PLA Applications

Poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA) is a biodegradable synthetic polyester synthesized by polymerization or polycondensation. PLLA hydrolytically degrades into lactic acid, a biocompatible metabolic by-product, making it suitable for clinical applications. PLLA scaffolds or nanofibers have been used in various regenerative medicine and drug delivery applications. These scaffolds impart biocompatible properties of high surface area, hydrophobicity, native extracellular properties, and mechanical strength for an organ system...

Polymeric nanoparticles (NPs) derived from self-assemblies of amphiphilic polymers have demonstrated great potentials in clinical applications. However, there are challenges ahead. Notably, immunotoxicity remains as a major roadblock that deters the NPs further applications. Studies suggested that the hydrophobic component is a primary cause, yet biocompatible hydrophobic carbohydrate-based polymers may help mitigate this issue. Herein we design and synthesize novel NP systems having glucose poly(orthoesters) hydrophobic scaffold and polyethylene glycol (PEG) hydrophilic shell...

BACKGROUND: Personalized medicines are becoming more popular as they enables the use of patient's genomics and hence help in better drug design with fewer side effects. In fact several doses can be combined into one dosage form which suits the patient's demography. 3 Dimensional (3D) printing technology for personalized medicine is a modern day treatment method based on genomics of patient. METHODS: 3D printing technology uses digitally controlled devices for formulating API and excipients in a layer by layer pattern for developing a suitable personalized drug delivery system as per the need of patient...

The aim of this work was to study the properties of polylatic acid/polyamide 11 (PLA/PA11) blends compatibilized with a multifunctionalized epoxide, Joncryl® , and to evaluate the performance of such blends processed by Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) 3D printing, compared to those produced by injection molding method. Blends containing different Joncryl contents from 0.5 to 3 wt% were prepared by twin-screw extrusion. Evaluation of thermal, rheological and mechanical properties of such blends proved that Joncryl acted as a compatibilizer...

The paper presents the results of studies related to the impact of functional additives in the form of polylactide (PLA), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), and keratin hydrolysate (K) on the physical characteristics of biopolymer foils. TPS granulate was obtained using a TS-45 single-screw extruder with L/D = 16. Foil was produced with the use of an L/D = 36 extruder with film-blowing section. The impact of the quantity and type of the functional additives on the processing efficiency and energy consumption of granulate extrusion, as well as the physical characteristics of the foil produced: thickness, basis weight, and colour were determined...

OBJECTIVES: Dietary nitrate (NO3 - ) supplementation and ischaemic preconditioning (IPC) can independently improve exercise performance. The purpose of this study was to explore whether NO3 - supplementation, ingested prior to an IPC protocol, could synergistically enhance parameters of exercise. DESIGN: Double-blind randomized crossover trial. METHODS: Ten competitive male cyclists (age 34±6years, body mass 78.9±4.9kg, V⋅O2peak 55±4 mLkgmin-1 ) completed an incremental exercise test followed by three cycling trials comprising a square-wave submaximal component and a 16...

Bio-based poly(lactic acid) (PLA) foams show broad application prospects. However, PLA exhibits poor foaming ability and controllability due to its low melt strength and slow crystallization rate. The commonly used methods for enhancing the foaming ability of PLA easily harm its biodegradability and biocompatibility. This paper proposed a green strategy to regulate the cellular structure of PLA foams based on pre-isothermal cold crystallization. Before foaming, a pre-isothermal treatment was applied to control the crystallization of PLA, and the induced crystals were utilized to enhance melt strength and cell nucleation...

3D printing technology has allowed the creation of custom applicators for high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy, especially for complex anatomy. With conformal therapy comes the need for advanced dosimetric verification. It is important to demonstrate how dose to 3D printed materials can be related to dose to water. This study aimed to determine dose differences and uncertainties using 3D printed PLA and ABS plastics for Radiochromic film calibration in HDR brachytherapy.Gafchromic EBT3 film pieces were irradiated in water with an Ir-192 source at calculated dose levels ranging from 0 to 800 cGy, to create the control calibration curve...

Following the publication of this paper, the authors have realized that two out of the three of the authors' address affiliations were not presented correctly. Essentially, the information provided in the first and third address affiliations was confused (and there is no third address affiliation applicable to this study), and the Chinese People's Liberation Army Hospital for the first affilation was presented incorrectly with a Weifang address. In spite of these errors in the affiliations, note that the corresponding author's address featured in the Correspondence box was presented correctly in the paper...

HYPOTHESIS: In the last years, several cost-effective technologies have been investigated to functionalize textile substrates for large scale applications and industrial production. However, several limitations of currently used technologies still restrict the capability to form functional coatings finely controlling the textile surface properties and topographic structure of the coatings at sub-micrometric scale. EXPERIMENTS: Herein, we introduced a new non-conventional electrofluidodynamic technology - based on the use of electrostatic forces to polymer/composite solutions - for the application onto textile fabrics of functional coatings...

