Recent advances in modified poly (lactic acid) as tissue engineering materials

Poly lactic acid or poly lactide (PLA) is a natural polymer that is biodegradable, thermoplastic and is an aliphatic polyester made from renewable materials such as young kepok banana starch. Poly lactic acid with the chemical formula CH3CH(OH)COOH is a biodegradable polymer obtained from the combination of lactic acid monomers. Therefore, in this study the PLA polymer as a matrix was added with fillers in the form of Coir and Chitosan. Coir is a coconut fiber that has been widely used by researchers for decades. Chitosan has been widely used as an important and promising biopolymer material in tissue engineering because of its anti-microbial activity, biodegradability, biocompatibility, and non-toxicity. The characteristics resulting from the combination of these three materials resulted in 4 samples, namely the fixed variable PLA with variations of Coir and Chitosan. Sample 1 Coir/Chitosan ( 90:10 (%)) produces a tensile strength value of 80 MPa. Sample 2 Coir/Chitosan (80:20 (%)) yielded a tensile strength of 55 MPa. Samples of 3 Coir/Chitosan (70:80 (%)) yielded a tensile strength of 48 MPa. Samples of 4 Coir/Chitosan (60:40 (%)) produced a tensile strength of 30 MPa. The FTIR test on sample 1 resulted in a new compound found in the PLA/Coir/Chitosan composite, namely the compound N=C=O which is an isocyanate group at the peak of the 2279.86 cm-1 group. While the SEM test which shows the physical structure of the sample composition of PLA with the addition of Coir/Chitosan (90:10%) is the sample with the best morphology.

Tissue engineering is a branch of regenerative medicine, which comprises the combination of biomaterials, cells and other bioactive molecules to regenerate tissues. Biomaterial scaffolds act as substrate and as physical support for cells and they can also reproduce the extracellular matrix cues. Although tissue engineering applications in cellular therapy tend to focus on the use of specialized cells from particular tissues or stem cells, little attention has been paid to endothelial progenitors, an important cell type in tissue regeneration. We combined 3D printed poly(lactic acid) scaffolds comprising two different pore sizes with human adipose-derived stromal cells (hASCs) and expanded CD133+ cells to evaluate how these two cell types respond to the different architectures. hASCs represent an ideal source of cells for tissue engineering applications due to their low immunogenicity, paracrine activity and ability to differentiate. Expanded CD133+ cells were isolated from umbilical cord blood and represent a source of endothelial-like cells with angiogenic potential. Fluorescence microscopy and scanning electron microscopy showed that both cell types were able to adhere to the scaffolds and maintain their characteristic morphologies. The porous PLA scaffolds stimulated cell cycle progression of hASCs but led to an arrest in the G1 phase and reduced proliferation of expanded CD133+ cells. Also, while hASCs maintained their undifferentiated profile after 7 days of culture on the scaffolds, expanded CD133+ cells presented a reduction of the von Willebrand factor (vWF), which affected the cells’ angiogenic potential. We did not observe changes in cell behavior for any of the parameters analyzed between the scaffolds with different pore sizes, but the 3D environment created by the scaffolds had different effects on the cell types tested. Unlike the extensively used mesenchymal stem cell types, the 3D PLA scaffolds led to opposite behaviors of the expanded CD133+ cells in terms of cytotoxicity, proliferation and immunophenotype. The results obtained reinforce the importance of studying how different cell types respond to 3D culture systems when considering the scaffold approach for tissue engineering.

Cellulose of bacterial origin, known as bacterial cellulose (BC), is one of the most versatile biomaterials that has a huge potential in tissue engineering due to its favourable mechanical properties, high hydrophilicity, crystallinity, and purity. Additional properties such as porous nano-fibrillar 3D structure and a high degree of polymerisation of BC mimic the properties of the native extracellular matrix (ECM), making it an excellent material for the fabrication of composite scaffolds suitable for cell growth and tissue development. Recently, the fabrication of BC-based scaffolds, including composites and blends with nanomaterials, and other biocompatible polymers has received particular attention owing to their desirable properties for tissue engineering. These have proven to be promising advanced materials in hard and soft tissue engineering. This review presents the latest state-of-the-art modified/functionalised BC-based composites and blends as advanced materials in tissue engineering. Their applicability as an ideal biomaterial in targeted tissue repair including bone, cartilage, vascular, skin, nerve, and cardiac tissue has been discussed. Additionally, this review briefly summarises the latest updates on the production strategies and characterisation of BC and its composites and blends. Finally, the challenges in the future development and the direction of future research are also discussed.

