JIJO THOMAS

@inst.ac.in

Chemical Biology
Institute of Nano Science and Technology

https://researchid.co/jijochirayil

Scopus Publications

468

Scholar Citations

Scholar h-index

Scholar i10-index

Scopus Publications

Post-Implantation Stiffening by a Bioinspired, Double-Network, Self-Healing Hydrogel Facilitates Minimally Invasive Cell Delivery for Cartilage Regeneration
Jijo Thomas, Vianni Chopra, Swati Rajput, Rajdeep Guha, Naibedya Chattopadhyay, and Deepa Ghosh
American Chemical Society (ACS)
Injectable hydrogels have demonstrated advantages in cartilage repair by enabling the delivery of cells through a minimally invasive approach. However, several injectable hydrogels suffer from rapid degradation and low mechanical strength. Moreover, higher mechanical stiffness in hydrogels can have a detrimental effect on post-implantation cell viability. To address these challenges, we developed an in situ forming bioinspired double network hydrogel (BDNH) that exhibits temperature-dependent stiffening after implantation. The BDNH mimics the microarchitecture of aggrecan, with hyaluronic acid-conjugated poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) providing rigidity and Schiff base crosslinked polymers serving as the ductile counterpart. BDNHs exhibited self-healing property and enhanced stiffness at physiological temperature. Excellent cell viability, long time cell proliferation, and cartilage specific matrix production were observed in the chondrocytes cultured in the BDNH hydrogel. Evidence of cartilage regeneration in a rabbit cartilage defect model using chondrocyte-laden BDNH has suggested it to be a potential candidate for cartilage tissue engineering.

Injectable Bone Cement Reinforced with Gold Nanodots Decorated rGO-Hydroxyapatite Nanocomposites, Augment Bone Regeneration
Vianni Chopra, Jijo Thomas, Swati Kaushik, Swati Rajput, Rajdeep Guha, Bidya Mondal, Sudip Naskar, Dipankar Mandal, Gaurav Chauhan, Naibedya Chattopadhyay,et al.
Wiley
Interest in the development of new generation injectable bone cements having appropriate mechanical properties, biodegradability, and bioactivity has been rekindled with the advent of nanoscience. Injectable bone cements made with calcium sulfate (CS) are of significant interest, owing to its compatibility and optimal self-setting property. Its rapid resorption rate, lack of bioactivity, and poor mechanical strength serve as a deterrent for its wide application. Herein, a significantly improved CS-based injectable bone cement (modified calcium sulfate termed as CSmod ), reinforced with various concentrations (0-15%) of a conductive nanocomposite containing gold nanodots and nanohydroxyapatite decorated reduced graphene oxide (rGO) sheets (AuHp@rGO), and functionalized with vancomycin, is presented. The piezo-responsive cement exhibits favorable injectability and setting times, along with improved mechanical properties. The antimicrobial, osteoinductive, and osteoconductive properties of the CSmod cement are confirmed using appropriate in vitro studies. There is an upregulation of the paracrine signaling mediated crosstalk between mesenchymal stem cells and human umbilical vein endothelial cells seeded on these cements. The ability of CSmod to induce endothelial cell recruitment and augment bone regeneration is evidenced in relevant rat models. The results imply that the multipronged activity exhibited by the novel-CSmod cement would be beneficial for bone repair.

Electrical stimulation induced by a piezo-driven triboelectric nanogenerator and electroactive hydrogel composite, accelerate wound repair
Anjana Sharma, Vineeta Panwar, Bidya Mondal, Dixit Prasher, Milan Kumar Bera, Jijo Thomas, Ajay Kumar, Navpreet Kamboj, Dipankar Mandal, and Deepa Ghosh
Elsevier BV

Gelatin Nanofibers Loaded with Zinc-Doped Hydroxyapatite for Osteogenic Differentiation of Mesenchymal Stem Cells
Vianni Chopra, Jijo Thomas, Gaurav Chauhan, Swati Kaushik, Swati Rajput, Rajdeep Guha, Naibedya Chattopadhyay, Sergio O. Martinez-Chapa, and Deepa Ghosh
American Chemical Society (ACS)

A drug-free strategy to combat bacterial infections with magnetic nanoparticles biosynthesized in bacterial pathogens
Swati Kaushik, Jijo Thomas, Vineeta Panwar, Preethi Murugesan, Vianni Chopra, Navita Salaria, Rupali Singh, Himadri Shekar Roy, Rajesh Kumar, Vikas Gautam,et al.
Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC)
Pathogenic bacteria, both in vitro and in the host biosynthesize intracellular magnetic nanoparticles. The magnet-responsive pathogens can be destroyed using an alternating magnetic field.

