In this overview, we focused on the bacterial cellulose (BC) applications, described in recently published scientific papers, in the field of skin regenerative medicine and wound care industry. Bacterial cellulose was proven to be biocompatible with living tissues. Moreover, its mechanical properties and porous structure are considered to be suitable for biomedical applications. It is due to the fact that porous structure of bacterial cellulose mimics the extracellular matrix of the skin. Moreover, it can also hold the incorporated drugs and other modifiers, which can modulate its properties improving the bacterial cellulose antimicrobial activity which is rather poor for native BC. Bacterial cellulose reveals high hydrophilic properties and never dries, which is a desired property, because it was proven that wounds heal better and faster when the wound is being constantly moisturized. This characteristic of bacterial cellulose indicates that it may successfully serve as wound dressings and skin tissue scaffolds.
The widespread use of three-dimensional (3D) printing technologies in medicine has contributed to the increased demand for 3D printing materials. In addition, new printing materials that are appearing in the industry do not provide a detailed material characterization. In this paper, we present the synthesis and characterization of polycaprolactone (PCL) based medical-grade thermoplastic polyurethanes, which are suitable for forming in a filament that is dedicated to Fused Deposition Modeling 3D (FDM 3D)printers. For this purpose, we synthesized polyurethane that is based on PCL and 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) with a different isocyanate index NCO:OH (0.9:1, 1.1:1). Particular characteristics of synthesized materials included, structural properties (FTIR, Raman), thermal (differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA)), mechanical and surfaces (contact angle) properties. Moreover, pre-biological tests in vitro and degradation studies were also performed. On the basis of the conducted tests, a material with more desirable properties S-TPU(PCL)0.9 was selected and the optimization of filament forming via melt-extrusion process was described. The initial biological test showed the biocompatibility of synthesized S-TPU(PCL)0.9 with respect to C2C12 cells. It was noticed that the process of thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPU) filaments forming by extrusion was significantly influenced by the appropriate ratio between the temperature profile, rotation speed, and dosage ratio.
The possibility of using additive manufacturing (AM) in the medicine area has created new opportunities in health care. This has contributed to a sharp increase in demand for 3D printers, their systems and materials that are adapted to strict medical requirements. We described herein a medical-grade thermoplastic polyurethane (S-TPU) which was developed and then formed into a filament for Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) 3D printers during a melt-extrusion process. S-TPU consisting of aliphatic hexamethylene 1,6-diisocyanate (HDI), amorphous α,ω-dihydroxy(ethylene-butylene adipate) (PEBA) and 1,4 butandiol (BDO) as a chain extender, was synthesized without the use of a catalyst. The filament (F-TPU) properties were characterized by rheological, mechanical, physico-chemical and in vitro biological properties. The tests showed biocompatibility of the obtained filament as well as revealed no significant effect of the filament formation process on its properties. This study may contribute to expanding the range of medical-grade flexible filaments for standard low-budget FDM printers.
Construction of the urinary bladder de novo using tissue engineering technologies is the “holy grail” of reconstructive urology. The search for the ideal biomaterial for urinary bladder reconstruction has been ongoing for decades. One of the most promising biomaterials for this purpose seems to be bladder acellular matrix (BAM). In this review we determine the most important factors, which may affect biological and physical properties of BAM and its regeneration potential in tissue engineered urinary bladder. We also point out the directions in modification of BAM, which include incorporation of exogenous growth factors into the BAM structure. Finally, we discuss the results of the urinary bladder regeneration with cell seeded BAM.
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