title: Exploring the in vitro and in vivo compatibility of PLA, PLA/GNP and PLA/CNT-COOH biodegradable nanocomposites: Prospects for tendon and ligament applications.
abstract: Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstructive surgeries are the most frequent orthopedic procedures in the knee. Currently, existing strategies fail in completely restoring tissue functionality and have a high failure rate associated, presenting a compelling argument towards the development of novel materials envisioning ACL reinforcement. Tendons and ligaments, in general, have a strong demand in terms of biomechanical features of developed constructs. We have previously developed polylactic acid (PLA)-based biodegradable films reinforced either with graphene nanoplatelets (PLA/GNP) or with carboxyl-functionalized carbon nanotubes (PLA/CNT-COOH). In the present study, we comparatively assessed the biological performance of PLA, PLA/GNP, and PLA/CNT-COOH by seeding human dermal fibroblasts (HFF-1) and studying cell viability and proliferation. In vivo tests were also performed by subcutaneous implantation in 6-week-old C57Bl/6 mice. Results showed that all formulations studied herein did not elicit cytotoxic responses in seeded HFF-1, supporting cell proliferation up to 3 days in culture. Moreover, animal studies indicated no physiological signs of severe inflammatory response after 1 and 2 weeks after implantation. Taken together, our results present a preliminary assessment on the compatibility of PLA reinforced with GNP and CNT-COOH nanofillers, highlighting the potential use of these carbon-based nanofillers for the fabrication of reinforced synthetic polymer-based structures for ACL reinforcement. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 105A: 2182-2190, 2017.
authors.affiliation: INEGI, Faculdade de Engenharia, Universidade do Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 400, Porto, 4200-465, Portugal.
authors.forename: Viviana
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Correia Pinto
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Bioquímica, Alameda Professor Hernâni Monteiro, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade do Porto, Porto, 4200-319, Portugal.
authors.forename: Raquel
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7188-645X
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Costa-Almeida
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Bioquímica, Alameda Professor Hernâni Monteiro, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade do Porto, Porto, 4200-319, Portugal.
authors.forename: Ilda
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Bioquímica, Alameda Professor Hernâni Monteiro, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade do Porto, Porto, 4200-319, Portugal.|Animal House Department, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade do Porto, Alameda Professor Hernâni Monteiro, Porto, 4200-319, Portugal.
authors.forename: Luísa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Guardão
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Bioquímica, Alameda Professor Hernâni Monteiro, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade do Porto, Porto, 4200-319, Portugal.|i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen, 208, Porto, 4200-135, Portugal.
authors.forename: Raquel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Soares
authors.affiliation: INEGI, Faculdade de Engenharia, Universidade do Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 400, Porto, 4200-465, Portugal.|DeMEC, Departamento de Engenharia Mecânica, Faculdade de Engenharia, Universidade do Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 400, Porto, 4200-465, Portugal.
authors.forename: Rui
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Miranda Guedes
mesh_terms: D020341:Absorbable Implants; D000818:Animals; D016118:Anterior Cruciate Ligament / Q000601:surgery; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000737:chemistry*; D002460:Cell Line; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002470:Cell Survival; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000166:cytology*; D006108:Graphite / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D008022:Ligaments / Q000601:surgery; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D053761:Nanocomposites / Q000737:chemistry; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon / Q000737:chemistry*; D011091:Polyesters / Q000737:chemistry*; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures; D013710:Tendons / Q000601:surgery
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon; D011091:Polyesters; C033616:poly(lactide); D006108:Graphite
keywords: anterior cruciate ligament; biodegradable polymers; carbon nanotubes; graphene nanoplatelets; poly(lactic) acid