Our study represents a first step in understanding the possibilities of the MSC approach to treatment of alkali injuries of the cornea and shows that such an approach improves clinical outcomes and leads to better prognosis.

Scaffolds and implants in orthopaedics and regenerative dentistry usually fail because of bacterial infections. A promising solution would be the development of biomaterials with both significant regenerative potential and enhanced antibacterial activity. Working towards this direction, fluorapatite was synthesised and doped with Sr2+ and Ce3+ ions in order to tailor its properties. After experiments with four common bacteria (i.e. E. Coli, S. Aureus, B. Subtilis, B. Cereus), it was found that the undoped and the Ce3+ doped fluorapatites present better antibacterial response than the Sr2+ doped material. The synthesised minerals were incorporated into chitosan scaffolds and tested with Dental Pulp Stem Cells (DPSCs) to check their regenerative potential. As was expected, the scaffolds containing Sr2+-doped fluorapatite, presented high osteoconductivity leading to the differentiation of the DPSCs into osteoblasts. Similar results were obtained for the Ce3+-doped material, since both the concentration of osteocalcin and the RUNX2 gene expression were considerably higher than that for the un-doped mineral. Overall, it was shown that doping with Ce3+ retains the good antibacterial profile of fluorapatite and enhances its regenerative potential, which makes it a promising option for dealing with conditions where healing of hard tissues is compromised by bacterial contamination.

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Background and Objective: Peripherally inserted central catheters (PICC) and umbilical venous catheters (UVC) are frequently used for vascular access in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). While there is a significant need for these devices for critically ill neonates, there are many complications associated with their use. We aimed at investigating the incidence of UVC and PICC complications in very low birth weight (VLBW) infants. Materials and Methods: This is an observational study performed with neonates of the tertiary General Hospital of Piraeus, Greece, during an 18 month-period. Seventy-one neonates were recruited and divided into two groups: 34 neonates with PICC and 37 neonates with UVC. We recorded: Catheter dwell time, the causes of catheter removal, other complications, infections, and catheter tip colonization rates. Results: No significant statistical differences were noticed between the 2 study groups with regards to demographic characteristics, causes for catheter removal, catheter indwelling time or the incidence of nosocomial infection. Eleven UVC tips and no PICC tips were proved colonized (p = 0.001) following catheter removal. Conclusions: The incidence of complications associated with the use of UVCs and PICCs in VLBW infants did not significantly differ in our study. Their use seems to be equally safe. Further studies, with larger samples, are necessary to confirm our results.

In the present study, a chitosan (CS) derivative with the 2-(Methacryloyloxy)ethyl]dimethyl-(3-sulfopropyl)ammonium hydroxide (SDAEM) zwitterionic monomer was prepared through chemical modification. The successful synthesis of CS-SDAEM was confirmed by Fourier-transform Infrared (FTIR) and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (1H-NMR) spectroscopies. Its crystallinity was studied by X-ray Diffraction (XRD), while in vitro cytotoxicity and cell viability assays established its biocompatibility. Filtered fresh pomegranate juice (PJ) was loaded in nanoparticles of neat CS and its derivative via ionic gelation method. Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) revealed nanoparticles sizes varying between 426 nm and 4.5 μm, indicating a size-dependence on the polymer concentration used during encapsulation. High-performance liquid chromatography coupled with photodiode array and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry detection (LC-PDA-ESI/MS) revealed that PJ active compounds were successfully and in sufficient amounts encapsulated in the nanoparticles interior, whereas XRD indicated a crystalline structure alteration after nanoencapsulation. The resulted PJ-loaded nanoparticles were further utilized for the preparation of innovative O/W cosmetic emulsions. All produced emulsions exhibited good pH and viscosity stability for up to 90 days, while the sun protection factor (SPF) was enhanced due to the presence of the PJ. Enhanced antioxidant and antimicrobial properties due to the phenolic compounds of PJ were also observed.

Poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) is a bioresorbable synthetic polyester with numerous biomedical applications. PCL membranes show great potential in guided tissue regeneration because they are biocompatible, occlusive and space maintaining, but lack osteoconductivity. Therefore, two different types of mesoporous bioactive glasses (SiO2-CaO-P2O5 and SiO2-SrO-P2O5) were synthesized and incorporated in PCL thin membranes by spin coating. To enhance the osteogenic effect of resulting membranes, the bioglasses were loaded with the bisphosphonate drug ibandronate prior to their incorporation in the polymeric matrix. The effect of the composition of the bioglasses as well as the presence of absorbed ibandronate on the physicochemical, cell attachment and differentiation properties of the PCL membranes was evaluated. Both fillers led to a decrease of the crystallinity of PCL, along with an increase in its hydrophilicity and a noticeable increase in its bioactivity. Bioactivity was further increased in the presence of a Sr substituted bioglass loaded with ibandronate. The membranes exhibited excellent biocompatibility upon estimation of their cytotoxicity on Wharton’s Jelly Mesenchymal Stromal Cells (WJ-SCs), while they presented higher osteogenic potential in comparison with neat PCL after WJ-SCs induced differentiation towards bone cells, which was enhanced by a possible synergistic effect of Sr and ibandronate.

The use of the axillary vein as a site of insertion of a PICC line was correlated with significantly less complications in premature newborns as opposed to the other sites of insertion.

Poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) is a bioresorbable synthetic polyester widely studied as a biomaterial for tissue engineering and controlled release applications, but its low bioactivity and weak mechanical performance limits its applications. In this work, nanosized bioglasses with two different compositions (SiO2–CaO and SiO2–CaO–P2O5) were synthesized with a hydrothermal method, and each one was used as filler in the preparation of PCL nanocomposites via the in situ ring opening polymerization of ε-caprolactone. The effect of the addition of 0.5, 1 and 2.5 wt % of the nanofillers on the molecular weight, structural, mechanical and thermal properties of the polymer nanocomposites, as well as on their enzymatic hydrolysis rate, bioactivity and biocompatibility was systematically investigated. All nanocomposites exhibited higher molecular weight values in comparison with neat PCL, and mechanical properties were enhanced for the 0.5 and 1 wt % filler content, which was attributed to extensive interactions between the filler and the matrix, proving the superiority of in situ polymerization over solution mixing and melt compounding. Both bioglasses accelerated the enzymatic degradation of PCL and induced bioactivity, since apatite was formed on the surface of the nanocomposites after soaking in simulated body fluid. Finally, all samples were biocompatible as Wharton jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cells (WJ-MSCs) attached and proliferated on their surfaces.