Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT) is a private university located in&nbsp;Tamil Nadu, India. Founded in 1984, as Vellore Engineering College, the institution offers 20 undergraduate, 34 postgraduate, four integrated and four research programs. It has campuses in Vellore, Amravati, Bhopal and Chennai.

VIT is one of the top ranked private universities in India according to NIRF, THE and QS Rankings.&nbsp;Govt. of India has recognized&nbsp;VIT, Vellore as an&nbsp;Institution of Eminence. This has allowed VIT to take independent quality initiatives and move up in world ranking.

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VIT University

Centre for Biomaterials, Cellular and Molecular Theranostics

Nanofiber composite materials play an important role in tissue engineering (TE) and regenerative medicine, mimicking the structure and properties of the extracellular matrix at nanoscale. They serve as scaffolds for cells, as carriers for various biomolecules (e.g., drugs, genes, and soluble factors), and as injectable biomaterials in TE and regenerative medicine. Clinical and preclinical studies of nanofiber composite materials have recently emerged to further develop therapeutic applications of these materials. Topics of these studies range from tissue regeneration and wound healing to biosensing and monitoring, demonstrating the great promise of nanofiber composites for a wide variety of clinical applications. This book chapter describes the characteristics and applications of nanofiber composite materials in clinical and preclinical studies. Results of relevant research are highlighted and potential research directions are discussed. © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

World University root node

Vellore Campus

Nanofiber Composites for Biomedical Applications

Clinical/preclinical aspects of nanofiber composites

Stem cells have the ability to sense their microenvironment and respond to them accordingly; therefore, cellular functions of these stem cells can be regulated or controlled by manipulating their microenvironment. Controlling the interactions between biomaterials and stem cells is a critical factor for exploring the complete potential of biomaterials in the field of stem cell-based tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Surface functionalization or modification paves a way for tailoring the biomaterial's surface in accordance to the physiological surrounding of the living cells; thereby, enhancing structure and functions of engineered tissues and organs. There are a variety of methods and technologies available to modify the surface of biomaterials depending on the manner the cell or tissue properties needs to be regenerated. This book chapter reviews current trends in various surface modification techniques concerning the surface treatment of engineered biomaterials along with the biological relevance of the surface functionalized biomaterials in the context of stem cell research. Authors have also discussed about the challenges related to surface functionalization and understanding the interactions between the implants and stem cell. © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Biology and Engineering of Stem Cell Niches

Surface Functionalization of Biomaterials

The water soluble mixed ligand complexes [Cu(nal)(diimine)(H2O)](ClO4) 1–4, where H(nal) is nalidixic acid and diimine is 2,2′-bipyridine (1), 1,10-phenanthroline (2), 5,6-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline (3), and 3,4,7,8-tetramethyl-1,10-phenanthroline (4), have been isolated. The coordination geometry around Cu(II) in 1 and that in the Density Functional Theory optimized structures of 1–4 has been assessed as square pyramidal. The trend in DNA binding constants (Kb) determined using absorption spectral titration (Kb: 1, 0.79 ± 0.1 &lt; 2, 1.06 ± 0.1 &lt; 3, 1.79 ± 0.2 &lt; 4, 1.84 ± 0.2 × 105 M− 1) is in line with that (Kapp) determined by competitive ethidium bromide binding studies. The large red-shift (10 nm) observed for 2 suggests that the phen co-ligand is stacked with a frayed DNA base pair. In contrast, 3 and 4 are involved in intimate hydrophobic interaction with DNA through the methyl substituents on phen ring, which is supported by viscosity and protein binding studies. DNA docking studies imply that 4 is involved preferentially in DNA major groove binding while 1–3 in minor groove binding and that all the complexes, upon removing the axially coordinated water molecule, bind in the major groove. Interestingly, 3 and 4 display prominent double-strand DNA cleavage while 1 and 2 effect only single-strand DNA cleavage in the absence of an activator. The complexes 3 and 4 show cytotoxicity higher than 1 and 2 against human breast cancer cell lines (MCF-7). The complex 4 induces apoptotic mode of cell death in cancer cells. © 2017 Elsevier Inc.

