Biomaterials Commons^™

Investigating The Effects Of Collagen Alignment And Tricalcium Phosphate Incorporation On Osteoblast Cell Response, Kathryn Elizabeth Bock

Theses and Dissertations

Every year, over 20 million people globally are affected by bone tissue loss due to disease or trauma. Bone tissue engineering (BTE) is touted as a promising approach to promote bone tissue repair and regeneration. In this realm, development of collagen-based scaffolds incorporated with a bioceramic is often attempted to generate tissue scaffolds that resemble the organic and inorganic composition of native bone. In addition, a variety of different collagen processing techniques have been employed to produce anisotropically aligned scaffolds that can provide the essential biochemical and structural cues to guide cell response. While there have been numerous studies on …

Cellulose Materials For Drug Delivery Applications, Reham Mohamed

Mechanical Engineering Theses

Non-healing wounds are a growing global public health concern due to inadequate or ineffective therapeutic products available. Cellulose-based biopolymers are attractive wound dressing materials due to their biocompatibility, biodegradability, non-toxicity, and cost-effectiveness. This study aims to design and fabricate solid dosage formulations using carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and ethyl cellulose (EC) to facilitate multi-stage releases of phenytoin (PHT) and tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH) from plain carriers, fibers/films composites, and layer-by-layer fiber composites. Results from in vitro drug release assays demonstrated a time-dependent release up to 8 hours from PHT-loaded EC fibers, while TCH-loaded CMC films exhibited a rapid release within 5 minutes. …

Engineering Of Functionalized Carbon Nano-Onions Embedded Bsa Nanocomposite Fibers For Stimuli-Responsive Drug Release, Ramiro Manuel Velasco Delgadillo, Narsimha Mamidi

Research Symposium

Background: Advanced drug delivery systems (DDSs) have received enormous attention in biomedical applications due to their pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic drug properties. For the present study, poly 4-hydroxyphenyl methacrylate (PHPMA)/CNOs (f-CNOs) inserted bovine serum albumin (BSA) nanofibers were prepared for stimuli-responsive release of Doxorubicin (DOX). Temperature and pH would be altered to study the release of DOX in acidic microenvironments.

Methods: PHPMA were coupled with COOH-CNOs via ester coupling via the sonochemical method to produce PHPMA-CNOs (f-CNOs). Then, f-CNOs/DOX embedded BSA nanofibers were prepared at room temperature using Forcespinning. UV spectra of DOX-loaded nanofibers were studied to investigate the …

Engineered Exosomes For The Multimodal Imaging Directed Photo-Immunotherapy Of Colorectal Cancer, Deepak S. Chauhan, Meena Jaggi, Subhash C. Chauhan, Murali M. Yallapu

Research Symposium

Background: Rio Grande Valley experience severe cancer health disparity. A novel therapeutic modality may serve as better therapeutic option. Nanohybrids endowed with multifunctionality, longer circulation time, large surface area have emerged as an active preference for cancer research. However, rising concern of nanomaterials toxicity and scalability issues has slowed their translation to clinics. Exosomes (Exo) are endogenous endocytic origin 40-100 nm vesicles found in various body fluids, which in comparison to synthetic nanoparticles, are biodegradable, highly biocompatible as well as immunocompatible in nature. Although bulk isolation of exosomes from human body fluids is still a problem and engineering of exosomes …

Improving Peripheral Nerve Regeneration Through Rehabilitation And Biomaterial-Based Drug Delivery Strategies, Yunfan Kong

Theses & Dissertations

Peripheral nerve injury (PNI) is a common problem worldwide, with trauma being a common cause. PNI can lead to loss of sensory and motor functions, chronic neuropathic pain, and mental health issues, significantly impacting patients' family life, work, and social situation. Recent studies revealed that beyond the topical injury site at peripheral nerves, PNIs can also induce dysfunctions in the central nervous system (CNS) by causing maladaptive plasticity, which will result in exaggeration and exacerbation of the pathological condition caused by primary injuries. The common therapy strategies for PNI treatment are using sutures, nerve autografts or conduits in cases requiring …

Development Of Air-Jetting System For Bioprinting Of Alginate Micro-Droplets, Nathan Lingenfelter

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Transplantation of organoids has been demonstrated to be a promising cure to many diseases including Type-1 diabetes. However, achieving consistent and robust derivations of mature organoids from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) is challenging. Cellular mechano-transduction, where mechanical stimuli is sensed and converted to biochemical signaling, has been proposed to overcome this challenge. This pathway relies on encapsulating hPSCs in a small volume of a biomaterial such as alginate, which has been widely used as cell encapsulation materials due to its biocompatibility and selective permeability. In this project, we focused on developing an air-jetting based technique to generate small and …

Prevention And Reversal Of Elastin-Associated And Phosphate-Dependent Arterial Calcification Using Targeted Nanotherapeutics In Pre-Clinical Models, Fatema Tuj Zohora

