Browsing by Subject "Biocompatibility"
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Item Open Access Amphiphilic peptide coated superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles for in vivo MR tumor imaging(Royal Society of Chemistry, 2016) Ozdemir, A.; Ekiz, M. S.; Dilli, A.; Güler, Mustafa O.; Tekinay, A. B.Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a noninvasive imaging technique that provides high spatial resolution and depth with pronounced soft-tissue contrast for in vivo imaging. A broad variety of strategies have been employed to enhance the diagnostic value of MRI and detect tissue abnormalities at an earlier stage. Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) are considered to be suitable candidates for effective imaging due to their small size, versatile functionality and better biocompatibility. Here, we demonstrate that coating SPIONs with proline-rich amphiphilic peptide molecules through noncovalent interactions leads to a water-dispersed hybrid system suitable as an MRI contrast agent. Cellular viability and uptake of amphiphilic peptide coated SPIONs (SPION/K-PA) were evaluated with human vascular endothelial cells (HUVEC) and estrogen receptor (ER) positive human breast adenocarcinoma (MCF-7) cells. The efficiency of SPION/K-PA as MRI contrast agents was analyzed in Sprague-Dawley rats with mammary gland tumors. MR imaging showed that SPION/K-PA effectively accumulated in tumor tissues, enhancing their imaging potential. Although nanoparticles were observed in reticuloendothelial system organs (RES) and especially in the liver and kidney immediately after administration, the MR signal intensity in these organs diminished after 1 h and nanoparticles were subsequently cleared from these organs within two weeks. Histological observations also validated the accumulation of nanoparticles in tumor tissue at 4 h and their bioelimination from the organs of both healthy and tumor-bearing rats after two weeks.Item Open Access Bioactive peptide functionalized aligned cyclodextrin nanofibers for neurite outgrowth(Royal Society of Chemistry, 2017) Hamsici, S.; Cinar, G.; Celebioglu A.; Uyar, Tamer; Tekinay, A. B.; Güler, Mustafa O.Guidance of neurite extension and establishment of neural connectivity hold great importance for neural tissue regeneration and neural conduit implants. Although bioactive-epitope functionalized synthetic or natural polymeric materials have been proposed for the induction of neural regeneration, chemical modifications of these materials for neural differentiation still remain a challenge due to the harsh conditions of chemical reactions, along with non-homogeneous surface modifications. In this study, a facile noncovalent functionalization method is proposed by exploiting host-guest interactions between an adamantane-conjugated laminin derived bioactive IKVAV epitope and electrospun cyclodextrin nanofibers (CDNFs) to fabricate implantable scaffolds for peripheral nerve regeneration. While electrospun CDNFs introduce a three-dimensional biocompatible microenvironment to promote cellular viability and adhesion, the bioactive epitopes presented on the surface of electrospun CDNFs guide the cellular differentiation of PC-12 cells. In addition to materials synthesis and smart functionalization, physical alignment of the electrospun nanofibers guides the cells for enhanced differentiation. Cells cultured on aligned and IKVAV functionalized electrospun CDNFs had significantly higher expression of neuron-specific βIII-tubulin and synaptophysin. The neurite extension is also higher on the bioactive aligned scaffolds compared to random and non-functionalized electrospun CDNFs. Both chemical and physical cues were utilized for an effective neuronal differentiation process. © The Royal Society of Chemistry.Item Open Access Biocompatibility studies on lanthanum oxide nanoparticles(Royal Society of Chemistry, 2015) Brabu, B.; Haribabu, S.; Revathy, M.; Anitha, S.; Thangapandiyan, M.; Navaneethakrishnan, K. R.; Gopalakrishnan, C.; Murugan, S. S.; Kumaravel, T. S.Lanthanum oxide nanoparticles (LONP), a rare earth metal oxide, have unique properties that make them a suitable candidate for several biomedical applications. We investigated certain key in vitro and in vivo biocompatibility endpoints on LONP. LONP were cytotoxic in in vitro assays and predominantly exerted their action via release of reactive