A review of exploring the synthesis, properties, and diverse applications of poly lactic acid with a focus on food packaging application.

Improvement of mechanical and impact performance of poly(lactic acid) by renewable modified natural rubber

Surface modification of polymers by plasma treatments for the enhancement of biocompatibility and controlled drug release

5 - Lactic acid microbial production and recovery: Review and recent advances in bioprocess integration

This study aims to produce composite nanofibers from polylactic acid (PLA) and silk fibroin (SF) with mechanical properties similar to that of a native meniscus. SF is a natural protein, well known for its good biocompatibility and biodegradability but it has poor mechanical properties compared to synthetic polymers. SF contains proteins which can promote cell adhesion and cell proliferation required for a tissue engineering scaffold. PLA is a popular material that is widely used in tissue engineering. It provides high mechanical properties but lacks bioactivity and cell affinity. Thus, a PLA/SF composite scaffold can improve these drawbacks. In this study, PLA/SF nanofibers were fabricated using an electrospinning process at various PLA and SF ratios (PLA: SF 100:0, 75:25, 50:50, and 25:75). The SF content in the emulsion dominated the fiber diameter, fiber arrangement and processibility of nanofibrous scaffold. With increasing SF content, the %elongation at break of PLA/SF scaffold increased but Young’s modulus decreased. The wettability of electrospun PLA was increased with an increase in SF content.

In cardiovascular surgery, reconstruction and replacement of cardiac and vascular structures are routinely performed. Prosthetic or biological materials traditionally used for this purpose cannot be considered ideal substitutes as they have limited durability and no growth or regeneration potential. Tissue engineering aims to create materials having normal tissue function including capacity for growth and self-repair. These advanced materials can potentially overcome the shortcomings of conventionally used materials, and, if successfully passing all phases of product development, they might provide a better option for both the pediatric and adult patient population requiring cardiovascular interventions. This short review article overviews the most important cardiovascular pathologies where tissue engineered materials could be used, briefly summarizes the main directions of development of these materials, and discusses the hurdles in their clinical translation. At its beginnings in the 1980s, tissue engineering (TE) was defined as “an interdisciplinary field that applies the principles of engineering and the life sciences toward the development of biological substitutes that restore, maintain, or improve tissue function” (1). Currently, the utility of TE products and materials are being investigated in several fields of human medicine, ranging from orthopedics to cardiovascular surgery (2–5). In cardiovascular surgery, reconstruction and replacement of cardiac and vascular structures are routinely performed. Considering the shortcomings of traditionally used materials, the need for advanced materials that can “restore, maintain or improve tissue function” are evident. Tissue engineered substitutes, having growth and regenerative capacity, could fundamentally change the specialty (6). This article overviews the most important cardiovascular pathologies where TE materials could be used, briefly summarizes the main directions of development of TE materials along with their advantages and shortcomings, and discusses the hurdles in their clinical translation.

Poly(lactic acid)/polycarbonate blends were prepared by melt mixing. The transesterification reaction between poly(lactic acid) and polycarbonate was promoted by using tetrabutyl titanate as a catalyst. For poly(lactic acid)/polycarbonate (weight ratio of 75/25) blend with catalyst content up to 0.5 wt%, polycarbonate particles finely dispersed in the poly(lactic acid) matrix and the adhesion between the phases were improved, due to the enhanced compatibility by transesterification reaction. The blends were foamed by using batch-foaming process with CO2 as the blowing agent. Cell density of poly(lactic acid)/polycarbonate blend increased at low-catalyst content, while decreased at high-catalyst content, which was due to the changes of interfacial properties of blend phases through transesterification reaction and crystallinity of polycarbonate component. Cell types of poly(lactic acid)/polycarbonate blends were transferred from submicro-sized and even nanoscale cells to microscale cells by the deceased crystallinity of poly(lactic acid) component, which was caused by the increased degree of transesterification reaction and temperature. The declined viscosity of poly(lactic acid)/polycarbonate blend because of degradation during blend processing led to large cell size and low-cell density. However, the improvement of elasticity and viscosity of poly(lactic acid)/polycarbonate blend by transesterification reaction could decrease the cell size.

