Biomedical subjects

Derick C Miller

Publications and source records attributed to Derick C Miller.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2005

Mechanism(s) of increased vascular cell adhesion on nanostructured poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) films.

Studies have shown that poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) films with nanometer surface features promote vascular endothelial and smooth muscle cell adhesion. The objective of this in vitro research was to begin to understand the mechanisms behind this observed increase in vascular cell adhesion. Results provided evidence that nanostructured PLGA adsorbed significantly more vitronectin and fibronectin from serum compared to conventional (or those not possessing nanometer surface features) PLGA. When separately preadsorbing both vitronectin and fibronectin, increased vascular smooth muscle and endothelial cell density was observed on nanostructured (compared to conventional) PLGA. Additionally, blocking of cell-binding epitopes of fibronectin and vitronectin significantly decreased vascular cell adhesion on nanostructured (compared to conventional) PLGA. For this reason, results of the present in vitro study demonstrated that cell adhesive proteins adsorbed in different quantities and altered bioactivity on nanostructured compared to conventional PLGA topographies, which (at least in part) may account for the documented increased vascular cell adhesion on nanostructured PLGA. In this manner, this study continues to provide evidence for the promise of nanostructured PLGA in vascular tissue engineering applications.

Absorbable Implants↗

PubMed2004

Decreased fibroblast cell density on chemically degraded poly-lactic-co-glycolic acid, polyurethane, and polycaprolactone.

Select prolonged functions of fibroblasts leading to extensive fibrous tissue encapsulation can be detrimental to numerous implant applications, including materials designed for the bladder, vasculature, and bone. Specifically, overextended functions of fibroblasts at the tissue-implant interface for orthopedic applications lead to callus formation, fibrous encapsulation events, and ultimately soft (not desirable hard-bony) tissue juxtaposition. Such events result in insufficient regeneration of bone and compromise the overall success of the implant. The objective of the present in vitro study was to determine, for the first time, fibroblast densities on NaOH-treated poly-lactic-co-glycolic acid co-polymers (PLGA), HNO(3)-treated polyurethane (PU), and NaOH-treated polycaprolactone (PCL). Previous studies have demonstrated increased bladder, vascular, and bone cell densities on chemically treated compared to unaltered PLGA, PU, and PCL films. Results of this study provided evidence of decreased fibroblast numbers on chemically treated PLGA, PU, and PCL after time periods of up to 5 days. Examination of these substrates revealed that all chemically modified polymers possessed a high degree of nanometer surface roughness compared to their respective unaltered polymers. In contrast, other material properties (such as chemistry and wettability) were different when comparing chemically treated PLGA, PU, and PCL films. Since fibroblasts are anchorage-dependent cells whose adhesion is a critical prerequisite to the prolonged, extensive formation of a fibrous-tissue containing extracellular matrix, the present in vitro results of decreased fibroblast densities on chemically degraded PLGA, PU, and PCL suggest that these materials may be suitable materials for numerous tissue-engineering applications and, thus, deserve further investigation.

Absorbable Implants↗

PubMed2004

Endothelial and vascular smooth muscle cell function on poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) with nano-structured surface features.

Biomaterials that successfully integrate into surrounding tissue should match not only the tissue's mechanical properties, but also its topography. The cellular response to a biomaterial may be enhanced in synthetic polymer formulations by mimicking the surface roughness created by the associated nano-structured extra-cellular matrix components of natural tissue. As a first step towards this endeavor, the goal of the present in vitro study was to use these design parameters to develop a synthetic, nano-structured, polymeric biomaterial that promotes cell adhesion and growth for vascular applications. In a novel manner, poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) (50/50wt% mix) was synthesized to possess a range (from micron to nanometer) of surface features. Reduction of surface features was accomplished by treating conventional PLGA with various concentrations of NaOH for select periods of time. Results from cell experiments indicated that, compared to conventional PLGA, NaOH treated PLGA enhanced vascular smooth muscle cell adhesion and proliferation. However, PLGA prepared by soaking in NaOH decreased endothelial cell adhesion and proliferation compared to conventional PLGA. After further investigation, this finding was determined to be a result of chemical (and not topographical) changes during polymer synthesis. Surface chemistry effects were removed while retaining nano-structured topography by using polymer/elastomer casting methods. Results demonstrated that endothelial and smooth muscle cell densities increased on nano-structured cast PLGA. For these reasons, the present in vitro study provided the first evidence that nano-structured surface features can significantly improve vascular cell densities; such design criteria can be used in the synthesis of the next-generation of more successful tissue-engineered vascular grafts.

Animals↗

PubMed2003

Nano-structured polymers enhance bladder smooth muscle cell function.

It is the hypothesis of the present study that a biocompatible material which mimics the nanometer topography of native bladder tissue will enhance cellular responses and lead to better tissue integration in vivo. Previous in vitro studies have verified the ability to successfully reduce the surface feature dimensions of poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) and poly(ether urethane) (PU) films into the nanometer regime via chemical etching procedures. Results from these studies also provided the first evidence that bladder smooth muscle cell adhesion was enhanced on chemically treated nano-structured polymeric surfaces compared to their conventional counterparts. Although cell adhesion is necessary for a biomaterial's success, subsequent cell functions (such as long-term cell growth and proliferation) are also critical for tissue ingrowth and long-term implant survival. The present in vitro study, therefore, investigated the function of bladder smooth muscle cells on these novel, nano-structured polymers over the expanded periods of 1, 3 and 5 days. Results indicated that cell number was influenced by both surface roughness and surface chemistry changes; the important contributor, however, was increased nanometer surface roughness. This claim is supported by the fact that cell number was enhanced on nano-structured compared to conventional PLGA and PU once chemistry changes were eliminated using casting techniques.

Animals↗