Figure 9.5
Bacterial Nanocellulose Hydrogels Designed as Bioartificial Medical Implants 189
(a)
(b)
Figure 9.5
(See color insert.).(a).Photographs.of.BNC.hydrogels.designed.for.implantation.in.joint.cartilage..
(b).The.implant.after.manual.suturing.to.fix.it.in.defined.defects.in.the.knee.of.a.sheep.
BNC as a Vascular graft Material
The. suitability. of. BNC. combined. with. the. versatility. of. the. biofabrication.
process.make.BNC.a.strong.candidate.for.a.bioactive.implant.material.with.
a. large. scope. of. applications.. The. natural. origin,. hydrogel. character,. and.
bioactivity.of.BNC.lead.to.some.peculiarities..As.already.mentioned.in.the.
previous. section,. hydrogel. implants,. in. particular. BNC. vascular. implants,.
require. new. techniques. for. characterization.. The. standard. International.
ization.of.common.synthetic.polymer.implants.made.from.polytetrafluoroethylene.(PTFE).or.polyesters.(Dacron).cannot.be.transferred.directly.to.the.
analysis.of.BNC..Also,.since.the.in.vivo.activity.of.BNC.indicates.a.strong.
interaction.with.the.components.of.the.living.body.and.a.distinct.alteration.
of. the. prosthesis. after. implantation,. characterization. of. ex. vivo. explants.
will.have.to.be.performed.instead.of.or.in.combination.with.in.vitro.tests..
Considerable. research. and. development. efforts. by. our. interdisciplinary.
team.of.chemists,.biologists,.polymer.and.materials.scientists,.and.surgeons.
have.been.directed.at.the.design.of.blood.vessel.implants.of.different.inner.
diameters. and. lengths,. from. microvessels. up. to. vascular. grafts. with. the.
potential.to.be.used.for.coronary.bypass.
Atherosclerotic. vascular. diseases,. such. as. coronary. artery. disease. and.
peripheral.vascular.disease,.are.still.the.leading.cause.of.mortality.in.industrialized. Western. societies.. Despite. the. widespread. use. of. synthetic. grafts.
in. cardiovascular. surgery,. PTFE. and. Dacron. may. still. induce. a. low-level.
foreign.body.reaction.and.chronic.inflammation,.and.as.artificial.materials,.
opment.of.BNC.tubular.implants.represents.an.innovative.approach.to.overcome.reconstructive.problems.associated.with.extended.vascular.diseases,.
especially.by.providing.small-caliber.vascular.grafts.
Bacterial Nanocellulose Hydrogels Designed as Bioartificial Medical Implants 189
(a)
(b)
Figure 9.5
(See color insert.).(a).Photographs.of.BNC.hydrogels.designed.for.implantation.in.joint.cartilage..
(b).The.implant.after.manual.suturing.to.fix.it.in.defined.defects.in.the.knee.of.a.sheep.
BNC as a Vascular graft Material
The. suitability. of. BNC. combined. with. the. versatility. of. the. biofabrication.
process.make.BNC.a.strong.candidate.for.a.bioactive.implant.material.with.
a. large. scope. of. applications.. The. natural. origin,. hydrogel. character,. and.
bioactivity.of.BNC.lead.to.some.peculiarities..As.already.mentioned.in.the.
previous. section,. hydrogel. implants,. in. particular. BNC. vascular. implants,.
require. new. techniques. for. characterization.. The. standard. International.
ization.of.common.synthetic.polymer.implants.made.from.polytetrafluoroethylene.(PTFE).or.polyesters.(Dacron).cannot.be.transferred.directly.to.the.
analysis.of.BNC..Also,.since.the.in.vivo.activity.of.BNC.indicates.a.strong.
interaction.with.the.components.of.the.living.body.and.a.distinct.alteration.
of. the. prosthesis. after. implantation,. characterization. of. ex. vivo. explants.
will.have.to.be.performed.instead.of.or.in.combination.with.in.vitro.tests..
Considerable. research. and. development. efforts. by. our. interdisciplinary.
team.of.chemists,.biologists,.polymer.and.materials.scientists,.and.surgeons.
have.been.directed.at.the.design.of.blood.vessel.implants.of.different.inner.
diameters. and. lengths,. from. microvessels. up. to. vascular. grafts. with. the.
potential.to.be.used.for.coronary.bypass.
Atherosclerotic. vascular. diseases,. such. as. coronary. artery. disease. and.
peripheral.vascular.disease,.are.still.the.leading.cause.of.mortality.in.industrialized. Western. societies.. Despite. the. widespread. use. of. synthetic. grafts.
in. cardiovascular. surgery,. PTFE. and. Dacron. may. still. induce. a. low-level.
foreign.body.reaction.and.chronic.inflammation,.and.as.artificial.materials,.
opment.of.BNC.tubular.implants.represents.an.innovative.approach.to.overcome.reconstructive.problems.associated.with.extended.vascular.diseases,.
especially.by.providing.small-caliber.vascular.grafts.