Recent Advances in Hydrogel-Based Biomaterials

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2023) | Viewed by 8515

Special Issue Editors

Department of Industrial, Manufacturing, and Systems Engineering, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409, USA
Interests: 3d bioprinting; inkjet printing; polymer; tissue engineering; fluid mechanics
The State Key Laboratory of Fluid Power Transmission and Control Systems, Key Laboratory of 3D Printing Process and Equipment of Zhejiang Province, School of Mechanical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310028, China
Interests: rheology of biopolymer solutions/cell suspensions; fabrication of microspheres/nanofibers; 3D bioprinting of living cells/tissues; 3D printing of functional materials; electrohydrodynamic jet printing
The State Key Laboratory of Fluid Power Transmission and Control Systems, Key Laboratory of 3D Printing Process and Equipment of Zhejiang Province, School of Mechanical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310028, China
Interests: bioprinting; DLP; tissue engineering

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Hydrogels, as water-soluble polymers, have recently drawn more and more attention, have been broadly used as biomaterials, and have been selected for biomedical engineering applications, such as 3D bioprinting, due to its similarities to the natural extracellular matrix that enables cellular functions such as cell proliferation and differentiation. The applications of hydrogels include, but are not limited to, tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, and drug screening. Even though great progress has been made in the discovery of novel hydrogels which are suitable for biomedical applications, the currently existing hydrogels and their application areas are still quite limited. This Special Issue, “Hydrogels for Biomaterials Application”, aims to collect any recent studies ranging from the discovery/synthesis of novel hydrogels, characterizations of functional hydrogel-based biomaterials’ tunable properties, and various innovational biomedical applications of existing hydrogels. Review papers and perspectives that summarize state-of-the-art applications of hydrogels and the future perspectives of hydrogels are also welcome. Through this Special Issue, we look forward to facilitating the advances in materials science and seeing the broader impact of the utilization of hydrogels in new fields such as tissue engineering.

Dr. Changxue Xu
Dr. Heqi Xu
Dr. Yang Li
Guest Editors

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
  • biomaterials
  • 3D bioprinting
  • biomedical applications
  • tissue engineering

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 3203 KiB  
Article
Bioactive Polyurethane–Poly(ethylene Glycol) Diacrylate Hydrogels for Applications in Tissue Engineering
by Yixuan Yuan, Caleb Tyson, Annika Szyniec, Samuel Agro, Tara N. Tavakol, Alexander Harmon, DessaRae Lampkins, Lauran Pearson, Jerald E. Dumas and Lakeshia J. Taite
Gels 2024, 10(2), 108; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels10020108 - 29 Jan 2024
Viewed by 1187
Abstract
Polyurethanes (PUs) are a highly adaptable class of biomaterials that are among some of the most researched materials for various biomedical applications. However, engineered tissue scaffolds composed of PU have not found their way into clinical application, mainly due to the difficulty of [...] Read more.
Polyurethanes (PUs) are a highly adaptable class of biomaterials that are among some of the most researched materials for various biomedical applications. However, engineered tissue scaffolds composed of PU have not found their way into clinical application, mainly due to the difficulty of balancing the control of material properties with the desired cellular response. A simple method for the synthesis of tunable bioactive poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) hydrogels containing photocurable PU is described. These hydrogels may be modified with PEGylated peptides or proteins to impart variable biological functions, and the mechanical properties of the hydrogels can be tuned based on the ratios of PU and PEGDA. Studies with human cells revealed that PU–PEG blended hydrogels support cell adhesion and viability when cell adhesion peptides are crosslinked within the hydrogel matrix. These hydrogels represent a unique and highly tailorable system for synthesizing PU-based synthetic extracellular matrices for tissue engineering applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Hydrogel-Based Biomaterials)
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Review

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36 pages, 8851 KiB  
Review
Chitosan Hydrogels for Water Purification Applications
by Mariana Chelu, Adina Magdalena Musuc, Monica Popa and Jose M. Calderon Moreno
Gels 2023, 9(8), 664; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels9080664 - 17 Aug 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3440
Abstract
Chitosan-based hydrogels have gained significant attention for their potential applications in water treatment and purification due to their remarkable properties such as bioavailability, biocompatibility, biodegradability, environmental friendliness, high pollutants adsorption capacity, and water adsorption capacity. This article comprehensively reviews recent advances in chitosan-based [...] Read more.
Chitosan-based hydrogels have gained significant attention for their potential applications in water treatment and purification due to their remarkable properties such as bioavailability, biocompatibility, biodegradability, environmental friendliness, high pollutants adsorption capacity, and water adsorption capacity. This article comprehensively reviews recent advances in chitosan-based hydrogel materials for water purification applications. The synthesis methods, structural properties, and water purification performance of chitosan-based hydrogels are critically analyzed. The incorporation of various nanomaterials into chitosan-based hydrogels, such as nanoparticles, graphene, and metal-organic frameworks, has been explored to enhance their performance. The mechanisms of water purification, including adsorption, filtration, and antimicrobial activity, are also discussed in detail. The potential of chitosan-based hydrogels for the removal of pollutants, such as heavy metals, organic contaminants, and microorganisms, from water sources is highlighted. Moreover, the challenges and future perspectives of chitosan-based hydrogels in water treatment and water purification applications are also illustrated. Overall, this article provides valuable insights into the current state of the art regarding chitosan-based hydrogels for water purification applications and highlights their potential for addressing global water pollution challenges. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Hydrogel-Based Biomaterials)
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20 pages, 1346 KiB  
Review
Rheological Considerations of Pharmaceutical Formulations: Focus on Viscoelasticity
by Lívia Budai, Marianna Budai, Zsófia Edit Fülöpné Pápay, Zsófia Vilimi and István Antal
Gels 2023, 9(6), 469; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels9060469 - 07 Jun 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3395
Abstract
Controlling rheological properties offers the opportunity to gain insight into the physical characteristics, structure, stability and drug release rate of formulations. To better understand the physical properties of hydrogels, not only rotational but also oscillatory experiments should be performed. Viscoelastic properties, including elastic [...] Read more.
Controlling rheological properties offers the opportunity to gain insight into the physical characteristics, structure, stability and drug release rate of formulations. To better understand the physical properties of hydrogels, not only rotational but also oscillatory experiments should be performed. Viscoelastic properties, including elastic and viscous properties, are measured using oscillatory rheology. The gel strength and elasticity of hydrogels are of great importance for pharmaceutical development as the application of viscoelastic preparations has considerably expanded in recent decades. Viscosupplementation, ophthalmic surgery and tissue engineering are just a few examples from the wide range of possible applications of viscoelastic hydrogels. Hyaluronic acid, alginate, gellan gum, pectin and chitosan are remarkable representatives of gelling agents that attract great attention applied in biomedical fields. This review provides a brief summary of rheological properties, highlighting the viscoelasticity of hydrogels with great potential in biomedicine. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Hydrogel-Based Biomaterials)
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