Collagen possesses high biocompatibility with all tissue and cell types in the body, enabling the creation of multifunctional composite materials for medical applications. In biomedical engineering, naturally-sourced collagen is often combined with diverse organic and inorganic bioactive components to eliminate defects and disorders in fields including orthopedics, dermatology, and more. At the same time, medical-related infection issues and the precise treatment needs of patients require collagen composite biomaterials to have antibacterial properties and customized structures. This paper reviews the antibacterial functionalization of collagen composite biomaterials in recent years, including the combination with inorganic or organic antibacterial agents, which is beneficial for preventing and controlling biological contamination in medical applications. Then, the existing problems and future development directions for the architecturalization of collagen composite materials with 3D printing were discussed, providing guidance for personalized customization of multifunctional materials to meet the specific needs of patients in the future. Graphical Abstract

The search for materials for a new generation of wound coatings is important due to the increase in antibiotic-resistant microorganisms and the number of patients with untreatable chronic purulent wounds. Metal nanoparticles, specifically silver nanoparticles, have antimicrobial activity and do not induce known bacterial resistance. To obtain new Ag-containing nanocomposites, type I collagen was extracted by an enzyme–acid method from cattle tendons. Silver nanoparticles were obtained by an environmentally safe method, metal-vapor synthesis (MVS), which enables obtaining metal nanoparticles without impurities. For this, metal vapors were cocondensed in a vacuum of 10⁻² Pa on the walls of a quartz reactor cooled to 77 K using acetone as an organic dispersion medium. The composition of the collagen surface was determined by XPS using the spectra of C1s, N1s, and O1s. The presence of a peak with a binding energy of approximately 368.57 eV in the Ag 3d_5/2 spectrum indicates the state of Ag⁰ silver atoms in the nanocomposite. SEM images showed that collagen contributes to the effective stabilization of Ag nanoparticles with an average size of 13.0 ± 3.5 nm. It was found that collagen is non-toxic and biocompatible with skin cells and fibroblasts. The collagen–Ag nanoparticle nanocomposites exhibited antimicrobial activity against bacteria Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, and fungi Aspergillus niger.

Background This study examined biomarker signatures in men with alcohol use disorder (AUD) in Uzbekistan, with and without viral infections. Methods A cross-sectional study included 292 males with stage II AUD (virus-negative: n = 251; virus-positive: n = 41) and 49 alcohol-free controls. Clinical, hematological, and biochemical parameters were measured, and ROC analysis evaluated diagnostic performance. Results Virus-negative patients showed the clearest biomarker profile of alcohol dependence, with reduced glucose, creatinine, and urea, and elevated total protein, α-amylase, De Ritis ratio, and direct bilirubin. ROC analysis confirmed strong diagnostic value for AST (AUC = 0.951), FIB-4 (0.877), MAP (0.817), and creatinine (0.711). Leukocytes (AUC = 0.790) and lymphocytes (0.735) best differentiated viral status. Fibrosis risk in virus-positive patients was 1.5-fold higher, with splenomegaly in 7.3%. Mild thrombocytopenia, absence of granulocytopenia, and rare delirium (<5.5%) distinguished this cohort from European groups, resembling East Asian patterns. Conclusions Liver enzymes, α-amylase, bilirubin, MCV, FIB-4, and MAP provide strong diagnostic value for AUD. Multimarker panels including leukocyte, lymphocyte, and creatinine levels support viral status differentiation. Findings emphasize population-specific biomarker signatures in Central Asians and the utility of multimarker strategies for personalized AUD management.