Potential Applications and Functional Roles of Exosomes in Cardiometabolic Disease

Despite diagnostic and therapeutic advances, cardiometabolic disease remains the leading cause of death worldwide. Extracellular vesicles (EVs), which include exosomes and microvesicles, have gained particular interest because of their role in metabolic homeostasis and cardiovascular physiology. Indeed, EVs are recognized as critical mediators of intercellular communication in the cardiovascular system. Exosomes are naturally occurring nanocarriers that transfer biological information in the setting of metabolic abnormalities and cardiac dysfunction. The study of these EVs can increase our knowledge on the pathophysiological mechanisms of metabolic disorders and their cardiovascular complications. Because of their inherent properties and composition, exosomes have been proposed as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers and therapeutics for specific targeting and drug delivery. Emerging fields of study explore the use exosomes as tools for gene therapy and as a cell-free alternative for regenerative medicine. Furthermore, innovative biomaterials can incorporate exosomes to enhance tissue regeneration and engineering. In this work, we summarize the most recent knowledge on the role of exosomes in cardiometabolic pathophysiology while highlighting their potential therapeutic applications.

Patient-Specific Tumor Microenvironment Models

The heterogeneity of cancer makes it difficult to predict the prognosis of treatment. There is still a lack of preclinical model systems that reflect the clinical characteristics of patients who have heterogenetic tumors. Advances in 3-dimentional (3D) cell culture are leading to discoveries that occur in the development and progression of cancer that has not been known. There are many models including patient-derived xenograft, patient-derived organoid and spheroid, patient-derived explant, scaffold-based model, and system-based model. Each 3D model has its strengths and limitations. One model cannot answer every question, so it seems most reasonable to approach multiple models when studying cancer heterogeneity. Hopefully, 3D tumor modeling will make tremendous progress on this path by fusion of innovative biomaterials and advanced modeling techniques that can partially mimic the heterogeneous environment of real tumors.

De novo Drug Delivery Modalities for Treating Damaged Hearts: Current Challenges and Emerging Solutions

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of mortality, resulting in approximately one-third of deaths worldwide. Among CVD, acute myocardial infarctions (MI) is the leading cause of death. Current treatment modalities for treating CVD have improved over the years, but the demand for new and innovative therapies has been on the rise. The field of nanomedicine and nanotechnology has opened a new paradigm for treating damaged hearts by providing improved drug delivery methods, specifically targeting injured areas of the myocardium. With the advent of innovative biomaterials, newer therapeutics such as growth factors, stem cells, and exosomes have been successfully delivered to the injured myocardial tissue, promoting improvement in cardiac function. This review focuses on three major drug delivery modalities: nanoparticles, microspheres, and hydrogels, and their potential for treating damaged hearts following an MI.

Nature-Based Biomaterials and Their Application in Biomedicine

Natural polymers, based on proteins or polysaccharides, have attracted increasing interest in recent years due to their broad potential uses in biomedicine. The chemical stability, structural versatility, biocompatibility and high availability of these materials lend them to diverse applications in areas such as tissue engineering, drug delivery and wound healing. Biomaterials purified from animal or plant sources have also been engineered to improve their structural properties or promote interactions with surrounding cells and tissues for improved in vivo performance, leading to novel applications as implantable devices, in controlled drug release and as surface coatings. This review describes biomaterials derived from and inspired by natural proteins and polysaccharides and highlights their promise across diverse biomedical fields. We outline current therapeutic applications of these nature-based materials and consider expected future developments in identifying and utilising innovative biomaterials in new biomedical applications.

Innovative Biomaterials for the Treatment of Bone Cancer

Bone cancer is a demanding challenge for contemporary medicine due to its high frequency of presentation and significant heterogeneity of malignant lesions developing within the bone. To date, available treatments are rarely curative and are primarily aimed at prolonging patients’ survival and ameliorating their quality of life. Furthermore, both pharmacological and surgical therapies are aggravated by a consistent burden of adverse events and subsequent disability due to the loss of healthy bone structural and functional properties. Therefore, great research efforts are being made to develop innovative biomaterials able to selectively inhibit bone cancer progression while reducing the loss of bone structural properties secondary to local tissue invasion. In this review, we describe the state of the art of innovative biomaterials for the treatment of bone cancer. Along with physiological bone remodeling, the development of bone metastasis and osteosarcoma will be depicted. Subsequently, recent advances on nanocarrier-based drug delivery systems, as well as the application of novel, multifunctional biomaterials for the treatment of bone cancer will be discussed. Eventually, actual limitations and promising future perspectives regarding the employment of such approaches in the clinical scenario will be debated.