Mechanical Integrity in a Dynamic Interpenetrating Hydrogel Network of Supramolecular Peptide-Polysaccharide Supports Enhanced Chondrogenesis
Jijo Thomas, Nidhi Gupta, Jojo P. Joseph, Vianni Chopra, Asish Pal, and Deepa Ghosh
American Chemical Society (ACS)
Tissue engineering demands intelligently designed scaffolds that encompass the properties of the target tissues in terms of mechanical and bioactive properties. An ideal scaffold for engineering a cartilage tissue should provide the chondrocytes with a favorable 3D microarchitecture apart from possessing optimal mechanical characteristics such as compressibility, energy dissipation, strain stiffening, etc. Herein, we used a unique design approach to develop a hydrogel having a dynamic interpenetrating network to serve as a framework to support chondrocyte growth and differentiation. An amyloid-inspired peptide amphiphile (1) was self-assembled to furnish kinetically controlled nanofibers and incorporated in a dynamic covalently cross-linked polysaccharide network of carboxymethyl cellulose dialdehyde (CMC-D) and carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCh) using Schiff base chemistry. The dynamic noncovalent interaction played a pivotal role in providing the desired modulation in the structure and mechanical properties of the double-network hydrogels that are imperative for cartilage scaffold design. The adaptable nature supported shear-induced extrusion of the hydrogel and facilitated various cellular functions while maintaining its integrity. The potential of the as-developed hydrogels to support in vitro chondrogenesis was explored using human chondrocytes. Evidence of improved cell growth and cartilage-specific ECM production confirmed the potential of the hydrogel to support cartilage tissue engineering while reaffirming the significance of mimicking the biophysical microenvironment to induce optimal tissue regeneration.

An injectable hydrogel having proteoglycan-like hierarchical structure supports chondrocytes delivery and chondrogenesis
Jijo Thomas, Vianni Chopra, Anjana Sharma, Vineeta Panwar, Swati Kaushik, Swati Rajput, Monika Mittal, Rajdeep Guha, Naibedya Chattopadhyay, and Deepa Ghosh
Elsevier BV
The ECM of cartilage is composed of proteoglycans (PG) that contain glycosaminoglycan (GAG), aggrecan, hyaluronic acid (HA) and other molecular components which play an important role in regulating chondrocyte functions via cell-matrix interactions, integrin-mediated signalling etc. Implantation of chondrocytes encapsulated in scaffolds that mimic the micro-architecture of proteoglycan, is expected to enhance cartilage repair. With an aim to create a hydrogel having macromolecular structure that resembles the cartilage-specific ECM, we constructed a hierarchal structure that mimic the PG. The bottle brush structure of the aggrecan was obtained using chondroitin sulphate and carboxymethyl cellulose which served as GAG and core protein mimic respectively. A proteoglycan-like structure was obtained by cross-linking it with modified chitosan that served as a HA substitute. The physico-chemical characteristics of the above cross-linked injectable hydrogel supported long term human articular chondrocyte subsistence and excellent post-injection viability. The chondrocytes encapsulated in the PMH expressed significant levels of articular cartilage specific markers like collagen II, aggrecan, GAGs etc., indicating the ability of the hydrogel to support chondrocyte differentiation. The biocompatibility and biodegradability of the hydrogels was confirmed using suitable in vivo studies. The results revealed that the PG-mimetic hydrogel could serve as a promising scaffold for chondrocyte implantation.

Tunable, conductive, self-healing, adhesive and injectable hydrogels for bioelectronics and tissue regeneration applications
Vineeta Panwar, Anand Babu, Anjana Sharma, Jijo Thomas, Vianni Chopra, Pinki Malik, Swati Rajput, Monika Mittal, Rajdeep Guha, Naibedya Chattopadhyay,et al.
Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC)
Conductive hydrogels are attracting considerable interest in view of their potential in a wide range of applications that include healthcare and electronics.

Actin-binding carbon dots selectively target glioblastoma cells while sparing normal cells
Anjana Sharma, Vineeta Panwar, Jijo Thomas, Vianni Chopra, Himadri Shekhar Roy, and Deepa Ghosh
Elsevier BV
Curcumin, a pleiotropic signalling molecule from Curcuma longa, is reported to be effective against multiple cancers. Despite its promising effect, curcumin had failed in clinical trials due to its low aqueous solubility, stability and poor bioavailability. While several approaches are being attempted to overcome the limitations, the improved solubility observed with curcumin-derived carbon dots appeared to be a strategy worth exploring. To assess if the carbon dots possess bio-activity similar to curcumin, we synthesized carbon dots (CurCD) from curcumin and ethylenediamine. Unlike curcumin, the as-synthesized curcumin carbon dots exhibited excellent solubility, excitation-dependent emission and photostability. The anti-cancer activity evaluated with glioblastoma cells using the well-established in vitro models indicated its comparable/enhanced activity over curcumin. Besides, the selective affinity of CurCD to the actin filament, indicated it's prospective to serve as a marker of actin filaments. In addition, the non-toxic effects observed in normal cells and fish embryos indicated CurCD was more biocompatible than curcumin. While this work reveals the superior properties of CurCD over curcumin, it provides a new approach to explore other plant derived molecules with similar limitations like curcumin.

