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Gels
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Recent Advances in Hydrogels for Biomedical Application
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Recent Advances in Hydrogels for Biomedical Application

A special issue of Gels (ISSN 2310-2861). This special issue belongs to the section "Gel Applications".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 July 2024 | Viewed by 6918

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Kai Liu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
Interests: hydrogels; self-assembly; systems chemistry; biomaterial; nanomedicine

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue on the “Recent Advances in Hydrogels for Biomedical Application” will cover a range of topics, from the fundamental principles of hydrogel synthesis and characterization to emerging applications in biomedical engineering, such as cell culture, tissue engineering, wound healing, drug delivery, and theranostics.

Hydrogels are an important class of soft materials characterized by their water-swollen and three-dimensional structure, biodegradability, and injectability. These materials have garnered substantial attention in recent years due to their diverse biomedical applications. Precise control of the spatiotemporal structure of hydrogels forms the bedrock for their complex biomedical applications. This control allows for the synthesis of hydrogels with adjustable physiochemical properties and responsive behavior. Advancements in this field require an interdisciplinary approach, combining chemistry, biology, and materials science to gain insight into the relationship between molecular and supramolecular structures, and the biological effects resulting from the dynamic behavior of hydrogel systems at biointerfaces. Such efforts can aid in fine-tuning the properties of hydrogels as required and open up new applications in biomedicine. Therefore, this Special Issue aims to provide an in-depth look at the latest advances in the control of hydrogels and highlight their corresponding biomedical applications. It is hoped that the topics will stimulate new research and discoveries in related fields.

Prof. Dr. Kai Liu
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Gels is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • hydrogels
  • spatiotemporal control
  • cell culture
  • tissue engineering
  • drug delivery
  • theranostics
  • biomedical applications