Objective(s): Nowadays, tendency to use green materials can reduce environmental pollution and plastic waste. Poly (lactic Acid) PLA is one of the natural biodegradable polymers mainly used in the production of bioplastics for packaging which is made of non-toxic compounds and is easily biodegradable. In this research, the effect of 1, 3 and 5% nanocomposite zinc oxide on the morphological, mechanical properties and chemicals interaction of poly-lactic acid films was investigated.Methods: To study morphological structure of nanocomposites, scanning electron microscope (SEM) was used. For evaluating the mechanical properties of films, tensile strength, elongation at break and young's modulus were measured by the ASTM D882 standard. Also, The Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) spectrum of films with PERKIN ELMER 1650, FT-IR spectrophotometer was recorded.Results: Morphological shows that zinc oxide nanoparticles are well distributed in polymer matrix in all nanocomposite samples. It is clear from the result of mechanical properties that the Young’s modulus was increased significantly (p<0.05) when the percentage of zinc oxide in the poly-lactic acid film increased from 1% to 5%. The tensile strength values of films zinc oxide nanocomposites were significantly (p <0.05) less than the control film. Also, elongation at break was no statistically significant. In the investigation of FTIR spectra, the percentage of created bonds between nanozinc oxide and poly lactic acid are increased by enhancing the percentage of nanozinc oxide.Conclusions: Due to the good functional mechanical and morphological properties of PLA-nanozinc oxide films, they can be employed for various packaging.

Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) was blended with chitosan (CS) to fabricate electrospun aligned PLA-CS nanofibers. These prepared nanofibers were aligned using a novel collector made of parallel blades which is designed to increase the transversal electric field across the gap. SEM images show that the fiber diameter mostly ranges between 150 +/- 60 nm and Fourier Transform infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis confirm the presence of PLA and CS. X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) studies explains the amorphous nature of electrospun PLA-CS nanofibers, suitable for faster degradation. Degradation studies confirmed that PLA-CS nanofiber has enhanced degradation than the pure PLA fibers. Cell studies with human dermal fibroblasts (HDF) show the orientation of cells along the direction of fiber alignment. The results indicate that the prepared PLA-CS aligned nanofibers are promising material for skin tissue engineering.

For the purpose of the development of poly(lactic acid)/graphene oxide composites with improved tensile properties, a stearic acid compatibilizer was used to enhance the compatibility of the graphene oxide sheets with the poly(lactic acid) polymer matrix. Graphene oxide was modified with stearic acid at different mass ratios of 1:1, 1:3, and 1:5 prior to forming the composites with poly(lactic acid). Characterization showed positive effects of stearic acid attached to GO in every mass ratio and also enhanced compatibility with the poly(lactic acid) matrix. Stearic acid could strengthen the interfacial interactions between the flat graphene oxide sheets and the poly(lactic acid) matrix resulting in improved tensile strength. The tensile strength of the poly(lactic acid)/graphene oxide/stearic acid composite with a mass ratio of graphene oxide and stearic acid 1:1 increased by 32% compared to poly(lactic acid) alone. Based on these results, the graphene oxide/stearic acid composites show potential for use as nanosheet fillers for tensile strength enhancement in poly(lactic acid). POLYM. COMPOS., 38:2272–2282, 2017. © 2015 Society of Plastics Engineers

ABSTRACTPoly (lactic acid) is considered to be a promising alternative to petroleum-based polymers due to its renewability, biodegradability, biocompatibility, and good mechanical properties. Because of the high cost, the applications of poly (lactic acid) were limited to the medical field. Over the past decade, improvements in polymerization allow the economical mass production of high molecular weight poly (lactic acid). Therefore, the applications of poly (lactic acid) have recently spread to domestic, commercial packaging, and textile applications. This review outlines the chemical, thermal characteristics of poly (lactic acid) and discusses the use of poly (lactic acid) in medical applications such as sutures, stents, drug carrier, orthopaedic devices, scaffolds, as well as commercial applications in textile and packaging fields with superior properties such as high wicking performance, good dyeability, antibacterial feature, good ultraviolet resistance, high water vapor transmission rates, shrink wrapping, and dead fold property. While the drawbacks of poly (lactic acid) utilized in these fields are also discussed. It is clear that the advantages of using poly (lactic acid) outlined in this review will ensure that the market for poly (lactic acid) products will continue to expand.

An innovative functional compatibility strategy for poly (lactic acid) and polypropylene carbonate blends to achieve superior toughness, degradability, and optical properties