such as hydrogels, scaffolds, and nanoparticles, in promoting tissue regeneration and wound healing.
Topics in the book include:
- the properties of bio-based materials, including biocompatibility, biodegradability, and the ability to mimic the native extracellular matrix.
- fabrication techniques and approaches for functional bio-based material design with desired characteristics like mechanical strength and porosity to promote cellular attachment, proliferation, and differentiation
- the incorporation of bioactive molecules, such as growth factors, into bio-based materials to enhance their regenerative potential.
- strategies for the controlled release of molecules to create a favorable microenvironment for tissue regeneration.
- the challenges and considerations involved in scaling up the production of bio-based materials, ensuring their safety and efficacy, and obtaining regulatory approval for clinical use
Part 2 covers advanced materials and techniques used in tissue engineering. Topics focus on advanced composite materials for 3D scaffolds and the repair of tissues in different organs such as the heart, cornea, bone and ligaments. Materials highlighted in this part include polyamide composites, electrospun nanofibers, and different bio-based hydrogels.
Functional Bio-based Materials for Regenerative Medicine: From Bench to Bedside is a valuable reference for researchers in biomedical engineering, cell biology, and regenerative medicine who want to update their knowledge on current developments in the synthesis and application of functional biomaterials.
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I would like to congratulate all the authors who took their valuable time to contribute to the book titled “FUNCTIONAL BIO-BASED MATERIALS FOR REGENERATIVE MEDICINE from Bench to Bedside”. This book is a dedication to the founder of the Centre for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine (CTERM), University Kebangsaan Malaysia, Prof. Dato’ Dr Ruszymah Hj. Idrus. It has been an honour to have been under her supervision and now expanding on our own across the continents through collaborating with talented, hardworking scientists in the tissue engineering and regenerative medicine field on various state-of-the-art technologies and biobased materials used for the tissue-engineered skin, bone, heart, respiratory tract and other vital organs.
In this marvellously insightful book, the authors offer some valuable strategies, technologies and artificial intelligence in the established technology covering tissue engineering as an essential field for various health applications to help not only scientists, researchers and healthcare providers but also the general public to remain updated with the current work happening worldwide.
The regenerative medicine is currently an established technology, covering tissue engineering as a significant field in various health applications. Traditionally, tissue engineering is a combination of cells, biomaterials, and biomolecules to replace or repair damaged tissues. The current advanced technology in the tissue engineering field focuses on the functionalisation of invented bio-based materials. It includes the development of a hybrid or composite biomatrix together with cells-secreted products and related active compounds for better performance in enhancing the rapid therapeutic mechanism. The mode of action for the invented product depends on its formulation or a three-dimensional design of the biomatrix.
This book provides detailed information on the latest advancements in bio-based materials treatment strategy for various tissue applications, encompassing skin, bone, heart, respiratory tract and other vital organs. This is followed by future perspectives on the new emerging treatment in the field of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.
Polymer-based biomaterials are a material of choice for many surgeons due to their availability and durability. Many types are available on the market, but the search for improved properties to cater to technology demands, such as 3D printing, continues. Polyamide, to be used as an alternative in craniofacial reconstruction, has been a subject of interest recently. This chapter explores the physical and mechanical properties of polyamide composites fabricated viainjection moulding and 3D printing techniques along with their biocompatibility. With promising physical, mechanical, and biocompatibility properties, polyamide composites are expected to emerge as an alternative biomaterial for craniofacial reconstruction soon.
Biomaterials are natural or synthetic materials used for implantation in the human body. They are designed to be able to adapt and function in a biological environment. A biomaterial should possess adequate mechanical characteristics, have a surface texture that supports adhesion, and be biocompatible and reproducible [1].
Biomaterials for implantation purposes can be divided into natural and synthetic materials. The classifications of biomaterials are shown in Fig. (1). Natural implant materials consist of autograft, allograft, and xenograft. Grafts, such as the cornea, skin, nerve, muscle, etc., depend on donor availability, which limits their
application Despite providing similar mechanical properties and being compatible with the receiver, pre-treatment, such as preservation and sterilisation, are a serious issue that needs to be considered to prevent complications [2].
Synthetic biomaterials or alloplastics are classified as metallic, polymeric, ceramic, and composite materials. In craniofacial reconstruction, metallic materials are widely used due to their high strength and ability to maintain shape. Polymeric materials are becoming popular due to their desirable properties, composition, and easy processing. However, their flexibility and lack of mechanical properties limit their application. Polymers can be divided into two categories, namely resorbable and non-resorbable. Resorbable polymers are mainly made from natural sources, such as cellulose, chitosan, collagen, and starch. Sometimes, extracted starch and cellulose are blended with synthetic polymers to make them resorbable. Non-resorbable polymers are made from long repetitions of hydrogen and carbon atom chains that produce strong molecule bonds.