oxygen species. These nanoparticles were neither irritants nor sensitizers in a rabbit model. LONP extracts did not exert any acute systemic toxicity effects in mice. On the other hand LONP exerted toxicity to the liver following oral administration, suggesting that these particles are absorbed from the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and deposited in the hepatobiliary system. LONP did not induce any mutation in the Ames test both in the presence or absence of S-9. These observations provide a base line biocompatibility and toxicity data on LONP. The current findings will also be useful in defining standards for nanoparticle containing devices. © The Royal Society of Chemistry.Item Open Access Chiral ceramic nanoparticles and peptide catalysis(American Chemical Society, 2017) Jiang S.; Chekini, M.; Qu, Z.-B.; Wang Y.; Yeltik A.; Liu, Y.; Kotlyar, A.; Zhang, T.; Li, B.; Demir, Hilmi Volkan; Kotov, N. A.The chirality of nanoparticles (NPs) and their assemblies has been investigated predominantly for noble metals and II-VI semiconductors. However, ceramic NPs represent the majority of nanoscale materials in nature. The robustness and other innate properties of ceramics offer technological opportunities in catalysis, biomedical sciences, and optics. Here we report the preparation of chiral ceramic NPs, as represented by tungsten oxide hydrate, WO3-x·H2O, dispersed in ethanol. The chirality of the metal oxide core, with an average size of ca. 1.6 nm, is imparted by proline (Pro) and aspartic acid (Asp) ligands via bio-to-nano chirality transfer. The amino acids are attached to the NP surface through C-O-W linkages formed from dissociated carboxyl groups and through amino groups weakly coordinated to the NP surface. Surprisingly, the dominant circular dichroism bands for NPs coated by Pro and Asp are different despite the similarity in the geometry of the NPs; they are positioned at 400-700 nm and 500-1100 nm for Pro- and Asp-modified NPs, respectively. The differences in the spectral positions of the main chiroptical band for the two types of NPs are associated with the molecular binding of the two amino acids to the NP surface; Asp has one additional C-O-W linkage compared to Pro, resulting in stronger distortion of the inorganic crystal lattice and greater intensity of CD bands associated with the chirality of the inorganic core. The chirality of WO3-x·H2O atomic structure is confirmed by atomistic molecular dynamics simulations. The proximity of the amino acids to the mineral surface is associated with the catalytic abilities of WO3-x·H2O NPs. We found that NPs facilitate formation of peptide bonds, leading to Asp-Asp and Asp-Pro dipeptides. The chiroptical activity, chemical reactivity, and biocompatibility of tungsten oxide create a unique combination of properties relevant to chiral optics, chemical technologies, and biomedicine.Item Open Access Conjugated polymer nanoparticles(2010) Tuncel, D.; Demir, Hilmi VolkanConjugated polymer nanoparticles are highly versatile nano-structured materials that can potentially find applications in various areas such as optoelectronics, photonics, bio-imaging, bio-sensing and nanomedicine. Their straightforward synthesis in desired sizes and properties, biocompatibility and non-toxicity make these materials highly attractive for the aforementioned applications. This feature article reviews the recent developments in the synthesis, characterization, properties and application of these exciting nanostructured materials.Item Open Access Cornea engineering on polyester carriers(John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2006) Zorlutuna, P.; Tezcaner, A.; Kiyat, I.; Aydınlı, Atilla; Hasirci, V.In this study, biodegradable polyester based carriers were designed for tissue engineering of the epithelial and the stromal layers of the cornea, and the final construct was tested in vitro. In the construction of the epithelial layer, micropatterned films were prepared from blends of biodegradable and biocompatible polyesters of natural (PHBV) and synthetic (P(L/DL)LA) origin, and these films were seeded with D407 (retinal pigment epithelial) cells. To improve cell adhesion and growth, the films were coated with fibronectin. To serve as the stromal layer of the cornea, highly porous foams of P(L/DL)LA-PHBV blends were seeded with 3T3 fibroblasts. Cell numbers on the polyester carriers were significantly higher than those on the tissue culture polystyrene control. The cells and the carriers were characterized scanning electron micrographs showed that the foam was highly porous and the pores were interconnected. 