Publications

This review evaluates the effect of magnesium (Mg)-doped coatings on the osseointegration of titanium (Ti)-based implants. The recommendations of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses and the PRISMA 2020 Statement were followed, with registration in PROSPERO (CRD42024572571). The PICOS strategy was based on population: dental implants; intervention: Mg coatings; control: surfaces without Mg; outcomes: bone-implant contact (BIC), bone area (BA), implant stability coefficient (ISQ), and removal torque (RTQ); and study Design: in vivo studies. The SYRCLE tool was used to assess the risk of bias of animal studies. Meta-analyses were performed, using a random-effect model and 95% confidence interval. Twenty-three records were included, and 21 were enrolled in the meta-analyses. The most commonly used Mg doping method was microarc oxidation. The Mg-doped coatings, significantly favored pooled BIC values in animals [-6.09 (-8.35, -3.82), I-2: 50%, p < 0.00001], especially up to 3, 4, 6, and 8 weeks compared to surfaces without Mg. Interestingly, Mg-doped coatings favored BA up to 6 weeks [-8.20 (-14.31, -2.09), I-2: 0%, p = 0.008], and RTQ up to 3 [-8.44 (-12.33, -4.56), I-2: 63%, p < 0.0001]. Conversely, it did not influence ISQ [-0.24 (-2.05, 1.58), I-2: 88%, p = 0.80]. Mg-doped coatings significantly enhanced osseointegration in dental implants by improving BIC, BA, and RTQ, while showing no impact on ISQ. Supported by studies across various animal species, these results confirm that such coatings represent an effective and safe approach for promoting bone integration.

JTD Keywords: Alloys, Bone, Bone-implant interface, Dental implant, Dental implants, Expression, Incorporated oxidized implants, Ion-implantation, Magnesium, Mg, Osseointegration, Resonance frequency measurements, Strength, Surface-chemistry

Whenever an artificial surface comes into contact with blood, proteins are rapidly adsorbed onto its surface. This phenomenon, termed fouling, is then followed by a series of undesired reactions involving activation of complement or the coagulation cascade and adhesion of leukocytes and platelets leading to thrombus formation. Thus, considerable efforts are directed towards the preparation of fouling-resistant surfaces with the best possible hemocompatibility. Herein, a comprehensive hemocompatibility study after heparinized blood contact with seven polymer brushes prepared by surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization is reported. The resistance to fouling is quantified and thrombus formation and deposition of blood cellular components on the coatings are analyzed. Moreover, identification of the remaining adsorbed proteins is performed via mass spectroscopy to elucidate their influence on the surface hemocompatibility. Compared with an unmodified glass surface, the grafting of polymer brushes minimizes the adhesion of platelets and leukocytes and prevents the thrombus formation. The fouling from undiluted blood plasma is reduced by up to 99%. Most of the identified proteins are connected with the initial events of foreign body reaction towards biomaterial (coagulation cascade proteins, complement component, and inflammatory proteins). In addition, several proteins that are not previously linked with blood-biomaterial interaction are presented and discussed.

JTD Keywords: antifouling surfaces, biosensor, blood-plasma, coagulation, coatings, compatibility, glycoprotein, hemocompatibility, identification, methacrylate), ms identification, polymer brushes, protein adsorption, surface-chemistry, Antifouling surfaces, High-density-lipoprotein, Protein adsorption

Amphiphilic block co-polymer nanoparticles are interesting candidates for drug delivery as a result of their unique properties such as the size, modularity, biocompatibility and drug loading capacity. They can be rapidly formulated in a nanoprecipitation process based on self-assembly, resulting in kinetically locked nanostructures. The control over this step allows us to obtain nanoparticles with tailor-made properties without modification of the co-polymer building blocks. Furthermore, a reproducible and controlled formulation supports better predictability of a batch effectiveness in preclinical tests. Herein, we compared the formulation of PLGA-PEG nanoparticles using the typical manual bulk mixing and a microfluidic chip-assisted nanoprecipitation. The particle size tunability and controllability in a hydrodynamic flow focusing device was demonstrated to be greater than in the manual dropwise addition method. We also analyzed particle size and encapsulation of fluorescent compounds, using the common bulk analysis and advanced microscopy techniques: Transmission Electron Microscopy and Total Internal Reflection Microscopy, to reveal the heterogeneities occurred in the formulated nanoparticles. Finally, we performed in vitro evaluation of obtained NPs using MCF-7 cell line. Our results show how the microfluidic formulation improves the fine control over the resulting nanoparticles, without compromising any appealing property of PLGA nanoparticle. The combination of microfluidic formulation with advanced analysis methods, looking at the single particle level, can improve the understanding of the NP properties, heterogeneities and performance.

JTD Keywords: controlled-release, doxorubicin, encapsulation, functional nanoparticles, nanoprecipitation, pharmacokinetics, polymeric nanoparticles, shape, surface-chemistry, Breast neoplasms, Drug carriers, Drug delivery systems, Female, Humans, In-vitro, Mcf-7 cells, Microfluidics, Nanoparticles, Polyesters, Polyethylene glycol-poly(lactide-co-glycolide), Polyethylene glycols, Polymers