A bioinspired, ice-templated multifunctional 3D cryogel composite crosslinked through in situ reduction of GO displayed improved mechanical, osteogenic and antimicrobial properties
Vianni Chopra, Jijo Thomas, Anjana Sharma, Vineeta Panwar, Swati Kaushik, and Deepa Ghosh
Elsevier BV
3D biopolymeric scaffolds often lack the biochemical cues and mechanical strength to encourage bone tissue regeneration. Chemical crosslinkers have been extensively used to impart strength, but have been found to be toxic at the site of implantation and possess a lacuna in physical strength. We attempted to address this by engineering a self-crosslinked polymer through the in-situ reduction of Graphene oxide (GO) in a gelatin cryogel (Gel-RGO) using ice as a template to create pores. Superior osteoinductive and antimicrobial properties were further endowed on the cryogel by incorporating silver nanoparticles decorated nanohydroxyapatite in the Gel-RGOAg@Hap(2%) cryogel. The optimized biocompatible cryogel favoured bone cell adhesion and its proliferation. The osteoconductive and osteoinductive potential of the cryogel was confirmed through biomineralization and differentiation of bone cells. In addition, these cryogels showed prolonged antimicrobial activity against S. aureus. This investigation exhibits the achievability/prospect of building up an ideal gelatin platform without the utilization of an outside crosslinking agent via manipulating the conditions of gelation. The superior crosslinking achieved between gelatin and GO, in addition to its ability to support bone formation and prevent infection make this cryogel an attractive candidate for bone tissue engineering applications.

Synthesis and Evaluation of a Zinc Eluting rGO/Hydroxyapatite Nanocomposite Optimized for Bone Augmentation
Vianni Chopra, Jijo Thomas, Anjana Sharma, Vineeta Panwar, Swati Kaushik, Shivani Sharma, Konica Porwal, Chirag Kulkarni, Swati Rajput, Himalaya Singh,et al.
American Chemical Society (ACS)
Repair of critical size bone defects is a clinical challenge that usually necessitates the use of bone substitutes. For successful bone repair, the substitute should possess osteoconductive, osteoinductive, and vascularization potential, with the ability to control post-implantation infection serving as an additional advantage. With an aim to develop one such substitute, we optimized a zinc-doped hydroxyapatite (HapZ) nanocomposite decorated on reduced graphene oxide (rGO), termed as G3HapZ, and demonstrated its potential to augment the bone repair. The biocompatible composite displayed its osteoconductive potential in biomineralization studies, and its osteoinductive property was confirmed by its ability to induce mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) differentiation to osteogenic lineage assessed by in vitro mineralization (Alizarin red staining) and expression of osteogenic markers including runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX-2), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), type 1 collagen (COL1), bone morphogenic protein-2 (BMP-2), osteocalcin (OCN), and osteopontin (OPN). While the potential of G3HapZ to support vascularization was displayed by its ability to induce endothelial cell migration, attachment, and proliferation, its antimicrobial activity was confirmed using S. aureus. Biocompatibility of G3HapZ was demonstrated by its ability to induce bone regeneration and neovascularization in vivo. These results suggest that G3HapZ nanocomposites can be exploited for a range of strategies in developing orthopedic bone grafts to accelerate bone regeneration.

In-vitro and in-vivo evaluation of modified sodium starch glycolate for exploring its haemostatic potential
Vineeta Panwar, Jijo Thomas, Anjana Sharma, Vianni Chopra, Swati Kaushik, Ashutosh Kumar, and Deepa Ghosh
Elsevier BV
The control of blood flow from breached blood vessels during surgery or trauma is challenging. With the existing treatment options being either expensive or ineffective, the development of a haemostat that overcome such drawbacks would be beneficial. With an aim to develop an ideal haemostat, the potential of sodium starch glycolate (SSG), a commonly used pharmaceutical disintegrant was modified to obtain porous microparticles (pSSG). The biodegradability, cyto-compatibility and haemo-compatibility of the modified particles were confirmed using appropriate studies. In comparison to starch and SSG, the irregular shaped pSSG demonstrated spontaneous and significant fluid absorption (3500+500 %) and formed a physical barrier to blood flow. In addition, significant blood cells aggregation and platelet activation was observed in the modified micoparticles leading to rapid clot formation. In-vivo studies on liver and abdominal artery injury models in rats indicated the superior haemostatic potential of pSSG over SSG and starch. The results indicated that pSSG can be explored further in clinical evaluation as a hemostat.