3T3 Fibroblasts were distributed quite homogeneously at the seeding site, but probably because of the high thickness of the carrier (∼6 mm); they could not sufficiently populate the core (central parts of the foam) during the test duration. The D407 cells formed multilayers on the micropatterned polyester film. Immunohistochemical studies showed that the cells retained their phenotype during culturing; D407 cells formed tight junctions characteristic of epithelial cells, and 3T3 cells deposited collagen type I into the foams. On the basis of these results, we concluded that the micropatterned films and the foams made of P(L/DL)LA-PHBV blends have a serious potential as tissue engineering carriers for the reconstruction of the epithelial and stromal layers of the cornea.Item Open Access Examination of fabrication conditions of acrylate-based hydrogel formulations for doxorubicin release and efficacy test for hepatocellular carcinoma cell(Taylor and Francis., 2014) Bayramoglu, G.; Gozen, Damla; Ersoy, G.; Ozalp, V. C.; Akcali, K. C.; Arica, M. Y.The objective of the present study was to develop 2-hydroxypropyl methacrylate-co-polyethylene methacrylate [p(HPMA-co-PEG-MEMA)] hydrogels that are able to efficiently entrap doxorubicin for the application of loco-regional control of the cancer disease. Systemic chemotherapy provides low clinical benefit while localized chemotherapy might provide a therapeutic advantage. In this study, effects of hydrogel properties such as PEG chains length, cross-linking density, biocompatibility, drug loading efficiency, and drug release kinetics were evaluated in vitro for targeted and controlled drug delivery. In addition, the characterization of the hydrogel formulations was conducted with swelling experiments, permeability tests, Fourier transform infrared, SEM, and contact angle studies. In these drug-hydrogel systems, doxorubicin contains amine group that can be expected a strong Lewis acid-base interaction between drug and polar groups of PEG chains, thus the drug was released in a timely fashion with an electrostatic interaction mechanism. It was observed that doxorubicin release from the hydrogel formulations decreased when the density of cross-linking, and drug/polymer ratio were increased while an increase in the PEG chains length of the macro-monomer (i.e. PEG-MEMA) in the hydrogel system was associated with an increase in water content and doxorubicin release. The biocompatibility of the hydrogel formulations has been investigated using two measures: cytotoxicity test (using lactate dehydrogenase assay) and major serum proteins adsorption studies. Antitumor activity of the released doxorubicin was assessed using a human SNU398 human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line. It was observed that doxorubicin released from all of our hydrogel formulations which remained biologically active and had the capability to kill the tested cancer cells.Item Open Access Fabrication of polymer micro needles for transdermal drug delivery system using DLP based projection stereo-lithography(Elsevier, 2016) Ali, Z.; Türeyen, E. Buğra; Karpat, Yiğit; Çakmakcı, MelihFabrication of micro needles, which reduce pain during insertion and lessen tissue injury, has recently attracted great interest. Different manufacturing systems have been utilized for the advancement of micro needles such as two-photon photo polymerization, bulk lithography, droplet-borne air blowing and injection molding [1]. This paper proposes a micro fabrication process for polymer micro needles, using DLP based projection-based stereo lithography that is capable of fabricating micro-needles using biocompatible polymers. The fabrication in the experimental setup is performed with continuous movement of the platform in the vertical direction hence good surface quality is obtained. The influence of polymerization time, light intensity of DLP projector and chemical composition of the resins on the production speed and the geometrical accuracy of the micro needles have been studied. The length and the tip diameter of the micro needle are shown to be controlled through these factors. The length and tip diameter of the fabricated micro needles were observed