Biocompatible scaffolds have been used to promote cellular growth and proliferation in order to develop grafts, prostheses, artificial skins and cartilage. Electrospinning is widely studied as a method capable of producing nanofibers which enables cell attachment and proliferation, generating a functional scaffold that is suitable for many types of organs or tissues. In this study, electrospinning was used to obtain core-shell and monolithic fibers from the biocompatible poly (lactic acid) and poly (vinyl alcohol) polymers...

Defects in bones can be caused by a plethora of reasons, such as trauma or illness, and in many cases, it poses challenges to the current treatment approaches for bone repair. With increasing demand of bone bioengineering in tissue transplant, there is a need to source for sustainable solutions to induce bone regeneration. Polymeric biomaterials have been identified as a promising approach due to its excellent biocompatibility and controllable biodegradability. Specifically, poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) is one of the most commonly investigated polymer for use in bio-related application due to its bioinertness and versatility...

PURPOSE: The purpose of this investigation is to determine the effects of different forms of a CHO MR on quadriceps muscle performance and corticospinal motor excitability. METHODS: Ten subjects (5 females, 5 males; 25±1 years; 1.71±0.03 m 73±5 kg) completed 4 trials. A different MR condition was applied during each trial (Placebo (PLA), 6.4% glucose (GLU), 6.4% maltose (MAL), 6.4% maltodextrin (MDX)). Maximal voluntary contraction (MVIC) of the right quadriceps and motor-evoked potential (MEP) of the right rectus femoris was determined pre (10 min), immediately after, and post (10 min) MR...

Biodegradable poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(-lactic acid) (PEG- b -PLA) nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared by nanoprecipitation with controlled dimension and with different electric charges, as monitored by dynamic light scattering (DLS). Then NPs were loaded within hydrogels (HG) developed for biomedical applications in the central nervous system, with different pore sizes (30 and 90 nm). The characteristics of the resulting composite hydrogel-NPs system were firstly studied in terms of ability to control the release of small steric hindrance drug mimetic...

OBJECTIVE: Explored the application and diagnostic value of high-resolution CT in the process of lymphocytic interstitial pneumonia clinical diagnosis, and analyzed one case of CT-guided percutaneous lung biopsy lymphocytic interstitial pneumonia. METHODS: The medical record of a patient with lymphocyte interstitial pneumonia (LIP) who came to the clinic on 2014-04-22 were analyzed and summarized retrospectively. RESULTS: The patient is a 55 years old female farmer...

When considering the clinical applications of autologous cell replacement therapy of human iPSC-derived cells there is a clear need to better understand what the immune response will be before we embark on extensive clinical trials to treat or model human disease. We performed a detailed assessment comparing human fibroblast cell lines (termed F1) reprogrammed into human iPSC and subsequently differentiated back to fibroblast cells (termed F2) or other human iPSC-derived cells including neural stem cells made from either retroviral, episomal or synthetic mRNA cell reprogramming methods...

3D bioprinting aims to create custom scaffolds that are biologically active and accommodate the desired size and geometry. A thermoplastic backbone can provide mechanical stability similar to native tissue while biologic agents offer compositional cues to progenitor cells, leading to their migration, proliferation, and differentiation to reconstitute the original tissues/organs1 , 2 . Unfortunately, many 3D printing compatible, bioresorbable polymers (such as polylactic acid, PLA) are printed at temperatures of 210 °C or higher - temperatures that are detrimental to biologics...

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of dexmedetomidine as a basic analgesic sedative for patients with radiofrequency ablation of liver tumors. Methods: A total of 443 liver cancer patients underwent percutaneous radiofrequency ablation in the 302 Hospital of PLA from January 2015 to December 2016 were retrospectively studied. The experimental group was dexmedetomidine group, with a total of 165 cases. The control group was pethidine group with a total of 278 cases. The indexes of systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, heart rate and respiratory rate of two groups were collected before and after operation, and the VAS score and incidence of nausea and adverse reactions were recorded...

Electrospinning provides a simple robust method to manufacture scaffolds for tissue engineering applications. Though varieties of materials can be used, optimization and biocompatibility tests are required to provide functional tissue regeneration. Moreover, many studies are limited to 2D electrospun constructs rather than 3D templates due to the production of high density packed fibres, which result in poor cell infiltration. Here, we optimised electrospinning parameters for three different polymers: poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL), polylactic acid (PLA) and poly(ethylene oxide terephthalate)/poly(butylene terephthalate) (PA) copolymers...

Polymer nanoparticles (NPs) represent one of the most innovative non-invasive approaches for drug delivery applications. NPs main objective is to convey the therapeutic molecule be they drugs, proteins, or nucleic acids directly into the target organ or tissue. Many polymers are used for the synthesis of NPs and among the currently most employed materials several biocompatible synthetic polymers, namely polylactic acid (PLA), poly lactic- co -glycolic acid (PLGA), and polyethylene glycol (PEG), can be cited...