Meanwhile, ceramics are well-known for their biocompatibility, brittleness, and difficult fabrication that limits their manipulation. Ceramics are classified into three different groups, namely bioinert, bioactive, and bioresorbable [3]. A mixture of the aforementioned materials and composites appears to be a likely prospect to enter the biomaterials field, as they possess the blended properties of those materials - even though the processing method needs to be addressed.
Fig. (1)) Classification of biomaterials.Polymeric materials, such as polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) are the most common material for craniofacial bone reconstruction (4). They have excellent properties, such as biocompatibility, biological inertness, and rigidity, and are widely used to repair craniofacial anomalies. PMMA usually comes with a packaging set of powder and liquid. The powder component contains PMMA polymer and benzoyl peroxide (BPO), whereas the liquid consists of methyl methacrylate (MMA) monomer, N, N-Dimethyl-p-toluidine (DMPT), which acts as activator and hydroquinone to stabilise the liquid monomer. DMPT initially decomposes the BPO. Free radical molecules result from the decomposition during the polymerisation process. Mixing these two components, as instructed by the supplier, will result in polymerisation. Although PMMA offers ease of handling, its brittleness, shrinkage, and heat release, due to exothermic reaction during polymerisation, may damage surrounding tissue. Furthermore, the temperature inside PMMA, with the adjacent tissue exposed, may reach a maximum of 50°C. Therefore, preoperative implant preparation is highly recommended [5].
Porous polyethylene (PE) is widely used by surgeons as it is well tolerated by surrounding tissue, and the porous structure allows for fibrovascular ingrowth that promotes biological fixation. However, PE available on the market, such as Medpor, comes in a standard shape. Therefore, needs to be trimmed and moulded manually prior to the implant placement, thus increasing the operating time [6].
The polymeric material that is currently getting attention from surgeons and researchers is polyether ether ketone (PEEK). PEEK possesses excellent mechanical properties that are said to be comparable with cortical bone [7]. However, this material lacks osteointegration properties, which leads to various complications, such as infection and implant loss [8]. Furthermore, the melting point of PEEK is around 343°C, which can therefore only be processed by a high-end polymer processing machine equipped with high heating capabilities, such as selective laser sintering (SLS). Though exclusive and expensive in nature, the introduction of PEEK as a patient-specific implant (PSI), processed viacurrent additive manufacturing (AM) techniques, has helped patients with craniofacial anomalies to regain their regular cosmesis [9]. PSI is designed to fit each patient or is customised by utilising the patient’s CT scan data.
Polyamide (PA), also known as nylon, consists of repeating units of amide –CO-NH– linkages. PA is formed by the polycondensation of a diacid with a diamine or by ring-opening polymerisation of lactams with 6, 11, or 12 carbon atoms. PA generally exhibits good mechanical properties and chemical resistance. Most importantly, PA is biocompatible and can be easily contoured and sutured. PA also enhances the growth of fibrous tissue and has been successfully used as an orbital floor implant. Moreover, it has been used to produce skull model pre-surgical planning and young surgeon training [10]. The hygroscopic factor makes PA not durable, so certain materials need to be incorporated to tailor the properties.
Extensive research has been carried out to tailor the property incorporation of bioactive materials to simultaneously create a new value-added material. For example, PA 6,6 has been incorporated with 65wt% of nano-hydroxyapatite (n-HA) to show remarkable moulded tensile properties, with a tensile strength of 87 MPa [11]. This newly blended material has proved biocompatible, showing a non-cytotoxic effect when cultured with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) [12]. The material was successfully implanted in a patient in China to construct the condylar viaSLS (Li et al., 2011), thus indicating its potential as an alternative implantation material. However, evaluation with more patients and a longer follow-up is necessary.