In Situ Biosynthesized Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles (SPIONS) Induce Efficient Hyperthermia in Cancer Cells
Swati Kaushik, Jijo Thomas, Vineeta Panwar, Hasan Ali, Vianni Chopra, Anjana Sharma, Ruchi Tomar, and Deepa Ghosh
American Chemical Society (ACS)
Despite the promising role of magnetic hyperthermia in cancer therapy, its use in patients has been restricted by hurdles that include inefficient targeting of magnetic particles to the tumor site,...

Interaction of Carbon Dots with Endothelial Cells: Implications for Biomedical Applications
Anjana Sharma, Vineeta Panwar, Vianni Chopra, Jijo Thomas, Swati Kaushik, and Deepa Ghosh
American Chemical Society (ACS)
The in vivo use of carbon dots (CDs) in biomedical applications might result in its interaction with the endothelial cells (ECs) lining the blood vessels. It is important to assess its response to CDs because the cells play a key role in the regulation of blood vessel function. Using a widely studied CD synthesized from a combination of citric acid and urea (CD-urea), we herein report the response of ECs to its exposure. The biocompatible CD-urea exhibited a proangiogenic response in human vein ECs. The cascade of events in the ECs following CD-urea uptake, including its influence on reactive oxygen species (ROS), nuclear factor κ-light-chain enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB), and gene expression, was investigated comprehensively using confocal and quantitative polymerase chain reaction studies. While new blood vessel formation is favored in wound healing, it is not recommended in tumor growth and metastasis. Our study demonstrates the need for evaluating the response of ECs to CDs before exploiting i...

In-vitro and In-vivo evaluation of biocompatible and biodegradable calcium-modified carboxymethyl starch as a topical hemostat
Vineeta Panwar, Anjana Sharma, Jijo Thomas, Vianni Chopra, Swati Kaushik, Ashutosh Kumar, and Deepa Ghosh
Elsevier BV
Abstract Topical hemostatic agents are intended to stop the bleeding in patients with traumatic injury or during surgery. The existing drawbacks of current topical hemostats include its low efficiency, non-degradability, high cost and potential safety issues. In this study, we have attempted to develop a biocompatible, biodegradable hemostatic device by conjugating carboxymethyl moiety to starch (CM-starch) and further modifying it with calcium ions (CaCM-starch) to obtain free flowing microparticles with improved clotting efficiency. The hemostatic efficacy of the microparticles together with its biodegradable and biocompatible properties were evaluated using in-vitro and in-vivo studies. The results demonstrated that carboxymethyl modification of starch led to a substantial improvement in its fluid absorption and swelling properties due to improved hydrophilic property. Further modifications with calcium ions resulted in free-flowing microparticles that considerably swelled and formed an adhesive gel. The significant improvement in clotting efficiency was confirmed following application of the modified microparticles in relevant injury models. Data from the in-vitro and in-vivo results indicate the potential of CaCM-starch to be a promising candidate as a topical hemostat for further clinical evaluation.

Polysaccharide-Based Hybrid Self-Healing Hydrogel Supports the Paracrine Response of Mesenchymal Stem Cells
Jijo Thomas, Anjana Sharma, Vineeta Panwar, Vianni Chopra, and Deepa Ghosh
American Chemical Society (ACS)
The aim of stem cell therapy is to repair damaged tissues. Some of the challenges facing its success include cell retention and survival at the wound site. While the retention of cells has been addressed by employing scaffolds, the survival of transplanted cells in the repair tissue is however low. It is hypothesized that the observed regeneration is more a result of migration of tissue repairing cells from adjoining tissues in response to paracrine factors secreted by implanted cells than by the implanted cells per se. In this study, we report the synthesis of a self-healing hybrid hydrogel that is injectable. The hybrid hydrogel was developed using the dynamic equilibrium of Schiff base linkage between the aldehyde groups on carboxymethyl cellulose dialdehyde (CMC-D) and amino groups on carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCh). The hydrogel stiffness and kinetics of gelation were observed to be modulated with different molecular weights of chitosan. In vitro studies demonstrated the cytocompatibility, hemocompatib...