using SEM and optical microscope and measured to be around 520 μm and 40 μm, respectively. The results indicate that polymer micro needles with appropriate geometry can be fabricated using this technique. © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license.Item Open Access Hierarchical self-assembly of histidine-functionalized peptide amphiphiles into supramolecular chiral nanostructures(American Chemical Society, 2017) Koc, M. H.; Ciftci, G. C.; Baday, S.; Castelletto, V.; Hamley, I. W.; Güler, Mustafa O.Controlling the hierarchical organization of self-assembling peptide amphiphiles into supramolecular nanostructures opens up the possibility of developing biocompatible functional supramolecular materials for various applications. In this study, we show that the hierarchical self-assembly of histidine- (His-) functionalized PAs containing d- or l-amino acids can be controlled by both solution pH and molecular chirality of the building blocks. An increase in solution pH resulted in the structural transition of the His-functionalized chiral PA assemblies from nanosheets to completely closed nanotubes through an enhanced hydrogen-bonding capacity and π-π stacking of imidazole ring. The effects of the stereochemistry and amino acid sequence of the PA backbone on the supramolecular organization were also analyzed by CD, TEM, SAXS, and molecular dynamics simulations. In addition, an investigation of chiral mixtures revealed the differences between the hydrogen-bonding capacities and noncovalent interactions of PAs with d- and l-amino acids.Item Open Access Implantable microelectromechanical sensors for diagnostic monitoring and post-surgical prediction of bone fracture healing(John Wiley and Sons Inc., 2015) McGilvray, K. C.; Ünal, E.; Troyer, K. L.; Santoni, B. G.; Palmer, R. H.; Easley, J. T.; Demir, Hilmi Volkan; Puttlitz, C. M.The relationship between modern clinical diagnostic data, such as from radiographs or computed tomography, and the temporal biomechanical integrity of bone fracture healing has not been well-established. A diagnostic tool that could quantitatively describe the biomechanical stability of the fracture site in order to predict the course of healing would represent a paradigm shift in the way fracture healing is evaluated. This paper describes the development and evaluation of a wireless, biocompatible, implantable, microelectromechanical system (bioMEMS) sensor, and its implementation in a large animal (ovine) model, that utilized both normal and delayed healing variants. The in vivo data indicated that the bioMEMS sensor was capable of detecting statistically significant differences (p-value <0.04) between the two fracture healing groups as early as 21 days post-fracture. In addition, post-sacrifice micro-computed tomography, and histology data demonstrated that the two model variants represented significantly different fracture healing outcomes, providing explicit supporting evidence that the sensor has the ability to predict differential healing cascades. These data verify that the bioMEMS sensor can be used as a diagnostic tool for detecting the in vivo course of fracture healing in the acute post-treatment period. © 2015 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.Item Open Access In vitro biocompatibility of plasma-aided surface-modified 316L stainless steel for intracoronary stents(Institute of Physics Publishing, 2010) Bayram, C.; Mizrak, A.K.; Aktürk, S.; Kurşaklioǧlu H.; Iyisoy, A.; Ifran, A.; Denkbaş, E.B.316L-type stainless steel is a raw material mostly used for manufacturing metallic coronary stents. The purpose of this study was to examine the chemical, wettability, cytotoxic and haemocompatibility properties of 316L stainless steel stents which were modified by plasma polymerization. Six different polymeric compounds, polyethylene glycol, 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate, ethylenediamine, acrylic acid, hexamethyldisilane and hexamethyldisiloxane, were used in a radio frequency glow discharge plasma polymerization system. As a model antiproliferative drug, mitomycin-C was chosen for covalent coupling onto the stent surface. Modified SS 316L stents were characterized by water contact angle measurements (goniometer) and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. C1s binding energies showed a good correlation with the literature. Haemocompatibility tests of coated SS 316L stents