Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) is a popular material used to prepare nanoparticles for drug delivery. However, PLGA nanoparticles lack desirable attributes including active targeting abilities, resistance to aggregation during lyophilization, and the ability to respond to dynamic environmental stimuli. To overcome these issues, we fabricated a nanoparticle consisting of a PLGA core encaps...

Structural characterization of poly-l-lactic acid (P(L)LA) and poly(glycolic acid) (PGA) oligomers containing three units was carried out with an atomistic approach. Oligomer structures were first optimized through quantum chemical calculations, using density functional theory (DFT); rotational barriers concerning dihedral angles along the chain were then investigated. Diffusion coefficients of...

By using interdigital microfluidic reactors, monodisperse poly(d,l lactic-co-glycolic acid) nanoparticles (NPs) can be produced in a continuous manner and at a large scale (~10 g/h). An optimized synthesis protocol was obtained by selecting the appropriated passive mixer and fluid flow conditions to produce monodisperse NPs. A reduced NP polydispersity was obtained when using the microfluidic p...

Scaffolds are materials used for delivery of cells for regeneration of tissues. They support three-dimensional organization and improve cell survival. For the repair of small skeletal muscles, injections of small volumes of cells are attractive, and injectable scaffolds for delivery of cells offer a minimally invasive technique. In this study, we examined in vitro the cell instructive effects o...

Chondral or osteochondral defects are still controversial problems in orthopedics. Here, chondrocytes labeled with magnetic nanoparticles were cultivated on a biphasic, type II collagen-chitosan/poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) scaffold in an attempt to develop cultures with trackable cells exhibiting growth, differentiation, and regeneration. Rabbit chondrocytes were labeled with magnetic nanopar...

PURPOSE The influence of the pore size of biodegradable poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) scaffolds on bone regeneration was investigated. METHODS Cylindrical poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) scaffolds were implanted into a defect in the tibial head of rats. Pore sizes of 100-300, 300-500, and 500-710 μm were tested and compared to untreated defects as control. Two and four weeks after implantation,...

In this study, we investigate the fabrication of 3D porous poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) scaffolds using the thermally-induced phase separation technique. The current study focuses on the selection of alternative solvents for this process using a number of criteria, including predicted solubility, toxicity, removability and processability. Solvents were removed via either vacuum freeze-d...

Current research efforts are focused on the application of growth factors, such as glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), as neuroregenerative approaches that will prevent the neurodegenerative process in Parkinson's disease. Continuing a previous work published by our research group, and with the aim to overcome different limitations r...

In 2001 the European Environment Agency (EEA) published a report that analyzed 14 cases of technological developments that later on turned out to have negative side-effects and they identified 12 “late lessons” for current and future policy-makers to bear in mind when initiating new technological endeavors. This paper explores how the first lesson – “Acknowledge and respond to ignorance, uncert...