Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering Commons^™

Calcium Phosphate-Based Resorbable Biomaterials For Bone Regeneration, Daniel O. Costa

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Bone defects are a prevalent problem in orthopedics and dentistry. Calcium phosphate-based coatings and nanocomposites offer unique solutions towards producing scaffolds with suitable physical, mechanical and biological properties for bone regeneration.

We developed a novel method to synthesize hydroxyapatite (HA) particles with high aspect ratio using sol-gel chemistry and hydrothermal treatment. We obtained tunable pure-phase carbonated-HA in the form of micro/nanorods and nanowires (diameters 25-800 nm). To mimic the structure of bone, HA nanowires were homogenously mixed within poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) to produce nanocomposites with improved mechanical properties as determined by uniaxial tensile testing.

Surface chemistry and topography of biomaterials play …

Development And Characterization Of Plga And Eptfe Blood Vessel Mimics Using Gene Expression Analysis, Michael Gibbons, Sarah Ur

Biomedical Engineering

Tissue engineered blood vessels (TEBV’s) have the potential to act not only as a replacement for diseased vessels, but also as a testing platform for intravascular devices such as stents. To this end, the goal of this study was to develop protocols for the construction of TEBV’s composed of human vascular cells and either expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) or poly-lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA), as well as a protocol for gene expression in those TEBV’s. Initial experiments involved only human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC’s), but after low cell confluency and spreading in single-sodded vessels a second cell type, human umbilical vein smooth …

Engineering Of Polyamidoamine (Pamam) Dendrimers For Gene And Drug Delivery, Quan Yuan

Theses and Dissertations

Dendrimers are a class of polymers with a highly branched, three-dimensional architecture composed of an initiator core, several interior layers of repeating units and multiple surface groups. They have been recognized as the most versatile compositionally and structurally controlled nanoscale building blocks throughout the fields of engineering, materials science, chemistry, and biology, and they have been widely investigated for drug and gene delivery. Polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers have inherent properties for gene delivery because of their high buffering capacity, polycationic surface and numerous surface groups for biofunctionlization. This dissertation is organized into four independent sections. The first section investigates a series …

Cell Adhesion And Migration On Ndga Cross-Linked Fibrillar Collagen Matrices For Tendon Tissue Engineering, Ana Ysabel Rioja

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Tendons, essential tissues that connect muscles to bones, are susceptible to rupture/degeneration due to their continuous use for enabling movement. Often surgical intervention is required to repair the tendon; relieving the pain and fixing the limited mobility that occurs from the damage. Unfortunately, post-surgery immobilization techniques required to restore tendon properties frequently lead to scar formation and reduced tendon range of motion. Our ultimate goal is to create an optimal tendon prosthetic that can stabilize the damaged muscle-bone connection and then be remodeled by resident cells from the surrounding tissues over time to ensure long-term function. To achieve this, we …

Micropatterned Electrospun Nanofibrous Substrates As Scaffolds For Engineered Salivary Glands, David Alexander Soscia

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The salivary gland is a complex organ exhibiting a branching, 3-dimensional structure made up of acinar (saliva-producing), and ductal (saliva transporting and modifying) epithelial cells. The high surface area of the gland allows it to efficiently provide the mouth with saliva, maintaining oral cleanliness and comfort. Salivary gland hypofunction, a significant clinical problem often caused by the autoimmune disease Sjögren's syndrome or head and neck radiation for cancer patients, affects millions of Americans and is characterized by a loss of function of salivary gland acinar cells. Chronic xerostomia, or dry mouth, arises as a result of salivary gland hypofunction and …