Laleh Ghasemi-Mobarakeh

Bio: Laleh Ghasemi-Mobarakeh is an academic researcher from Isfahan University of Technology. The author has contributed to research in topics: Nanofiber & Tissue engineering. The author has an hindex of 20, co-authored 36 publications receiving 2988 citations. Previous affiliations of Laleh Ghasemi-Mobarakeh include Royan Institute & National University of Singapore.

Application of conductive polymers, scaffolds and electrical stimulation for nerve tissue engineering.

Abstract: Among the numerous attempts to integrate tissue engineering concepts into strategies to repair nearly all parts of the body, neuronal repair stands out. This is partially due to the complexity of the nervous anatomical system, its functioning and the inefficiency of conventional repair approaches, which are based on single components of either biomaterials or cells alone. Electrical stimulation has been shown to enhance the nerve regeneration process and this consequently makes the use of electrically conductive polymers very attractive for the construction of scaffolds for nerve tissue engineering. In this review, by taking into consideration the electrical properties of nerve cells and the effect of electrical stimulation on nerve cells, we discuss the most commonly utilized conductive polymers, polypyrrole (PPy) and polyaniline (PANI), along with their design and modifications, thus making them suitable scaffolds for nerve tissue engineering. Other electrospun, composite, conductive scaffolds, such as PANI/gelatin and PPy/poly(e-caprolactone), with or without electrical stimulation, are also discussed. Different procedures of electrical stimulation which have been used in tissue engineering, with examples on their specific applications in tissue engineering, are also discussed.

Electrical Stimulation of Nerve Cells Using Conductive Nanofibrous Scaffolds for Nerve Tissue Engineering

Abstract: Fabrication of scaffolds with suitable chemical, mechanical, and electrical properties is critical for the success of nerve tissue engineering. Electrical stimulation was directly applied to electrospun conductive nanofibrous scaffolds to enhance the nerve regeneration process. In the present study, electrospun conductive nanofibers were prepared by mixing 10 and 15 wt% doped polyaniline (PANI) with poly (epsilon-caprolactone)/gelatin (PG) (70:30) solution (PANI/PG) by electrospinning. The fiber diameter, pore size, hydrophilicity, tensile properties, conductivity, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy spectra of nanofibers were determined, and the in vitro biodegradability of the different nanofibrous scaffolds was also evaluated. Nanofibrous scaffolds containing 15% PANI was found to exhibit the most balanced properties to meet all the required specifications for electrical stimulation for its enhanced conductivity and is used for in vitro culture and electrical stimulation of nerve stem cells. 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium (MTS) assay and scanning electron microscopy results showed that conductive nanofibrous scaffolds are suitable substrates for the attachment and proliferation of nerve stem cells. Electrical stimulation through conductive nanofibrous PANI/PG scaffolds showed enhanced cell proliferation and neurite outgrowth compared to the PANI/PG scaffolds that were not subjected to electrical stimulation.

A novel method for porosity measurement of various surface layers of nanofibers mat using image analysis for tissue engineering applications

Abstract: Research in polymer nanofibers has undergone significant progress in the last decade. One of the main driving force for this progress is the increasing use of these polymer nanofibers for tissue engineering. Adequate porosity and surface area are widely recognized as important parameters in the design of scaffolds for tissue engineering and therefore measurement of porosity is very important. Previous methods such as mercury measurement, indirect method, the porosity measurement based on density of nanofibers do not measure the porosity of various surface layers. The goal of this study is measurement of porosity of various surface layers of scaffold. Image analysis was used for this purpose. SEM images of nanofibers mat were converted to binary images using different thresholds and porosity of scaffold was measured in various layers. On the basis of the results of our study, this method can be applied to porosity measurement of various surface layers of nanofibers mat. The results showed that porosity of various surface layers is related to the number of layers of nanofibers mat. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2007

Principles of Neural Science

Abstract: I have developed "tennis elbow" from lugging this book around the past four weeks, but it is worth the pain, the effort, and the aspirin. It is also worth the (relatively speaking) bargain price. Including appendixes, this book contains 894 pages of text. The entire panorama of the neural sciences is surveyed and examined, and it is comprehensive in its scope, from genomes to social behaviors. The editors explicitly state that the book is designed as "an introductory text for students of biology, behavior, and medicine," but it is hard to imagine any audience, interested in any fragment of neuroscience at any level of sophistication, that would not enjoy this book. The editors have done a masterful job of weaving together the biologic, the behavioral, and the clinical sciences into a single tapestry in which everyone from the molecular biologist to the practicing psychiatrist can find and appreciate his or

Three-dimensional scaffolds for tissue engineering applications : role of porosity and pore size

Abstract: Tissue engineering applications commonly encompass the use of three-dimensional (3D) scaffolds to provide a suitable microenvironment for the incorporation of cells or growth factors to regenerate ...

One-Dimensional Composite Nanomaterials: Synthesis by Electrospinning and Their Applications

Abstract: This Review provides an overview of the synthesis of one-dimensional (1D) composite nanomaterials by electrospinning and their applications. After a brief description of the development of the electrospinning technique, the transformation of an inorganic nanocomponent or polymer into another kind of polymer or inorganic matrix is discussed in terms of the electrospinning process, including the direct-dispersed method, gas-solid reaction, in situ photoreduction, sol-gel method, emulsion electrospinning method, solvent evaporation, and coaxial electrospinning. In addition, various applications of such 1D composite nanomaterials are highlighted in terms of electronic and optical nanodevices, chemical and biological sensors, catalysis and electrocatalysis, superhydrophobic surfaces, environment, energy, and biomedical fields. An increasing number of investigations show that electrospinning has been not only a focus of academic study in the laboratory but is also being applied in a great many technological fields.