Polyamide 12 (PA 12) is another type of polyamide that is gaining attention for its easy processing. It possesses a low melting temperature and high flowability. PA 12 can be prepared from lauryl lactam [13] and aminolauric acid [14]. PA 12 is the current material of choice for selective laser sintering (SLS) due to its relatively lower cost than PEEK. High flowability properties make it appropriate for the SLS process. Although prominent in the SLS segment, SLS-graded PA 12 is never applied to other processing methods. Current manufacturers of PA 12 include 3D Systems and EOS, which supply PA 12 using the commercial names Duraform® and PA2200, respectively [15]. Production of Duraform® and PA2200 is dedicated to their SLS machine. Investigation of the tensile properties of specimens produced by these materials revealed that specimens using PA2200 produced higher tensile properties than specimens of Duraform® [16]. Since the introduction of polyamide 6,6 (PA 6,6) by Carothers in 1934, various types of polyamides have been developed and commercialised. Details of currently available PA, their properties, and repeating units of molecular structure are summarised in Table 1. The polar molecular (-CO- NH-) structure in the polyamide chain incidentally mimics the structure of collagen [17], an essential factor that promotes osteoblast. Therefore, this collagen mimicked structure could be manipulated by introducing PA as a potential biomaterial for craniofacial reconstruction.
This section discusses the physical, mechanical, and biocompatibility properties of PA and composites. The presence of filler mainly affects these properties. The incorporation of ceramic fillers may attribute to higher strength. Most importantly, the non-radiopaque nature of polymers can be improved to be radiopaque, which is essential in the radiological assessment of the implant position. However, the effect of the processing method is an area that can be explored to understand the behaviour of PA. Injection moulding (IM) is the most common polymer processing technique. However, the current progression in polymer 3D printing and its composites is an exciting prospect to be focused on. The melting point is a crucial factor that needs to be considered when selecting PA for processing. The PA with the lowest melting point is constantly a subject of interest regarding the machine’s capability and processing window.
Quantification of biomaterial physical properties is deemed important as it determines the biological performance of the materials. The surface of the material will first encounter the biological host before the surrounding cells interact and attach to the respective surface. A rough surface was observed to provide a better environment for the early response of cells [18]. Furthermore, surface modification, performed by Zareidoost et al. [19], resulted in a strong correlation between a rough surface and the biological response of the employed cells. However, the surface roughness of PA 12 composites at different filler loadings fabricated viaIM and 3D printing techniques are shown in Fig. (2).
The utilisation of filler is desirable to reduce the shrinkage that occurs during the polymer processing cooling stage. However, composites with a combination of high filler loading and micro filler often result in a rougher surface; therefore, low filler loading and nano-filled composites are preferred. The effect of a combination of both micro and nano-fillers on the physical properties of PA 12 composites prepared viainjection moulding and 3D printing techniques showed that the surface roughness of PA 12 composites was not significantly affected by the increment of filler loading [20, 21].
Fig. (2)) Surface roughness of PA composites at different filler loadings and processing techniques.A combination of 15 wt% of micro-beta tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) and 15 wt% nano zirconia filler significantly reduced the roughness of the injection moulded specimens. On the contrary, rough surfaces were observed in a 3D-printed specimen at a similar filler loading [20]. A similar composition does not necessarily resemble physical properties when different processing techniques are employed. During the moulding process, polymer composites are injected at high speed so that the composites can flow and fill the hot cavity in a short time frame, which results in a smooth and compact surface. However, 3D printing is a rather time-consuming process, where a semi-molten polymer is deposited onto a build plate, layer by layer. The process continues until the desired build is complete, which typically results in a rough surface.
The surface roughness of 3D printed specimens is highly dependent on printing orientation (Fig. 3). and layer thickness [22]. Alteration of these factors could affect printing duration, where more time is needed to print a specimen in a y-z orientation coupled with a low layer setting. For example, a nozzle size of 0.4 mm can be set to extrude a single layer ranging from 0.1 to 0.4 mm.
Fig. (3)) Various orientations of specimens.A specimen printed in an x-z orientation generally results in a higher surface roughness than a part printed in a y-z orientation see Fig. (4). However, the printing duration is considerably shorter in that orientation; therefore, the balance between surface quality and time needs to be considered prior to starting the 3D printing process.
Fig. (4)) Effect of layer thickness and printing orientation on surface quality.Besides physical properties, mechanical properties are another area of interest in the development of composites. The mechanical properties of the developed biomaterials should be equal to the anatomical part that aims to be reconstructed. For instance, biomaterial implants with higher mechanical properties than a natural bone will lead to implant failure as stress cannot be homogenously distributed to the adjacent bone, resulting in implant loosening [23]. Several factors influence the mechanical properties of bone. Ethnicity difference where Asian men are found to possess denser cortical than Caucasian men, although they are smaller in bone size and trabecular area [24]. Furthermore, sexual dimorphism also contributes to apparent differences in the microstructure of both compact and cancellous bones during puberty [25]. Meanwhile, age is an undeniable factor that contributes to the mechanical properties of bone. It is a fact that physical activity results in greater bone strength compared to calcium intake, as observed in rat models [26].
