Nanocarbon-Enforced Anisotropic MusCAMLR for Rapid Rescue of Mechanically Damaged Skeletal Muscles

Abstract

Mechanical damages to skeletal muscles could be detrimental to the active work hours and lifestyle of athletes, mountaineers, and security personnel. In this regard, the slowness of conventional treatment strategies and drug-associated side effects greatly demand the design and development of novel biomaterials, which can rescue such mechanically damaged skeletal muscles. To accomplish this demand, we have developed a musculoresponsive polymer–carbon composite for assisting myotubular regeneration (MusCAMLR). The MusCAMLR is enforced to attain anisotropic muscle-like characteristics while incorporating a smartly passivated nanoscale carbon material in the PNIPAM gel under physiological conditions as a stimulus, which is not achieved by the pristine nanocarbon system. The MusCAMLR establishes a specific mechanical interaction with muscle cells, supports myotube regeneration, maintains excellent mechanical similarity with the myotube, and restores the structural integrity and biochemical parameters of mechanically damaged muscles in a delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) rat model within a short period of 72 h. Concisely, this study discloses the potential of smartly passivated nanocarbon in generating an advanced biomaterial system, MusCAMLR, from a regularly used polymeric hydrogel system. This engineered polymer–carbon composite reveals its possible potential to be used as a nondrug therapeutic alternative for rescuing mechanically damaged muscles and probably can be extended for therapy of various other diseases including muscular dystrophy.

In situ carbonization metamorphoses porous silica particles into biodegradable therapeutic carriers of lesser consequence on TGF-β1 mediated fibrosis

“…12 Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), n -tridecane, and non-porous particles ( d = ∼800 nm) previously synthesized by a Stöber procedure were treated with the addition of ammonium hydroxide, containing ammonium fluoride, at 90 °C while being stirred at 240–280 rpm. 13 For the synthesis of Si-P-CNPs, a suspension of carbon nanoparticles (CNPs), which was already prepared using a previously established protocol, 14,15 was added during the synthesis of silica nonporous structures. Similar reaction conditions were used to those generally used for synthesis of a nonporous silica core covered with a silica shell, with MCM-41 (Mobil Composition of Matter-41) type mesopores on the surface.…”