RECENT SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS

Post-implantation stiffening by a bioinspired, double-network, self-healing hydrogel facilitates minimally invasive cell delivery for cartilage regeneration
J Thomas, V Chopra, S Rajput, R Guha, N Chattopadhyay, D Ghosh
Biomacromolecules 24 (7), 3313-3326 2023

Injectable bone cement reinforced with gold nanodots decorated rGO‐hydroxyapatite nanocomposites, augment bone regeneration
V Chopra, J Thomas, S Kaushik, S Rajput, R Guha, B Mondal, S Naskar, ...
Small 19 (14), 2204637 2023

Electrical stimulation induced by a piezo-driven triboelectric nanogenerator and electroactive hydrogel composite, accelerate wound repair
A Sharma, V Panwar, B Mondal, D Prasher, MK Bera, J Thomas, A Kumar, ...
Nano Energy 99, 107419 2022

Gelatin nanofibers loaded with zinc-doped hydroxyapatite for osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells
V Chopra, J Thomas, G Chauhan, S Kaushik, S Rajput, R Guha, ...
ACS Applied Nano Materials 5 (2), 2414-2428 2022

A Drug-free Strategy to Combat Bacterial Infections with Magnetic Nanoparticles Biosynthesized in the Bacterial Pathogens
S Kaushik, J Thomas, V Panwar, P Murugesan, V Chopra, N Salaria, ...
Nanoscale 2022

Mechanical integrity in a dynamic interpenetrating hydrogel network of supramolecular peptide–polysaccharide supports enhanced chondrogenesis
J Thomas, N Gupta, JP Joseph, V Chopra, A Pal, D Ghosh
ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering 7 (12), 5798-5809 2021

An injectable hydrogel having proteoglycan-like hierarchical structure supports chondrocytes delivery and chondrogenesis
J Thomas, V Chopra, A Sharma, V Panwar, S Kaushik, S Rajput, M Mittal, ...
International Journal of Biological Macromolecules 190, 474-486 2021

Tunable, conductive, self-healing, adhesive and injectable hydrogels for bioelectronics and tissue regeneration applications
V Panwar, A Babu, A Sharma, J Thomas, V Chopra, P Malik, S Rajput, ...
Journal of Materials Chemistry B 9 (31), 6260-6270 2021

Actin-binding Carbon dots selectively target glioblastoma cells while sparing normal cells
A Sharma, V Panwar, J Thomas, V Chopra, HS Roy, D Ghosh
Colloids and Surfaces B: Biointerfaces, 111572 2021

Synthesis and evaluation of a zinc eluting rGO/hydroxyapatite nanocomposite optimized for bone augmentation
V Chopra, J Thomas, A Sharma, V Panwar, S Kaushik, S Sharma, ...
ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering 6 (12), 6710-6725 2020

In-vitro and in-vivo evaluation of modified sodium starch glycolate for exploring its haemostatic potential
V Panwar, J Thomas, A Sharma, V Chopra, S Kaushik, A Kumar, D Ghosh
Carbohydrate Polymers 235, 115975 2020

In situ biosynthesized superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONS) induce efficient hyperthermia in cancer cells
S Kaushik, J Thomas, V Panwar, H Ali, V Chopra, A Sharma, R Tomar, ...
ACS Applied Bio Materials 3 (2), 779-788 2020

In-vitro and In-vivo evaluation of biocompatible and biodegradable calcium-modified carboxymethyl starch as a topical hemostat
V Panwar, A Sharma, J Thomas, V Chopra, S Kaushik, A Kumar, D Ghosh
Materialia 7, 100373 2019

Interaction of carbon dots with endothelial cells: implications for biomedical applications
A Sharma, V Panwar, V Chopra, J Thomas, S Kaushik, D Ghosh
ACS Applied Nano Materials 2 (9), 5483-5491 2019

Polysaccharide-based hybrid self-healing hydrogel supports the paracrine response of mesenchymal stem cells
J Thomas, A Sharma, V Panwar, V Chopra, D Ghosh
ACS Applied Bio Materials 2 (5), 2013-2027 2019

MOST CITED SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS

Interaction of carbon dots with endothelial cells: implications for biomedical applications
A Sharma, V Panwar, V Chopra, J Thomas, S Kaushik, D Ghosh
ACS Applied Nano Materials 2 (9), 5483-5491 2019
Citations: 25

Actin-binding Carbon dots selectively target glioblastoma cells while sparing normal cells
A Sharma, V Panwar, J Thomas, V Chopra, HS Roy, D Ghosh
Colloids and Surfaces B: Biointerfaces, 111572 2021
Citations: 24