OU - BME 3233 Biomaterials Reviews
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This collection of review papers is an ongoing product by students of the BME 3233 Biomaterials class. Every semester, students choose a topic on Biomaterials and collect literature related to state-of-the-art technologies, analyze it, and create reports targeted to the general public. These reviews are supervised by Dr. Handan Acar, instructor of the class, and are curated and prepared for public release by Seren Hamsici (TA, Fall 2020).
Please contact Dr. Handan Acar (hacar@ou.edu) for any question/ comment about the articles.
Please contact Dr. Handan Acar (hacar@ou.edu) for any question/ comment about the articles.
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Undergraduate Open Access Soft Robotics in Medicine(5/4/21) Donaldson, AnthonyRobots are seeing increasing integration into the medical field, but they are often limited by their size, lack of flexibility, and other intrinsic impediments. However, an area of recent interest, soft robotics, has the potential to overcome these limitations, as soft robots are inherently flexible and compliant. These traits allow them to effectively navigate tight spaces and complex geometry, such as the interior of the human body. Additionally, the lack of distinction between structural members and actuators displayed by soft robots allows for a great deal of customization in their structure and function, with their so-termed soft actuators having a wide variety in composition and mode of activation. As such, it is conceivable that these soft robots, given enough time and research, will be able to solve many issues facing the medical field, such as targeted or sustained drug release, and improve many areas of medicine, through applications such as minimally invasive surgeryUndergraduate Open Access Mechanical Properties of Biomaterials Used in Total Hip and Knee Arthroplasty(5/4/21) Kenney, Sarah; Garner, ChristianTotal hip and knee arthroplasty (THA and TKA) represent two of the most successful operations in orthopedics. For a total hip or knee prosthesis to function successfully, it must transfer mechanical loads up to seven times the individual’s body weight from the axial skeleton to the lower extremities with minimal friction and wear. This is achieved by constructing prostheses from integrated components of different mechanical properties: a shock-absorbing and low-friction interface between the native joint and implant; a harder and stronger piece supporting the deformable interface, and an anchor securing the implant and transferring loads to the native bone. As early as the 1960s, polymers such as ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) were known to perform successfully at the joint-implant interface. Both ceramics and metals have historically been used for the main support of the implant, although metals and especially titanium alloys have taken preference in recent years. Recently, a flood of innovations has allowed material scientists to maximize the mechanical properties of these materials to increase mechanical strength, adjust elasticity, and improve biocompatibility. These innovations include the development of metal alloys and ceramic composites, reinforcement with carbon nanotubes and hydroxyapatite, antioxidant doping, gamma radiation-induced crosslinking, and bioactive coatings. Today, not only the mechanical properties but also the wear resistance and osseointegration of total hip and knee implants are far improved. This has led to better mechanical and physiological integration of the implants with the body and the necessary durability for younger patients’ more active lifestyles. In this paper, these innovations will be explored within the framework of implant mechanics to provide a comparative assessment of current materials’ mechanical capabilities, advantages, and disadvantages.Undergraduate Open Access Nano-Polymeric Biomaterials Used in Cancer Drug Delivery(5/4/21) Knox, Meagan L.; Schuppel, Matthew W.Cancer drug delivery therapy has become an increasingly researched field. Between the understanding of how nanomedicine can be used in cancer therapies, and the needs of a polymer to deliver drugs to targeted organs and cells, nanopolymers are being used in this field to increase the efficacy of cancer treatments. To use an effective treatment, there must first be an understanding of the inefficiencies of the conventional approaches such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery. The properties of an efficient nanopolymer can then be addressed in its degradation properties, bioactivity, bioavailability, biocompatibility, and targeting mechanisms. The use of polymeric micelles, carbon nanotubes, liposomes, dendrimers, etc. have been used in nanomedicine as effective polymers for drug delivery. Modifying these polymers as in PLGA, PEG, and other inorganic polymers has created an environment optimal for loading drugs and incorporating them into cancerous cells. Testing the use of these polymers has decreased the toxicity of the drug therapy and increased the efficiency of nanopolymer treatments. The discussion of the use of polymers in cancer drug delivery and the types of polymers leads to the conclusion that nanopolymers are increasingly being used for cancer therapy and finding significant results in their efficacy. Increasing use of drugs such as paclitaxel loaded into one of the nanopolymers previously mentioned is becoming a method of cancer therapy worth incorporating into practice due to the efficiencies of this cancer treatment.Undergraduate Open Access Moving Towards Functional Renal Bioprinting(5/4/21) Thomas, Emily; Mettenbrink, Evan3D bioprinting technologies are rapidly developing and provide a platform for manufacturing structures that mimic the in vivo environment. Recent research aims to produce 3D bioprinted structures that recapitulate both in vivo structure and functionality. Advancements in both producing high fidelity and functional structures pave the way for full organ bioprinting. Full organ bioprinting holds promise for patients facing renal diseases given both the limited availability of donor kidneys for transplantation which offers the highest quality of life for patients facing renal failure. While the generation of a fully functional bioprinted kidney is a long-term goal, the first step is generating bioprinted functional renal tissue. Functional bioprinted renal tissue may pave the way for full scale organ printing and may offer a more accurate in vitro model for testing the renal toxicity of newly developed therapeutics which holds promise given the limitations of current preclinical in vivo and in vitro models to accurately predict renal toxicity of newly developed therapeutics in humans. Recent work showcases advancements toward renal bioprinting and advancements in the field of bioprinting more broadly may provide opportunities for advancement in renal bioprinting.This review aims to cover recent advances in renal bioprinting and opportunities for innovation. The review seeks to address the mechanical, biological and translational aspects of bioprinting functional renal tissue through an overview of recent advancements (last 5 years) in developing bioinks, utilizing existing 3D bioprinting methods to produce high fidelity printed structures, supporting viability, cell adhesion, cell distribution, functionality and vascularization, and considering important translational aspects of renal bioprinting including larger-scale printing,clinical potential, and prospects towards whole organ generation.