The general tensile properties of PA and its melting point, together with craniofacial bone tensile properties as a comparison, are displayed in (Table 2). PA 6,6 exhibited the highest melting point due to the presence of more hydrogen bonds in every repeating unit.
The mechanical properties (maximum value) of PA 12 composites fabricated viainjection moulding and 3D printing techniques are displayed in Table 3. In general, 3D printing techniques result in lower mechanical properties (except impact strength) compared to the injection moulded part. These results are not alarming due to the nature of the processing itself. As mentioned previously, injection moulding produces compact parts, while 3D printing results in an apparent porous structure due to layer arrangement during the printing process. Nevertheless, a 3D-printed impact specimen exhibited a higher value of 16.95 kJ/m2, which could be linked to its ability to absorb impact during testing due to its porous nature. Therefore, specific properties should be taken into consideration when designing a new biomaterial for certain applications.
Fig. (5) shows the behaviour of injection moulded, and 3D printed PA 12 composites after being subjected to tensile testing. The injection moulded part is quite strong and flexible, as it can elongate more than 60% of its original length. Meanwhile, the 3D-printed part is only able to resist up to 15% expansion before catastrophic failure. While this is the result of using particulate filler, a future study could be designed to optimise the current setting of the 3D printer and consider a fibrous filler for reinforcement purposes.
Fig. (5)) Stress-strain graph of polyamide 12 composites fabricated viainjection moulding and 3D printing techniques.The development of biomaterials involves various stages that need to be accomplished prior to a clinical trial. One of the tests that need to be conducted is in vitro cytotoxicity [27]. The complete polymerisation process generally produces a non-toxic polymer. In most cases, the presence of residual monomer or other solvents induces a cytotoxic effect on the respective cells. The residual monomer could cause irritation, inflammation, and allergic reactions [28]. Studies have shown [29, 30] that PA has good biocompatibility because it is chemically similar to collagen proteins and therefore possesses excellent stability in human body fluids.
The cytotoxicity properties of PA 12 and its composites are illustrated in Fig. (6). Significant enhancement in cell viability of the composites was observed compared to unfilled PA 12 at high concentrations, indicating the presence of filler might have contributed to the phenomena. It is well documented that β-TCP alone induces cell proliferation [31]. Meanwhile, a more recent study indicated that zirconia possesses a positive effect on the cell, and the elements β-TCP and Zirconia, present in the composites, increased the viability of the cells [32].
Fig. (6)) Cytotoxicity properties of PA 12 and its composites, adapted from Abdullah et al. [33], reproduced with permission from Elsevier.Meanwhile, the attachment of cells on the 3D printed PA 12 composites, namely 3D orbital polyamide customised composite (3D-OPACC), compared to commercial materials, is shown in Fig. (7). 3D-OPACC is a PA 12 composite-based material, which contains both zirconia and β-TCP. More cells were observed on the experimental 3D-OPACC printed surface compared to other polyethylene materials (Medpor & Synpor). The synergistic effect between the rough surface and the presence of calcium phosphate-based materials probably contributed to a better cell attachment compared to others.
Fig. (7)) Live and dead staining of osteoblast cell attachment on different materials, adapted from Sheng et al. [34].The advancement of polyamide composites for craniofacial reconstruction was explored. Polyamide composites discussed in this chapter were fabricated viatwo different techniques, injection moulding, and 3D printing, and the physical and mechanical properties were assessed and compared. The surface profiles of 3D printed parts were rougher than injection moulded parts, which were preferred for cell attachment. Nevertheless, lower mechanical properties were seen compared to injection moulded parts. The melting temperature of polyamide is far lower than currently available polymeric materials for PSI, such as PEEK. Therefore, polyamide can easily fit a filament-based 3D printer. However, greater attention needs to be paid during processing, as tangling tends to occur during extrusion and shrinkage during the 3D printing processes. With the enhancement in cell viability attributed to the presence of fillers, polyamide composite can potentially be used as an alloplastic alternative in non-load-bearing areas, such as craniofacial parts. Further research should be carried out to enhance the mechanical properties of 3D printed parts viaoptimisation of filler loading and printing parameters. Furthermore, in vivo assessment should be proposed to further explore the performance of polyamide to meet the regulations stated by the Medical Device Act.
This study was made possible by funding from a Research University Grant (1001/PPSG/8012241) and a Fundamental Research Grant Scheme from the Ministry of Education (FRGS/1/2021/SKK0/USM/02/13).