Polylactic acid (PLA) is a versatile biopolymer. PLA is synthesized with ease from abundant renewable resources and is biodegradable. PLA has shown promise as a biomaterial in a plethora of healthcare applications such as tissue engineering or regenerative medicine, cardiovascular implants, dental niches, drug carriers, orthopedic interventions, cancer therapy, skin and tendon healing, and lastly medical tools / equipment. PLA has demonstrated instrumental importance as a three-dimensionally (3D) printable biopolymer, which has further been bolstered by its role during the Coronavirus Disease of 2019 (Covid-19) global pandemic. As an abundant filament, PLA has created desperately needed personal protective equipment (PPE) and ventilator modifications. As polymer chemistry continues to advance, so too will the applications and continued efficacy of PLA-based modalities.
Pulsed Laser Deposition method (PLD) was used to grow nitinol (NiTi) thin films with goal of investigating their biocompatibility. High purity Ni and Ti targets were alternatively ablated in vacuum with a laser beam (λ=355 nm, 10 Hz) and the material was collected on room temperature Ti substrates. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy analyses have been performed to investigate the chemical composition, crystalline structure and surface morphology of the NiTi films. The nitinol layers biocompatibility has been tested using as a metric the extent to which the cells adhere during the culture period on the surface of NiTi layers deposited on Ti substrates. Vero and fibroblast cell lines dispersed into MEM (Eagle) solution containing 8% fetal bovine serum, at 37° C, were used for tests. Preliminary studies indicate that the interaction at the interface is specifically controlled by the surface morphology, (especially by surface roughness), and by the chemical state of the surface. Cell behavior after contact with NiTi/Ti structure for different intervals (18, 22 and 25 days for the Vero cells, and after 10 and 25 days for fibroblasts) supports the conclusion that NiTi is a very good candidate as a biocompatible material.
The sophisticated organisation of the skeleton achieves a structure that can withstand the extremes of functional load‐bearing. The growth, development and repair of the skeletal structure are realised through the tightly regulated remodelling of bone tissue, orchestrated by cells that specifically form or resorb the matrix. Diseases such as osteoporosis, where bone formation is overwhelmed by bone resorption, the skeleton is at great risk of fracture. Key Concepts Bone regulates its mass and architecture to meet two critical but competing responsibilities: Structural and metabolic. Bone morphology is highly regulated, achieved by the coordinated formation of bone, by osteoblasts, and resorption of bone by osteoclasts. Bone is a composite material, with its strength coming – primarily – from the intricate integration of an organic constituent, collagen, and an inorganic component, hydroxyapatite. Skeletal tissue is comprised of two ‘types’: the dense outer shell and shafts of long bones, made of cortical bone, and the internal scaffolds of bone struts, called trabeculae. Bones are filled with marrow, which provides the niche for two critical stem cells, hematopoietic and mesenchymal stem cells, and thus the basis for the immune and regenerative capacity of the organism. The bone osteocytes, terminally differentiated osteoblasts encased in mineralized tissue, form a connective three dimensional syncytium that aids in recognition of physical signals. When functional loading increases, or decreases, osteocytes can signal to osteoblasts and osteoclasts to alter activity. Continual remodeling throughout lifespan requires that new osteoblasts and osteoclasts arise. While osteoclast activity rises during aging, the potential for osteoblast activity decreases, such that break down is greater than formation. This results in osteoporosis.
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