Journal of Inorganic Biochemistry

DNA and protein binding, double-strand DNA cleavage and cytotoxicity of mixed ligand copper(II) complexes of the antibacterial drug nalidixic acid

Advanced ceramic materials like sintered and presintered zirconia are frequently used in biomedical applications, where minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) assisted grinding is required to achieve a good surface finish instead of conventional flood coolant. However, insufficient cooling and wheel clogging are the major problems that exist in the MQL grinding process, which depends upon the type of work piece material and the grinding wheel being used. The present study is to determine the performance of the grinding wheels on presintered zirconia under MQL conditions in terms of grinding forces, specific energy, surface integrity, and wheel wear. Experiments are conducted with two different types of grinding wheels as silicon carbide (SiC) and diamond grinding wheels under the same condition. The results indicated that the diamond wheel provided a better surface finish and reduced tangential force under MQL condition, compared to the conventional SIC wheel. This was due to the reduction of wheel loading in the diamond grinding wheel. The specific energy of diamond grinding wheel was reduced with higher material removal rate compared to the conventional SiC wheel. The ground surfaces generated by the diamond grinding wheel showed fine grinding marks with better surface finish. The percentage of G-ratio calculated for the diamond wheel was higher than the SiC wheel by 77%. This was due to the sliding of the grains and less wheel loading in the diamond wheel. The cost difference between the corresponding wheels was discussed to improve the productivity of the grinding process. Copyright © 2017 by ASME.

Journal of Manufacturing Science and Engineering, Transactions of the ASME

Performance of diamond and silicon carbide wheels on grinding of bioceramic material under minimum quantity lubrication condition

Amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP) is an essential mineral phase found in human bone which acts as a precursor for the hydroxyapatite apatite. In the present study, ACP was synthesized from eggshells, a natural resource of calcium, by rapid precipitationmethod under controlled experimental conditions. X-ray diffraction pattern confirmed the amorphous nature of the egg shell derived ACP (EACP). Infrared spectroscopy showed a single peak without splitting in the region of 600-500 cm-1 corresponding to P-O anti-symmetric bending mode which also indicates lack of crystallinity in EACP nanoparticles. EACP analysis using transmission electron microscopy indicates nanosized particles with needle shaped morphology compared to spherical shape ACP nanoparticles formed using synthetic calcium nitrate. Presence of minor amount of Mg, Sr, Si and Na ions inherited from the eggshell in EACP was also confirmed by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy. As these ions are also crucial for bio-mineralization of eggshell and needle morphology is similar to the morphology of apatite present in human bone, the EACP may have beneficial role in various bone tissue engineering applications. © 2017 American Scientific Publishers.

Journal of Bionanoscience

Bone mineral-like nanoscale amorphous calcium phosphate derived from egg shells

Among the nanofiber composites reported to date, metallic nanofiber composites have a significant role in biomedical applications owing to their reasonable mechanical and physicochemical properties. This book chapter describes the research and developments related to metallic nanofiber composites including synthesis, characterization, and simulations. Furthermore, the potential biomedical applications of metallic nanofiber composites are also discussed in detail. In addition, it also highlights the research challenges, technical limitations, and future perspectives. © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Metallic nanofiber composites

With the onset of hyperthermia and their advantage in increasing vascular perfusion and permeability in the cancer milieu, thermo-responsive polymers have become an attractive candidate for designing therapeutic nano-vehicles for targeted on-demand delivery of bioactive agents. For this purpose, we developed a dual (thermo- and pH-) responsive nanotherapeutic composite system rendering a combinational therapy of hyperthermia mediated drug delivery. This composite system comprises of magnetic chitosan-g-PNVCL (MCP) polymeric nanogels loaded with anticancer drug, Doxorubicin (DOX). The size distribution and the stability of the MCP nanogels have been characterized using DLS and Zeta-potential studies. XRD and TG-DTA confirms the presence of magnetic nanoparticles loaded onto MCP nanogel. ICP-AES analysis was done to determine the amount of iron content in the MCP nanogels. The magnetic property of the MCP nanogels was estimated to be ∼37 emu/g using Vibrating Sample Magnetometer (VSM). The heating ability of MCP nanogels was calculated to be ∼204 W/g for the concentration of 2 mg/mL using time-dependent Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) method. Magnetic field induced thermo-responsive and pH responsive drug release studies were carried out and it was found that MCP nanogels have a good on-demand drug release properties. The DOX-MCP nanogels were evaluated for its in vitro killing efficacy of breast cancer cells MCF 7 and MDAMB 231 cells with synergistic effects of both hyperthermia and chemotherapy in presence of magnetic field at the concentration of 2 mg/mL. Thus, MCP nanogels can be a potential dual modal on-demand hyperthermia mediated drug delivery platform for the breast cancer treatment. © 2017