showed significant latency (t-test, p < 0.05) with respect to SS 316L and control groups in each test. © 2010 IOP Publishing Ltd.Item Open Access Inhibition of VEGF mediated corneal neovascularization by anti-angiogenic peptide nanofibers(Elsevier, 2016-11) Senturk, B.; Cubuk, M. O.; Ozmen, M. C.; Aydin B.; Güler, Mustafa O.; Tekinay, A. B.Atypical angiogenesis is one of the major symptoms of severe eye diseases, including corneal neovascularization, and the complex nature of abnormal vascularization requires targeted methods with high biocompatibility. The targeting of VEGF is the most common approach for preventing angiogenesis, and the LPPR peptide sequence is known to strongly inhibit VEGF activity by binding to the VEGF receptor neuropilin-1. Here, the LPPR epitope is presented on a peptide amphiphile nanofiber system to benefit from multivalency and increase the anti-angiogenic function of the epitope. Peptide amphiphile nanofibers are especially useful for ocular delivery applications due to their ability to remain on the site of interest for extended periods of time, facilitating the long-term presentation of bioactive sequences. Consequently, the LPPR sequence was integrated into a self-assembled peptide amphiphile network to increase its efficiency in the prevention of neovascularization. Anti-angiogenic effects of the peptide nanofibers were investigated by using both in vitro and in vivo models. LPPR-PA nanofibers inhibited endothelial cell proliferation, tube formation, and migration to a greater extent than the soluble LPPR peptide in vitro. In addition, the LPPR-PA nanofiber system led to the prevention of vascular maturation and the regression of angiogenesis in a suture-induced corneal angiogenesis model. These results show that the anti-angiogenic activity exhibited by LPPR peptide nanofibers may be utilized as a promising approach for the treatment of corneal angiogenesis.Item Open Access Local delivery of doxorubicin through supramolecular peptide amphiphile nanofiber gels(Royal Society of Chemistry, 2017) Cinar, G.; Ozdemir, A.; Hamsici, S.; Gunay, G.; Dana, A.; Tekinay, A. B.; Güler, Mustafa O.Peptide amphiphiles (PAs) self-assemble into supramolecular nanofiber gels that provide a suitable environment for encapsulation of both hydrophobic and hydrophilic molecules. The PA gels have significant advantages for controlled delivery applications due to their high capacity to retain water, biocompatibility, and biodegradability. In this study, we demonstrate injectable supramolecular PA nanofiber gels for drug delivery applications. Doxorubicin (Dox), as a widely used chemotherapeutic drug for breast cancer treatment, was encapsulated within the PA gels prepared at different concentrations. Physical and chemical properties of the gels were characterized, and slow release of the Dox molecules through the supramolecular PA nanofiber gels was studied. In addition, the diffusion constants of the drug molecules within the PA nanofiber gels were estimated using fluorescence recovery after the photobleaching (FRAP) method. The PA nanofiber gels did not show any cytotoxicity and the encapsulation strategy enhanced the activity of drug molecules on cellular viability through prolonged release compared to direct administration under in vitro conditions. Moreover, the local in vivo injection of the Dox encapsulated PA nanofiber gels (Dox/PA) to the tumor site demonstrated the lowest tumor growth rate compared to the direct Dox injection and increased the apoptotic cells within the tumor tissue for local drug release through the PA nanofiber gels under in vivo conditions.Item Open Access Macroporous Surgical Mesh from a Natural Cocoon Composite(2022-04-25) Chen, Y.-M.; Zang, L.-S.; Koc-Bilican, B.; Bilican, Ismail; Holland, C.; Cansaran-Duman, D.; Karaduman, T.; Çolak, A.; Bayır, Y.; Halici, Z.; Ozmen, S.; Ali, A.; Labidi, J.; Elbuken, Caglar; Kaya, M.Recently, traditional polymer-based surgical meshes have drawn unwanted attention as a result of host tissue complications arising from infection, biocompatibility, and mechanical compatibility. Seeking an alternative solution, we present a hierarchically structured nanofibrous surgical mesh derived from the naturally woven cocoon of the Japanese giant silkworm, termed MothMesh. We report that it displays nontoxicity, biocompatibility, suitable mechanical properties, and porosity while showing no adverse