Themed collection Bio-inspired and natural materials

Guest editors Jennie B. Leach and Molly S. Shoichet introduce this Journal of Materials Chemistry B themed issue on Bio-inspired and Natural Materials.

The most commonly used tissue engineering approach includes the ex vivo combination of site-appropriate cell(s) and scaffold material(s) to create three-dimensional constructs for tissue replacement or reconstruction. Biologic scaffold materials facilitate endogenous cell recruitment.

Novel methods to endow cell-responsiveness into hydrogels are explored and successful work is summarized.

Bone defects can originate from a variety of causes, including trauma, cancer, congenital deformity, and surgical reconstruction. Success of the current “gold standard” treatment (i.e., autologous bone grafts) is greatly influenced by insufficient or inappropriate bone stock.

While in the past hyaluronic acid (HA) was considered a passive structural component, research over the past few decades has revealed its diverse and complex biological functions resulting in a major ideological shift. This review describes recent advances in biological interactions of HA with neural stem cells, with a focus on leveraging these interactions to develop advanced biomaterials that aid regeneration of the central nervous system.

Synthesis and design of biologically inspired biocompatible iron oxide nanoparticles.

Because current cell sheet-based blood vessels lack biomimetic structure and require excessively long culture times that may compromise smooth muscle cell phenotype, we modified a cell culture platform with thermoresponsive copolymers to allow intact cell sheet detachment after uniaxial conditioning.

Patterning of encapsulated MSCs for the spatio-temporal guidance of angiogenesis for modelling and design of therapeutic biomaterials.

Sustained and localized delivery of siRNA from photocrosslinked dextran hydrogels can enhance human mesenchymal stem cell osteogenesis.

Theta-gels are hydrogels that form during the solidification and phase separation of two dislike polymers, in which a low molecular weight polymer behaves as a porogen and is removed through dialysis.

Shear-thinning hyaluronic acid hydrogels based on modifications of β-cyclodextrin and adamantane were developed for the tunable, sustained release of small molecules, through regulation of cyclodextrin content and affinity for cyclodextrin.

Microparticles fabricated with more highly sulfated heparin species are able to release bioactive bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2), making these microparticles a promising method for growth factor delivery.

In this report, we show the tissue healing capacity for solely conductive scaffolds composed of fibrin and/or hyaluronic acid and compared them to scaffolds that deliver a proangiogenic protein signal.

Surface-initiated assembly is used to engineer laminin nanofibers that spontaneously adopt a helical conformation.

Control over burst release from SDF-1α-loaded PLGA nanoparticles when embedded in varying densities of fibrin matrices using specific protein/protein interactions.

Polyethylene–glycol–carbon nanotube composite was developed where carbon nanotubes altered the hydrogel mechanical and physical properties and aided neuronal cell viability.

Controlled oxygen levels and mechanical properties in hydrogels provide cellular cues.

In situ crosslinking provides a method to crosslink gelatin during electrospinning enabling tunable degradation rates and displaying improved fiber morphology retention after implantation.

Develop a scaffold consisting of aligned, drug releasing nanofiber to serve as a replacement for damaged dura mater.

Cell-encapsulating microbeads containing a biomimetic chondroitin sulfate–chitosan polyelectrolyte complex for cartilage tissue engineering.

This work evaluates the response of human aortic endothelial cells (HAECs) to thromboresistant collagen-mimetic hydrogel coatings.

Brown and beige adipose tissues have a significant capacity for energy expenditure that may be exploited as a treatment for obesity and metabolic disease.