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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20 pages, 6360 KiB  
Article
Injectable Thermoresponsive Microparticle/Hydrogel System with Superparamagnetic Nanoparticles for Drug Release and Magnetic Hyperthermia Applications
by Henrique Carrelo, André R. Escoval, Tânia Vieira, Mercedes Jiménez-Rosado, Jorge Carvalho Silva, Alberto Romero, Paula Isabel P. Soares and João Paulo Borges
Gels 2023, 9(12), 982; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels9120982 - 15 Dec 2023
Viewed by 1043
Abstract
Cancer is a disease that continues to greatly impact our society. Developing new and more personalized treatment options is crucial to decreasing the cancer burden. In this study, we combined magnetic polysaccharide microparticles with a Pluronic thermoresponsive hydrogel to develop a multifunctional, injectable [...] Read more.
Cancer is a disease that continues to greatly impact our society. Developing new and more personalized treatment options is crucial to decreasing the cancer burden. In this study, we combined magnetic polysaccharide microparticles with a Pluronic thermoresponsive hydrogel to develop a multifunctional, injectable drug delivery system (DDS) for magnetic hyperthermia applications. Gellan gum and alginate microparticles were loaded with superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) with and without coating. The magnetic microparticles’ registered temperature increases up to 4 °C upon the application of an alternating magnetic field. These magnetic microparticles were mixed with drug-loaded microparticles, and, subsequently, this mixture was embedded within a Pluronic thermoresponsive hydrogel that is capable of being in the gel state at 37 °C. The proposed DDS was capable of slowly releasing methylene blue, used as a model drug, for up to 9 days. The developed hydrogel/microparticle system had a smaller rate of drug release compared with microparticles alone. This system proved to be a potential thermoresponsive DDS suitable for magnetic hyperthermia applications, thus enabling a synergistic treatment for cancer. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Hydrogels for Biomedical Application)
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15 pages, 4056 KiB  
Article
A Sterile, Injectable, and Robust Sericin Hydrogel Prepared by Degraded Sericin
by Yeshun Zhang, Susu Wang, Yurong Li, Xiang Li, Zhanyan Du, Siyu Liu, Yushuo Song, Yanyan Li and Guozheng Zhang
Gels 2023, 9(12), 948; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels9120948 - 03 Dec 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 953
Abstract
The application of sericin hydrogels is limited mainly due to their poor mechanical strength, tendency to be brittle and inconvenient sterilization. To address these challenges, a sericin hydrogel exhibiting outstanding physical and chemical properties along with cytocompatibility was prepared through crosslinking genipin with [...] Read more.
The application of sericin hydrogels is limited mainly due to their poor mechanical strength, tendency to be brittle and inconvenient sterilization. To address these challenges, a sericin hydrogel exhibiting outstanding physical and chemical properties along with cytocompatibility was prepared through crosslinking genipin with degraded sericin extracted from fibroin deficient silkworm cocoons by the high temperature and pressure method. Our reported sericin hydrogels possess good elasticity, injectability, and robust behaviors. The 8% sericin hydrogel can smoothly pass through a 16 G needle. While the 12% sericin hydrogel remains intact until its compression ratio reaches 70%, accompanied by a compression strength of 674 kPa. 12% sericin hydrogel produce a maximum stretch of 740%, with breaking strength and tensile modulus of 375 kPa and 477 kPa respectively. Besides that, the hydrogel system demonstrated remarkable cell-adhesive capabilities, effectively promoting cell attachment and, proliferation. Moreover, the swelling and degradation behaviors of the hydrogels are pH responsiveness. Sericin hydrogel releases drugs in a sustained manner. Furthermore, this study addresses the challenge of sterilizing sericin hydrogels (sterilization will inevitably lead to the destruction of their structures). In addition, it challenges the prior notion that sericin extracted under high temperature and pressure is difficult to directly cross-linked into a stable hydrogel. This developed hydrogel system in this study holds promise to be a new multifunctional platform expanding the application area scope of sericin. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Hydrogels for Biomedical Application)
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13 pages, 3560 KiB  
Article
Preparation of Cholesterol-Modified Hyaluronic Acid Nanogel-Based Hydrogel and the Inflammatory Evaluation Using Macrophage-like Cells
by Kohei Yabuuchi, Mika Suzuki, Chen Liang, Yoshihide Hashimoto, Tsuyoshi Kimura, Kazunari Akiyoshi and Akio Kishida
Gels 2023, 9(11), 866; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels9110866 - 31 Oct 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1223
Abstract
Nanogels are candidate biomaterials for tissue engineering and drug delivery. In the present study, a cholesterol–hyaluronic acid hydrogel was developed, and the pro-inflammatory response of macrophages to the hydrogel was investigated to determine its use in biomedical applications. Hyaluronic acid modified with cholesterol [...] Read more.
Nanogels are candidate biomaterials for tissue engineering and drug delivery. In the present study, a cholesterol–hyaluronic acid hydrogel was developed, and the pro-inflammatory response of macrophages to the hydrogel was investigated to determine its use in biomedical applications. Hyaluronic acid modified with cholesterol (modification rate: 0–15%) and maleimide (Chol-HA) was synthesized. The Chol-HA nanogel was formed through self-assembly via hydrophobic cholesterol interactions in aqueous solution. The Chol-HA hydrogel was formed through chemical crosslinking of the Chol-HA nanogel via a Michael addition reaction between the maleimide and thiol groups of 4arm−PEGSH. We found that the Chol-HA hydrogels with 5, 10, and 15% cholesterol inhibited the pro-inflammatory response of HiBiT−THP−1 cells, suggesting that the cholesterol contributed to the macrophage response. Furthermore, Interleukin 4 (IL−4) encapsulated in the hydrogel of the Chol-HA nanogel enhanced the inhibition of the inflammatory response in HiBiT-THP-1 cells. These results provide useful insights into the biomedical applications of hydrogels. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Hydrogels for Biomedical Application)
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21 pages, 3377 KiB  
Article
Amikacin-Loaded Chitosan Hydrogel Film Cross-Linked with Folic Acid for Wound Healing Application
by Yasir Mehmood, Hira Shahid, Numera Arshad, Akhtar Rasul, Talha Jamshaid, Muhammad Jamshaid, Usama Jamshaid, Mohammad N. Uddin and Mohsin Kazi
Gels 2023, 9(7), 551; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels9070551 - 06 Jul 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1589
Abstract
Purpose: Numerous carbohydrate polymers are frequently used in wound-dressing films because they are highly effective materials for promoting successful wound healing. In this study, we prepared amikacin (AM)-containing hydrogel films through the cross-linking of chitosan (CS) with folic acid along with methacrylic acid [...] Read more.
Purpose: Numerous carbohydrate polymers are frequently used in wound-dressing films because they are highly effective materials for promoting successful wound healing. In this study, we prepared amikacin (AM)-containing hydrogel films through the cross-linking of chitosan (CS) with folic acid along with methacrylic acid (MA), ammonium peroxodisulfate (APS), and methylenebisacrylamide (MBA). In the current studies, an effort has been made to look at the possibilities of these materials in developing new hydrogel film wound dressings meant for a slow release of the antibiotic AM and to enhance the potential for wound healing. Methods: Free-radical polymerization was used to generate the hydrogel film, and different concentrations of the CS polymer were used. Measurements were taken of the film thickness, weight fluctuation, folding resistance, moisture content, and moisture uptake. HPLC, FTIR, SEM, DSC, and AFM analyses were some of the different techniques used to confirm that the films were successfully developed. Results: The AM release profile demonstrated regulated release over a period of 24 h in simulated wound media at pH 5.5 and 7.4, with a low initial burst release. The antibacterial activity against gram-negative bacterial strains exhibited substantial effectiveness, with inhibitory zones measuring approximately 20.5 ± 0.1 mm. Additionally, in vitro cytocompatibility assessments demonstrated remarkable cell viability, surpassing 80%, specifically when evaluated against human skin fibroblast (HFF-1) cells. Conclusions: The exciting findings of this study indicate the promising potential for further development and testing of these hydrogel films, offering effective and controlled antibiotic release to enhance the process of wound healing. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Hydrogels for Biomedical Application)
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Review

