BACKGROUND Long-term patency of conventional synthetic grafts is unsatisfactory below a 6-mm internal diameter. Poly(epsilon-caprolactone) (PCL) is a promising biodegradable polymer with a longer degradation time. We aimed to evaluate in vivo healing and degradation characteristics of small-diameter vascular grafts made of PCL nanofibers compared with expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) gr...

Hearing accompanies us everywhere and it is our relationship with the environment. Without it we cannot understand the beauty of music, the voice vibrations of loved ones and especially the dangers which lurk us everywhere in this industrialized world. For the deaf people hearing aid represents their best friend and hearing implants that become part of their own body, even more. Since 1952, whe...

This study reports on the cellular uptake of folate tethered micelles using a branched skeleton of poly(ethylene glycol) and poly(ε-caprolactone). The chemical structures of the copolymers were characterized by proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Doxorubicin (DOX) was utilized as an anticancer drug. The highest drug loading efficiencies o...

A study of the H-bonding between poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) in the presence of supercritical carbon dioxide at various temperatures, pressures, different M(w) of PEG and PVP and different PEG/PVP ratios is presented. In situ attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy was used to investigate H-bonding by examining changes in the...

Annonaceous acetogenins (ACGs) have shown superior antitumor activity against a variety of cancer cell lines, but their clinical application has been limited by their poor solubility. In this study, ACGs-nanosuspensions (NSps) were successfully prepared by a precipitation ultrasonic method using monomethoxypoly (ethylene glycol)2000-poly (ε-caprolactone)2000 (mPEG2000-PCL2000) as a stabilizer. ...

Electrospinning is an effective technique to prepare non-woven fibrous formulations with interesting properties that enable the encapsulation of various pharmaceutical agents. Targeted delivery of drugs, while preventing any side effects or toxicity, still remains a challenge, especially in the cardiovascular field and therefore, nano/ submicron fibers created by electrospinning have been inves...

Escalating prevalence estimates of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among recently returning Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation Enduring Freedom (OIF/OEF) veterans highlight the need for early detection and management for reducing chronic m ental illness an d disability. Because PTSD and chronic pain are common comorbid conditions among veterans, PTSD screening within specialty clinic settin...

We have developed a method to create longitudinally oriented channels within poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (pHEMA) hydrogels for neural tissue engineering applications. Incorporated into an entubulation strategy, these scaffolds have the potential to enhance nerve regeneration after transection injuries of either the spinal cord or the peripheral nerve by increasing the available surface ar...