Sharif Digital Repository

One of the most arduous challenges in tissue engineering is neovascularization, without which there is a lack of nutrients delivered to a target tissue. Angiogenesis should be completed at an optimal density and within an appropriate period of time to prevent cell necrosis. Failure to meet this challenge brings about poor functionality for the tissue in comparison with the native tissue, extensively reducing cell viability. Prior studies devoted to angiogenesis have provided researchers with some biomaterial scaffolds and cell choices for angiogenesis. For example, while most current angiogenesis approaches require a variety of stimulatory factors ranging from biomechanical to biomolecular... 

Injectable hydrogels which mimic the physicochemical and electromechanical properties of cardiac tissue is advantageous for cardiac tissue engineering. Here, a newly-developed in situ forming double-network hydrogel derived from biological macromolecules (oxidized alginate (OA) and myocardial extracellular matrix (ECM)) with improved mechanical properties and electrical conductivity was optimized. 3-(2-aminoethyl amino) propyltrimethoxysilane (APTMS)-functionalized reduced graphene oxide (Amine-rGO) was added to this system with varied concentrations to promote electromechanical properties of the hydrogel. Alginate was partially oxidized with an oxidation degree of 5% and the resulting OA... 

Cardiovascular diseases are the number one cause of heart failure and death in the world, and the transplantation of the heart is an effective and viable choice for treatment despite presenting many disadvantages (most notably, transplant heart availability). To overcome this problem, cardiac tissue engineering is considered a promising approach by using implantable artificial blood vessels, injectable gels, and cardiac patches (to name a few) made from biodegradable polymers. Biodegradable polymers are classified into two main categories: natural and synthetic polymers. Natural biodegradable polymers have some distinct advantages such as biodegradability, abundant availability, and... 

In this study, conductive sodium alginate/polyaniline/graphene (PAG) NGCs were fabricated utilizing a straightforward solution extrusion method. The 4 point-probe test revealed that the addition of PAG has increased the conductivity of the NGCs up to 9.7 × 10−3 S.cm−1. The results also showed a remarkable increase in the Young modulus and SEM images revealed that the suggested process could produce NGCs continuously and uniformly with desirable porosity. The Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy spectrum proved a good interaction between PAG and the polymeric matrix. Furthermore, the addition of PAG slightly prevented biodegradation of the NGCs. Finally, the cell viability assay confirmed... 

In this study, conductive sodium alginate/polyaniline/graphene (PAG) NGCs were fabricated utilizing a straightforward solution extrusion method. The 4 point-probe test revealed that the addition of PAG has increased the conductivity of the NGCs up to 9.7 × 10−3 S.cm−1. The results also showed a remarkable increase in the Young modulus and SEM images revealed that the suggested process could produce NGCs continuously and uniformly with desirable porosity. The Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy spectrum proved a good interaction between PAG and the polymeric matrix. Furthermore, the addition of PAG slightly prevented biodegradation of the NGCs. Finally, the cell viability assay confirmed... 

In this study, the synthesis and characterization of a novel nano-porous superabsorbent hydrogel with high water swelling capacity is described. A nano-porous hydrogel was prepared by employing (2-dimethylaminoethyl) methacrylate (PDMAEMA) as a pH sensitive monomer and sodium alginate (SA) as a water soluble polysaccharide under γ-ray irradiation. The polymerization reaction was performed at room temperature in the absence of chemically toxic crosslinking agent and initiators. The interactive parameters including biopolymer backbone concentration, monomer concentration and γ-irradiation dose were selected as major factors in the synthesis of superabsorbent and three levels for each factor... 

A simple and efficient method was developed for fabricating spherical granules of CuO catalyst via a three-step procedure. In the first step, copper oxide nanoparticles were synthesized by hydrothermal decomposition of copper nitrate solution under supercritical condition. Then, they were immobilized in the polymeric matrix of calcium alginate, and followed by high-temperature calcination in an air stream as the third step, in which carbonaceous materials were oxidized, to result in a pebble-type catalyst of high porosity. The produced CuO nanoparticles were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) that revealed an average size of 5 nm, X-ray diffractometry (XRD), and thermo... 

