With increasing gap in the demand and supply of vital organs for transplantation there is a pressing need to bridge the gap with substitutes. One way to make substitutes is by tissue engineering which involves combining several types of synthetic or biomaterials, cells and growth factors cross-linked together to synthesize a functional scaffold for repair or replacement of non-functional organs. Nanoparticle based composites are gaining importance in tissue engineering due to their ability to enhance cell attachment and proliferation. The current study focuses on synthesizing agarose composites embedded with chitosan-coated silver nanoparticles using glutaraldehyde as the cross-linker. The synthesis of chitosan coated silver nanoparticles within the scaffold was confirmed with UV-visible spectroscopy. Physical and chemical characterization of the synthesized nanoparticles were done by XRD, FTIR, TGA and SEM. DMA showed higher mechanical strength of the scaffolds. The scaffolds showed degradation of ∼37% within a span of four weeks. The higher physical support provided by the synthesized scaffolds was shown by in-vitro cell viability assay. Broad spectrum anti-bacterial activity and superior hemocompatibility further showed the advantage it offered for growing cells. Thus a biopolymer based nanocomposite was synthesized, with intended widespread use as scaffold for engineering of soft tissues due to its enhanced biocompatibility and greater surface area for cell growth.

In recent years, there has been an alarming increase in the incidence of diabetes, with one in every eleven individuals worldwide suffering from this debilitating disease. As the available treatment options fail to reduce disease progression, novel avenues such as the bioartificial pancreas are being given serious consideration. In the past decade, the research focus has shifted towards the field of tissue engineering, which helps to design biological substitutes for repair and replacement of non-functional or damaged organs. Scaffolds constitute an integral part of tissue engineering; they have been shown to mimic the native extracellular matrix, thereby supporting cell viability and proliferation. This review offers a novel compilation of the recent advances in polymeric scaffolds, which are used for pancreatic tissue engineering. Furthermore, in this article, the design strategies for bioartificial pancreatic constructs and their future applications in cell-based therapy are discussed.

A water soluble turn-on fluorescent probe for the detection of mercury ions in purely aqueous media a has been developed by appending a water-compatible PEG-unit onto a rhodamine derivative. It has high selectivity for Hg²⁺ ions and is fairly non-toxic in intercellular studies.