effect in animal trials and even appears to enhance cell proliferation. Hence, we assert that the use of this natural material may provide an effective and improved alternative to existing synthetic meshesItem Open Access Magnetic resonance imaging assisted by wireless passive implantable fiducial e-markers(Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, 2017) Gokyar, S.; Alipour, A.; Unal, E.; Atalar, Ergin; Demir, Hilmi VolkanThis paper reports a wireless passive resonator architecture that is used as a fiducial electronic marker (e-marker) intended for internal marking purposes in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). As a proof-of-concept demonstration, a class of double-layer, sub-cm helical resonators were microfabricated and tuned to the operating frequency of 123 MHz for a three T MRI system. Effects of various geometrical parameters on the resonance frequency of the e-marker were studied, and the resulting specific absorption rate (SAR) increase was analyzed using a full-wave microwave solver. The B1 + field distribution was calculated, and experimental results were compared. As an exemplary application to locate subdural electrodes, these markers were paired with subdural electrodes. It was shown that such sub-cm self-resonant e-markers with biocompatible constituents can be designed and used for implant marking, with sub-mm positioning accuracy, in MRI. In this application, a free-space quality factor ( Q -factor) of approximately 50 was achieved for the proposed resonator architecture. However, this structure caused an SAR increase in certain cases, which limits its usage for in vivo imaging practices. The findings indicate that these implantable resonators hold great promise for wireless fiducial e-marking in MRI as an alternative to multimodal imaging.Item Open Access Microfluidic device for synthesis of chitosan nanoparticles(ASME, 2013) Çetin, Barbaros; Taze, Serdar; Asik, M.D.; Tuncel, S.A.Chitosan nanoparticles have a biodegradable, biocompatible, non-toxic structure, and commonly used for drug delivery systems. In this paper, simulation of a microfluidic device for the synthesis of chitosan nanoparticle is presented. The flow filed together with the concentration field within the microchannel network is simulated using COMSOL Multiphysics® simulation environment. Different microchannel geometries are analyzed, and the mixing performance of these configurations are compared. As a result, a 3D design for a microfluidics platform which includes four channel each of which performs the synthesis in parallel is proposed. Future research directions regarding the fabrication of the microfluidic device and experimentation phase are addressed and discussed. Copyright © 2013 by ASME.Item Open Access Nested metamaterials for wireless strain sensing(IEEE, 2009-12-28) Melik, R.; Unal, E.; Perkgoz, N. K.; Santoni, B.; Kamstock, D.; Puttlitz, C.; Demir, Hilmi VolkanWe designed, fabricated, and characterized metamaterial-based RF-microelectromechanical system (RF-MEMS) strain sensors that incorporate multiple split ring resonators (SRRs) in a compact nested architecture to measure strain telemetrically. We also showed biocompatibility of these strain sensors in an animal model. With these devices, our bioimplantable wireless metamaterial sensors are intended, to enable clinicians, to quantitatively evaluate the progression of long-bone fracture healing by monitoring the strain on the implantable fracture fixation hardware in real time. In operation, the transmission spectrum of the metamaterial sensor attached to the implantable fixture is changed when an external load is applied to the fixture, and from this change, the strain is recorded remotely. By employing telemetric characterizations, we reduced the operating frequency and enhanced the sensitivity of our novel nested SRR architecture compared to the conventional SRR structure. The nested SRR structure exhibited a higher sensitivity of 1.09 kHz/kgf operating at lower frequency compared to the classical SRR that demonstrated a sensitivity of 0.72 kHz/kgf. Using soft tissue medium, we achieved the best sensitivity level of 4.00 kHz/kgf with our nested SRR sensor. Ultimately, the laboratory characterization and in vivo biocompatibility studies support further development and characterization of a fracture healing system based on implantable nested SRR.Item Open Access One-Step