In the article, a bilayer nanocomposite scaffold made of oxidized alginate (OAL), gelatin (G), and silk fibroin (SF) has been prepared via combining electrospinning, in situ gas foaming, in situ crosslinking and freeze drying methods. The physicochemical and mechanical properties, as well as thermal stability of the proposed composite, have been investigated by SEM, FTIR, XRD, tensile, and TGA analysis. The data indicate that structure and degree of crosslinking play a vital role in adjusting the physical and mechanical properties of composite scaffolds. Further, the authors find a favorable adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cell's (AMSC) attachment and distribution within this novel... 

Polyvinyl alcohol/sodium alginate/nano silver (PVA/SA/Ag) composite films were made by solution casting method. Gamma irradiation was used to synthesize silver nanoparticles in situ via reduction of silver nitrate without using harmful chemical agents for biomedical applications. UV-vis and XRD results demonstrated that spherical silver nanoparticles were produced even at low irradiation dose of 5. kGy. By increasing irradiation dose, more nanoparticles were synthesized while no PVA hydrogel was formed up to 15. kGy. Also the size of nanoparticles was reduced with increasing gamma dose evidenced by higher release rate of silver nanoparticles in lukewarm water and SEM images. Comparing SEM... 

Sulfur quantum dots (SQDs) were fabricated using a facile hydrothermal method and used for the preparation of functional food packaging film and compared the properties with other sulfur-based fillers like elemental sulfur (ES) and sulfur nanoparticles (SNP). The SQDs have an average size of 5.3 nm and were very stable in aqueous suspension. Unlike other sulfur-based fillers, the SQD showed high antioxidant, antibacterial and antifungal activity, but no cytotoxicity was found for L929 mouse fibroblasts even after long-term exposure of 48 h. When sulfur-based fillers were added to the alginate film, SQD was more evenly dispersed in the polymer matrix than SNP and ES. The addition of SQD to... 

Novel types of highly swelling hydrogels were prepared by grafting crosslinked polyacrylamide-co-poly-2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid (PAAm-co-PAMPS) chains onto sodium alginate (Na-Alg) through a free radical polymerization method. The superabsorbent formation was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic (FTIR). The controlled release behavior of diclofenac sodium (DS) from superabsorbent polymer was factinvestigated, and shown that the release profiles of DS from superabsorbent polymer were slow in simulated gastric fluid (SGF, pH 1.2) over 3 h, but nearly all of the initial drug content was released in simulated intestinal fluid (SIF, pH 7.4) within 21 h after... 

In the present study, alginate/cartilage extracellular matrix (ECM)-based injectable hydrogel was developed incorporated with silk fibroin nanofibers (SFN) for cartilage tissue engineering. The in situ forming hydrogels were composed of different ionic crosslinked alginate concentrations with 1% w/v enzymatically crosslinked phenolized cartilage ECM, resulting in an interpenetrating polymer network (IPN). The response surface methodology (RSM) approach was applied to optimize IPN hydrogel's mechanical properties by varying alginate and SFN concentrations. The results demonstrated that upon increasing the alginate concentration, the compression modulus improved. The SFN concentration was... 

In this study, copper oxide nano particles were synthesized by batchwise supercritical hydrothermal method. After preparation of CuO nano particles, they were immobilized into the porous matrix of sodium alginate. The drying process formed a very porous structure that is useful for enhancing of adsorption activity. Produced CuO particles were characterized by X-ray diffractometery (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and BET for measuring the surface area. The prepared materials were then used as adsorbent in the removal of toxic metal ions in aqueous solution. To optimize the adsorption system, the effect of various parameters such as adsorbent...