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39 pages, 9428 KiB  
Review
Advancements in Nanogels for Enhanced Ocular Drug Delivery: Cutting-Edge Strategies to Overcome Eye Barriers
by Hyeonah Lee and Hyeran Noh
Gels 2023, 9(9), 718; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels9090718 - 04 Sep 2023
Viewed by 1507
Abstract
Nanomedicine in gel or particle formation holds considerable potential for enhancing passive and active targeting within ocular drug delivery systems. The complex barriers of the eye, exemplified by the intricate network of closely connected tissue structures, pose significant challenges for drug administration. Leveraging [...] Read more.
Nanomedicine in gel or particle formation holds considerable potential for enhancing passive and active targeting within ocular drug delivery systems. The complex barriers of the eye, exemplified by the intricate network of closely connected tissue structures, pose significant challenges for drug administration. Leveraging the capability of engineered nanomedicine offers a promising approach to enhance drug penetration, particularly through active targeting agents such as protein peptides and aptamers, which facilitate targeted release and heightened bioavailability. Simultaneously, DNA carriers have emerged as a cutting-edge class of active-targeting structures, connecting active targeting agents and illustrating their potential in ocular drug delivery applications. This review aims to consolidate recent findings regarding the optimization of various nanoparticles, i.e., hydrogel-based systems, incorporating both passive and active targeting agents for ocular drug delivery, thereby identifying novel mechanisms and strategies. Furthermore, the review delves into the potential application of DNA nanostructures, exploring their role in the development of targeted drug delivery approaches within the field of ocular therapy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Hydrogels for Biomedical Application)
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