All Dissertations

Vascular calcification can be life-threatening, involving calcium phosphate crystal deposits in the blood vessels. The calcification in the intimal layer of the arterial wall is usually associated with atherosclerotic plaque build-up that, in the advanced stage, harbors ‘dispersed’ and ‘spotty’ deposits of calcium phosphate crystals in the necrotic core of the plaque. In contrast, medial arterial calcification (MAC) can form independently of atherosclerosis and appears as ‘Railroad-like’ calcific deposits along degraded elastin lamellae in the medial layer of arteries. The mechanisms of such elastin-associated medial arterial calcification and potential therapies are the key concerns of this dissertation. MAC is common …

In Vitro And In Vivo Diabetic Models For Assessment Of Tissue Engineered Vascular Grafts, Juan Carlos Carrillo Garcia

All Dissertations

Diabetes has become one of the leading causes of lower-limb loss worldwide. Every 30 seconds, a person loses a limb due to diabetic-related vascular complications. About one-third of patients needing lower-limb bypass surgery have debilitated autologous vessels unsuitable for use, and no other good long-term options are available. These detrimental effects on the vasculature are caused mainly by the hyperglycemic and hyperlipidemic conditions derived from diabetes. Under these conditions, an increase in advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and reactive oxygen species leads to irreversible crosslinks of extracellular matrix proteins, accelerating vascular pathology through vascular stiffening, endothelial dysfunction, inflammation, atherosclerosis, fibrosis, …

Fungi In Flux | Designing Regenerative Materials And Products With Mycelium, Arvind Bhallamudi

Masters Theses

As the world grapples with the escalating crisis of climate threats and environmental degradation, this research delves into the synergistic potential of design and biology, developing safe and sustainable materials for applications in prototyping, furniture and interior design. Harnessing the power of a unique organism - fungi, the study proposes an accessible, efficient, and resilient material resource system. It utilizes local waste streams and mycelium (the vegetative part of fungi) to grow functional structures. An experimental and small-scale protocol is modeled by testing bio-fabrication and bio-printing methods. The composites' performance qualities and characteristics are evaluated through mechanical testing and a …

Development Of Non-Viral Nano-Carriers For Gene Delivery And Covid-19 Vaccines, Zhongyu Li

Dissertations

Gene therapy is one of the most promising medical fields with the potential to effectively advance the treatment of difficult diseases by producing therapeutic proteins or repairing defective gene sequences. However, gene therapy presents severe challenges in delivery including renal clearance, phagocytosis, enzymatic degradation, protein absorption, and cellular internalization barriers, which have been barriers for translation into the clinic. Naked nucleic acids, with their intrinsic negative charge, electrostatically repulse the anionic cell membrane, preventing cellular uptake. Also, they are considered foreign genetic material when introduced into the body and are rapidly cleared by the reticuloendothelial system or degraded by nucleases, …

The Biological Activity Of Dual-Responsive Glycopolymers For Intracellular Codelivery Of Antigen And Lipophilic Adjuvant, Micaela Shields

Honors Theses

Subunit vaccines present themselves as an attractive alternative to traditional approaches to vaccines, which utilizes whole organisms to trigger an immune response. While these traditional approaches have proven themselves reliable within the history of vaccinations, they generally deliver subpar robust cellular-mediated immunity and pose many safety risks. Composed of proteins and /or peptides, subunit vaccines are safer and more precise alternatives to traditional approaches. However, the pharmacokinetic properties of the macromolecules that make up these vaccines hinder the subunit vaccine’s level of immunogenicity [d1] Examples of this hindrance include but are not limited to aggregation at the injection site and …

The Antler: The Design And Development Of An Independent Shower Support Stand For Those Living With Lower Extremity Limb Loss, Kylie Wright

Honors Theses

While we do not often think about it, taking a shower is a privilege. Standing in the hot water, cleaning off after a long day outdoors, and taking a moment to simply relax is an experience that most people in the U.S. have participated in. However, about 1.4 million Americans do not have this luxury3. Lower extremity amputees have long been advised to shower while seated for their safety. This population is unable to experience the simple independence that accompanies standing in the shower. Despite the growing rate of amputations each year, no products are currently available on the market …

Soil Respiration Measurements Reveal High Retention Of Organic Carbon From Corn Residue Derived High-Lignin Fermentation Byproduct Enabling Sustainable Lignocellulosic Biofuel Production, Michelle Sun Wang

Dartmouth College Master’s Theses

While 2G biofuel production can utilize non-edible, lignocellulosic feedstocks such as agricultural residues to produce liquid fuel, harvesting crop residues is unsustainable without careful management of the soil underneath. By harvesting a fraction of the crop residues left in the field after harvest, soil health can diminish and critically, the soil organic carbon (SOC) stored in agricultural fields can decrease. Currently, in the most popular 2G process models published, the issue of soil degradation remains unresolved with residue harvest strategies receiving considerable attention in the literature and other SOC management strategies receiving far less. Specifically, the strategy of returning the …