Colloids and Surfaces B: Biointerfaces

Dual responsive magnetic composite nanogels for thermo-chemotherapy

Complete restoration or regeneration of damaged cartilaginous tissues is a strenuous process. Due to the lack of vascularity and the confinement of chondrocytes within lacunae, thus limiting their migration ability, cartilage tissues lack the natural regenerative properties of other tissues (skin and bone). To overcome this natural inability, in recent years scaffold-based tissue engineering has emerged as a vital approach for repairing or regenerating damaged or injured cartilage tissues. Within this regime, the development of biomimetic and advanced scaffolds for replacing the natural cartilage tissue has gained a lot of attention. Nanofiber composites closely resemble the natural extracellular matrix and can support cell proliferation and direct differentiation while new tissue is formed, making them the popular material choice for scaffolds. The fibrous component improves the mechanical and surface properties, whereas the other constituents such as polymer, ceramic, metal, quantum dots, etc., provide biocompatibility and better functionality. However, these composite scaffolds can be made tissue-specific by further physical or chemical modifications. The objectives of this chapter are to describe the various important parameters for the development of nanofiber composites such as material options, fabrication techniques, surface modifications, growth factors, and cell sources, and examining their biological relevance for cartilage tissue engineering applications. For the benefit of readers, a brief introduction to the structure and function of the articular cartilage is also provided. © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nanofiber composites in cartilage tissue engineering

The advantage of nanomaterials in the biomedical field can be explored through the use of nanofibers designed using biocompatible and biodegradable polymers. Owing to their versatility and unique properties, nanofibers have attracted the biomedical community for their applications in tissue engineering, drug delivery, gene therapy, and cell therapy. For tissue engineering applications, nanofibers can be explored as scaffolds due to their potential to mimic the native extracellular matrix (ECM) collagen structure of the cell niche/microenvironment. In natural systems, the ECM not only provides the topographical cues but also offers various biochemical signals to regulate the cell's fate and functions. Therefore, to completely mimic the natural microenvironment, these nanofibrous scaffolds needs to provide a critical signaling environment that can regulate the resident cell behavior and destiny. Composite nanofibers reinforced with various biomolecules like growth factors, cytokines, small molecules, etc. have recently emerged as a solution for completely mimicking the natural microenvironment. The unique advantages of nanofibers such as high surface area, interconnected pores, porosity, etc. have been explored for its use in the delivery of drug molecules, genes (RNA, DNA), and living cells, for various biomedical applications. This chapter essentially describes the various ways of forming biomolecule composite nanofibers, associated characterization techniques, and different release mechanisms with the focus on composite nanofibers and nanoparticles in biomolecular delivery. For the benefit of readers, authors have briefly explained the applications of composite nanofibers as well as nanoparticles for the biomolecule delivery in different biomedical fields along with their clinical status and their future perspectives. © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

VIT Unitversity

Nanofiber composites in biomolecular delivery*Short-term project student of CSCR.#Authors have equal contribution.

Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS) is commonly characterized by a triad of features including multiple seizure types, intellectual disability or regression. LGS type of seizures is epilepsy which is due to abnormal vibrations occurring in seizures. During the time of such abnormal vibrations, both the seizures and the lungs suffer a lack in oxygen content to a considerable extent. This results in prolonged vibrations and loses of nervous control. As a neuro-lung protective strategy, a novel attempt has been made to enrich both seizures and lungs with oxygen content through the support of Perfluorodecalin (an excellent oxygen carrier) C10F18 (PFD) and Perfluorohexane C6F14 (PFH) along with an enhancement in the antiepileptic activity by the two chosen antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) Carbamazepine (CBZ) and Benzodiazepine (BDZ). Perfluorodecalin C10F18 (PFD) and Perfluorohexane C6F14 (PFH) emulsions were prepared by sonication process with combination of nonionic emulsifier, Lecithin (L-α-phosphatidylcholine) as a surfactant in Aqueous phase medium. These emulsions were mixed with Carbamazepine (CBZ) and Benzodiazepine (BDZ) drugs maintained at a temperature of about −20 °C to 20 °C and were set to slow evaporation process. The products are subjected to Optical microscope, Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) – Energy dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS). Study reveals the co-existence of fluorine and drug ensuring the oxygen uptake by the drug. Morphology of TEM, Optical microscopic images and the particle diameter estimated through Image_J confirms this analysis. © 2017 Elsevier Ltd