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Gels
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Hydrogel for Tissue Engineering and Biomedical Therapeutics
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Hydrogel for Tissue Engineering and Biomedical Therapeutics

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 December 2024 | Viewed by 2228

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Hyun Jong Lee

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Gachon University, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do 13120, Republic of Korea
Interests: hydrogel; tissue engineering; drug delivery system; mechanobiology; stem cell fate control; hyaluronic acid hydrogel; click chemistry; electrospinning; three-dimensional cell culture
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Welcome to the Special Issue ‘Hydrogels for Tissue Engineering and Biomedical Therapeutics’, a platform dedicated to exploring the transformative potential of hydrogels in tissue engineering and biomedical therapeutics. This Special Issue aims to highlight the latest trends and breakthroughs in hydrogel research and promote a deeper understanding of their design, fabrication, and use. Hydrogels have shown exceptional promise in mimicking the cellular microenvironment for tissue regeneration and engineering. Their biocompatibility and tunable properties make them ideal candidates for targeted drug delivery, enabling more effective and less invasive therapeutic interventions.

We invite researchers and experts from various disciplines to contribute their insights to this Special Issue. From innovative synthesis methods and advanced characterization techniques to novel applications, we aim to provide a comprehensive overview of this rapidly evolving field. By bringing together diverse perspectives, this Special Issue will serve as a compass to guide the future directions of hydrogel-based research and ultimately shape the landscape of tissue engineering and biomedical therapies.

Dr. Hyun Jong Lee
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

  • hydrogel
  • tissue engineering
  • biomedical therapeutics
  • biomimetic scaffolds
  • drug delivery
  • regenerative medicine
  • cell-material interactions

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 5735 KiB  
Article
Coated Microneedle System for Delivery of Clotrimazole in Deep-Skin Mycoses
by Barbara Jadach, Agata Nowak, Jolanta Długaszewska, Oliwia Kordyl, Irena Budnik and Tomasz Osmałek
Gels 2024, 10(4), 264; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels10040264 - 15 Apr 2024
Viewed by 852
Abstract
Mycoses of the skin are infectious diseases caused by fungal microorganisms that are generally treated with topical agents. However, such therapy is often ineffective and has to be supported by oral use of active substances, which, in turn, can cause many side effects. [...] Read more.
Mycoses of the skin are infectious diseases caused by fungal microorganisms that are generally treated with topical agents. However, such therapy is often ineffective and has to be supported by oral use of active substances, which, in turn, can cause many side effects. A good alternative for the treatment of deep-skin mycoses seems to be microneedles (MNs). The aim of this research was to fabricate and evaluate the properties of innovative MNs coated with a hydrogel as potential carriers for clotrimazole (CLO) in the treatment of deep fungal skin infections. A 3D printing technique using a photo-curable resin was employed to produce MNs, which were coated with hydrogels using a dip-coating method. Hydrogels were prepared with carbopol EZ-3 Polymer (Lubrizol) in addition to glycerol and triisopropanolamine. Clotrimazole was introduced into the gel as the solution in ethanol or was suspended. In the first step of the investigation, a texture analysis of hydrogels was prepared with a texture analyzer, and the drug release studies were conducted with the use of automatic Franz diffusion cells. Next, the release profiles of CLO for coated MNs were checked. The last part of the investigation was the evaluation of the antifungal activity of the prepared systems, and the inhibition of the growth of Candida albicans was checked with the diffusion and suspended-plate methods. The texture profile analysis (TPA) for the tested hydrogels showed that the addition of ethanol significantly affects the following studied parameters: hardness, adhesiveness and gumminess, causing a decrease in their values. On the other hand, for the gels with suspended CLO, better spreadability was seen compared to gels with dissolved CLO. The presence of the active substance did not significantly affect the values of the tested parameters. In the dissolution study, the results showed that higher amounts of CLO were released for MNs coated with a hydrogel containing dissolved CLO. Also, microbiological tests proved its efficacy against fungal cultures. Qualitative tests carried out using the diffusion method showed that circular zones of inhibition of fungal growth on the plate were obtained, confirming the hypothesis of effectiveness. The suspension-plate technique confirmed the inhibitory effect of applied CLO on the growth of Candida albicans. From the analysis of the data, the MNs coated with CLO dissolved in hydrogel showed better antifungal activity. All received results seem to be helpful in developing further studies for MNs as carriers of antifungal substances. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hydrogel for Tissue Engineering and Biomedical Therapeutics)
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16 pages, 6536 KiB  
Article
Investigating the Impact of Mechanical Properties and Cell-Collagen Interaction on NIH3T3 Function: A Comparative Study on Different Substrates and Culture Environments
by A Yeon Cho and Hyun Jong Lee
Gels 2023, 9(12), 922; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels9120922 - 22 Nov 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1027
Abstract
This study investigates the intricate dynamics of matrix stiffness, substrate composition, and cell–cell interactions and elucidates their cumulative effects on fibroblast behavior in different culture contexts. Three primary substrate types were examined: non-coated, collagen-coated, and collagen hydrogel, within both two-dimensional (2D) monolayer and [...] Read more.
This study investigates the intricate dynamics of matrix stiffness, substrate composition, and cell–cell interactions and elucidates their cumulative effects on fibroblast behavior in different culture contexts. Three primary substrate types were examined: non-coated, collagen-coated, and collagen hydrogel, within both two-dimensional (2D) monolayer and three-dimensional (3D) spheroid cultures. The research provides several key insights. First, 3D spheroid culture, which promotes robust cell–cell interactions, emerges as a critical factor in maintaining fibroblast functionality. Second, substrate stiffness significantly influences results, with the soft collagen hydrogel showing superior support for fibroblast function. Notably, fibroblasts cultured on collagen hydrogel in 2D exhibit comparable functionality to those in 3D, highlighting the importance of substrate mechanical properties. Third, surface composition, as exemplified by collagen coating, showed a limited effect compared to the other factors studied. These findings provide a basis for innovative applications in regenerative medicine, tissue engineering, and drug testing models, and offer valuable insights into harnessing the potential of fibroblasts and advancing biomedical sciences. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hydrogel for Tissue Engineering and Biomedical Therapeutics)
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