Plant Pollen Grains: A Move Towards Green Drug and Vaccine Delivery Systems

Pollen grains and plant spores have emerged as innovative biomaterials for various applications such as drug/vaccine delivery, catalyst support, and the removal of heavy metals. The natural microcapsules comprising spore shells and pollen grain are designed for protecting the genetic materials of plants from exterior impairments. Two layers make up the shell, the outer layer (exine) that comprised largely of sporopollenin, and the inner layer (intine) that built chiefly of cellulose. These microcapsule shells, namely hollow sporopollenin exine capsules have some salient features such as homogeneity in size, non-toxic nature, resilience to both alkalis and acids, and the potential to withstand at elevated temperatures; they have displayed promising potential for the microencapsulation and the controlled drug delivery/release. The important attribute of mucoadhesion to intestinal tissues can prolong the interaction of sporopollenin with the intestinal mucosa directing to an augmented effectiveness of nutraceutical or drug delivery. Here, current trends and prospects related to the application of plant pollen grains for the delivery of vaccines and drugs and vaccine are discussed. "Image missing"

Bacterial Biopolymer: Its Role in Pathogenesis to Effective Biomaterials

Bacteria are considered as the major cell factories, which can effectively convert nitrogen and carbon sources to a wide variety of extracellular and intracellular biopolymers like polyamides, polysaccharides, polyphosphates, polyesters, proteinaceous compounds, and extracellular DNA. Bacterial biopolymers find applications in pathogenicity, and their diverse materialistic and chemical properties make them suitable to be used in medicinal industries. When these biopolymer compounds are obtained from pathogenic bacteria, they serve as important virulence factors, but when they are produced by non-pathogenic bacteria, they act as food components or biomaterials. There have been interdisciplinary studies going on to focus on the molecular mechanism of synthesis of bacterial biopolymers and identification of new targets for antimicrobial drugs, utilizing synthetic biology for designing and production of innovative biomaterials. This review sheds light on the mechanism of synthesis of bacterial biopolymers and its necessary modifications to be used as cell based micro-factories for the production of tailor-made biomaterials for high-end applications and their role in pathogenesis.

Recent developments in sustainably sourced protein-based biomaterials

Research into the development of sustainable biomaterials is increasing in both interest and global importance due to the increasing demand for materials with decreased environmental impact. This research field utilises natural, renewable resources to develop innovative biomaterials. The development of sustainable biomaterials encompasses the entire material life cycle, from desirable traits, and environmental impact from production through to recycling or disposal. The main objective of this review is to provide a comprehensive definition of sustainable biomaterials and to give an overview of the use of natural proteins in biomaterial development. Proteins such as collagen, gelatin, keratin, and silk, are biocompatible, biodegradable, and may form materials with varying properties. Proteins, therefore, provide an intriguing source of biomaterials for numerous applications, including additive manufacturing, nanotechnology, and tissue engineering. We give an insight into current research and future directions in each of these areas, to expand knowledge on the capabilities of sustainably sourced proteins as advanced biomaterials.

Recent Advances in Implant Biomaterials - A Review

Usage of Implants in dentistry is tremendously increasing in recent times. This has led to the invention of new biomaterials for dental implants by the researchers. Continuous evolution has occurred in the field of dental implant biomaterials in the last two decades leading to the emergence of innovative biomaterials. This article summarizes the different implant biomaterials and the recent advances in this field. The material science and they are various biological and physical properties affecting their treatment outcome are discussed. Throughout the years, myriads of dental materials have been tried for replacement of missing tooth. Now titanium remains the gold standard as a dental implant material. Over the recent period, many Implant biomaterials have evolved. It includes composites, glass-ceramics, metal alloys, ceramics, glasses, and polymers. Nanotechnology is an emerging application in the branch of implant dentistry. Nanotechnology can improve the properties of dental implants for achieving good osseointegration. It is imperative for dental practitioners to have a good idea about the various biomaterials used for dental implants.

Special Issue on Surfaces Modification and Analysis for Innovative Biomaterials

The reactivity of a biomaterial is literally “written on its surface”, since it contacts host tissues and leads to the biological response [...]