Study Of The Stability Of Heparin/Collagen Layer-By-Layer Coatings, Hector M. Apodaca Reyes

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Pairing heparin with collagen-based medical implants has opened a whole new area of research for enhancing the desired effect of current implants. In fact, heparin (HEP) and collagen (COL) layer-by-layer (LbL) coatings have shown impressive results in forming polyelectrolyte multilayers. It has been already seen on skin grafts, nerve guide conduits (NGCs), and drug delivery devices yielding promising results. Due to being a simple, cost-efficient, and versatile option to fabricate thin biomimetic films, this self-assembly technique is one of the most effective methods to immobilize extracellular matrix (collagen and heparin) onto medical devices and implants. Even though previous studies have …

A Magneto-Rheological Platform To Dynamically Control Afterload In Engineered Micro Heart Muscles, David Schuftan

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death is the United States, accounting for nearly 1 in 5 deaths. Many types of cardiovascular disease are linked to the mechanical forces placed on the heart. However, how these mechanical forces exactly affect the cellular biology of the heart is not well defined. In vitro models using cardiomyocytes derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells enable researchers to develop medium throughput systems to study cardiac mechanobiology at the cellular level. Previous models have been developed to enable the study of mechanical forces such as cardiac afterload. However, most of these models require …

Comparing Firocoxib And Meloxicam In The Application Of Microneedle Patch For Transdermal Drug Delivery, Ruohan Li

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis compares the performance of meloxicam and firocoxib in the aspects of its physical characteristic, chemical compositions, and in-vitro performances for transdermal pain management microneedle patches on farm animals. The microneedle patches are composed of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), type I collagen (COL), and chitosan (CHI) as base material that carries NSAIDs to achieve therapeutic purposes. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was utilized to observe the morphological and physical characteristics of the microneedle patches. Both meloxicam and firocoxib microneedle patches were successfully prepared using the methodology, with organized microneedle distribution and sizing. And Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) confirmed the chemical …

3d Printing With Photopolymerizable Polyester Resins For Resorbable Medical Device Applications, Mathew Murphy Stanford

All Dissertations

In the past decade, the healthcare industry has seen a significant increase in the use of additive manufacturing (AM or “3D printing”) with subsequent improvement in clinical outcomes.As an exceptional AM technology, vat-photopolymerization (VP), often called stereolithography, can create complex structures and has thus been adopted for a range of biomedical applications including surgical guides, temporary implants, and resorbable tissue scaffolds.However, limitations remain in the availability of photopolymerizable resin materials with appropriate mechanical performance, biodegradability, and biocompatibility for application to resorbable medical devices.

The objective of this work was to employ novel photopolymerizable polyester-based macromers in the development of resorbable …

Polymeric Biomaterials Approaches For Engineering The In Vitro Cellular Microenvironment For Mscs, Mahsa Letter-Mahsa Haseli

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Cell therapy is a technology that relies on replacing diseased or dysfunctional cells with healthy functioning ones. One of the cells used for such advanced therapies are stem cells, owing to their ability to differentiate into specific cells required for repairing damaged or defective tissues or cells. The majority of cell-based products are intended to transiently persist in the patient, secreting factors which then allow the patient’s body to heal; in these products, the cells are subsequently eliminated from the body. Furthermore, unique manufacturing platforms, in addition to novel commercialization strategies, will be required to create a successful, sustainable cell …

Laser Inscribed Graphene Aptasensor For Detection Of Apple Stem Pitting Virus, Yifan Tang

All Theses

Apple stem pitting virus (ASPV) is a latent RNA virus that could cause significant loss to apple production; early-stage field diagnosis could reduce the economic loss caused by ASPV infection. Biosensor is a promising user-friendly detection tool that could transduce biological or chemical interactions into electric signals. Among various types of biosensors, aptasensor, which use aptamers as recognition elements show potential as a high throughput, in-field test. The goal of this thesis is to develop an electrochemical aptasensor testing system for ASPV detection. The quality control study of laser inscribed graphene (LIG) based working electrode of the biosensor was conducted …

Regenerative Medicine For Tendon/Ligament Injuries: De Novo Equine Tendon/Ligament Neotissue Generation And Application, Takashi Taguchi

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Tendon and ligament injuries are debilitating conditions across species. Poor regenerative capacities of these tissues limit restoration of original functions. The first study evaluated the effect of cellular administration on tendon/ligament injuries in horses using meta-analysis. The cellular administration was effective in restoring ultrasonographic echogenicity and increasing vascularity during early phase of healing. Additionally, it improved microstructural organization of healed tissue in terms of cellularity and fiber alignment. However, the study did not support its use for increasing rate of return to performance, expression/deposition of tendon-specific genes/proteins, or mechanical properties.

The findings led to the second study that engineered implantable …