Fabrication of Biocompatible Multifaceted Nanocomposite Gels and Nanolayers(American Chemical Society, 2017) Topuz, F.; Bartneck, M.; Pan, Y.; Tacke, F.Nanocomposite gels are a fascinating class of polymeric materials with an integrative assembly of organic molecules and organic/inorganic nanoparticles, offering a unique hybrid network with synergistic properties. The mechanical properties of such networks are similar to those of natural tissues, which make them ideal biomaterial candidates for tissue engineering applications. Existing nanocomposite gel systems, however, lack many desirable gel properties, and their suitability for surface coatings is often limited. To address this issue, this article aims at generating multifunctional nanocomposite gels that are injectable with an appropriate time window, functional with bicyclononynes (BCN), biocompatible and slowly degradable, and possess high mechanical strength. Further, the in situ network-forming property of the proposed system allows the fabrication of ultrathin nanocomposite coatings in the submicrometer range with tunable wettability and roughness. Multifunctional nanocomposite gels were fabricated under cytocompatible conditions (pH 7.4 and T = 37 °C) using laponite clays, isocyanate (NCO)-terminated sP(EO-stat-PO) macromers, and clickable BCN. Several characterization techniques were employed to elucidate the structure-property relationships of the gels. Even though the NCO-sP(EO-stat-PO) macromers could form a hydrogel network in situ on contact with water, the incorporation of laponite led to significant improvement of the mechanical properties. BCN motifs with carbamate links were used for a metal-free click ligation with azide-functional molecules, and the subsequent gradual release of the tethered molecules through the hydrolysis of carbamate bonds was shown. The biocompatibility of the hydrogels was examined through murine macrophages, showing that the material composition strongly affects cell behavior.Item Open Access Peptide functionalized superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles as MRI contrast agents(The Royal Society of Chemistry, 2011) Sulek, S.; Mammadov, B.; Mahcicek, D. I.; Sozeri, H.; Atalar, Ergin; Tekinay, A. B.; Güler, Mustafa O.Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) attracts great attention in cellular and molecular imaging due to its non-invasive and multidimensional tomographic capabilities. Development of new contrast agents is necessary to enhance the MRI signal in tissues of interest. Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) are used as contrast agents for signal enhancement as they have revealed extraordinary magnetic properties at the nanometre size and their toxicity level is very low compared to other commercial contrast agents. In this study, we developed a new method to functionalize the surface of SPIONs. Peptide amphiphile molecules are used to coat SPIONs non-covalently to provide water solubility and to enhance biocompatibility. Superparamagnetic properties of the peptide-SPION complexes and their ability as contrast agents are demonstrated. In vitro cell culture experiments reveal that the peptide-SPION complexes are biocompatible and are localized around the cells due to their peptide coating.Item Open Access Recent advances in bioactive 1D and 2D carbon nanomaterials for biomedical applications(Elsevier, 2018) Erol, Özlem; Uyan, İdil; Hatip, Meyem; Yılmaz, Canelif; Tekinay, Ayse B.; Güler, Mustafa O.One-dimensional (1D) carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and the two-dimensional (2D) graphene represent the most widely studied allotropes of carbon. Due to their unique structural, electrical, mechanical and optical properties, 1D and 2D carbon nanostructures are considered to be leading candidates for numerous applications in biomedical fields, including tissue engineering, drug delivery, bioimaging and biosensors. The biocompatibility and toxicity issues associated with these nanostructures have been a critical impediment for their use in biomedical applications. In this review, we present an overview of the various materials types, properties, functionalization strategies and characterization methods of 1D and 2D carbon nanomaterials and their derivatives in terms of their biomedical applications. In addition, we discuss various factors and mechanisms affecting their toxicity and biocompatibility.