Submit to IJMS Review for IJMS Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Design and Synthesis of Biomedical Polymer Materials

Special Issue Editors
Special Issue Information
Keywords
Published Papers

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Macromolecules".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 February 2023) | Viewed by 14386

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Jie Chen

E-Mail
Guest Editor

Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Jilin, China
Interests: design and synthesis of biomedical polymer materials; gene delivery systems; gene therapy; drug controlled release; tumor vaccines and tumor immunotherapy

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Biomedical polymer materials have been widely used, and have greatly promoted the development of biomedical fields because of their biocompatibility and non-toxicity. The development of biotechnology and medical technology has set higher requirements for biomedical materials. Design and synthesis of polymer materials are the prerequisite for biomedical application. Various kinds of polymer materials for biomedical application, such as nanoparticles, hydrogels, stimuli-responsive materials, and implant materials, have been widely investigated. Additionally, there are also many biomedical application fields of polymer materials, including tissue engineering, gene/drug delivery, medical devices, diagnostics, antiviral, antibacterial, etc. Therefore, in this Special Issue, we aim to highlight the design, synthesis, functionalization, and future applications of polymer materials for biomedical application. It is certain that this Special Issue will arouse the attention of researchers in various fields, such as materials science, biomedical research, and even clinics. Manuscripts about polymer materials and technologies for scientific advancement and their applications are all welcomed. Both original research and review articles will be included in this Special Issue.

Dr. Jie Chen
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. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. 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

biomedical polymers
smart micelles
hydrogels
drug delivery
tissue engineering
gene therapy
immunotherapy
molecular therapy
nanoparticles
functionalization

Published Papers (7 papers)

Download All Papers

Order results

Result details

Show export options Show export options

Select all

Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

14 pages, 3564 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Role of Berberine Thermosensitive Hydrogel in Periodontitis via PI3K/AKT Pathway In Vitro

by Chang Wang, Chang Liu, Chen Liang, Xingyuan Qu, Xinying Zou, Siyu Du, Qian Zhang and Lei Wang

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(7), 6364; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24076364 - 28 Mar 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1934

Abstract

Periodontitis is a long-term inflammatory illness and a leading contributor to tooth loss in humans. Due to the influence of the anatomic parameters of teeth, such as root bifurcation lesions and the depth of the periodontal pocket, basic periodontal treatment on its own often does not completely obliterate flora microorganisms. As a consequence, topical medication has become a significant supplement in the treatment of chronic periodontitis. Berberine (BBR) has various pharmacological effects, such as hypoglycemic, antitumor, antiarrhythmic, anti-inflammatory, etc. The target of our project is to develop a safe and non-toxic carrier that can effectively release berberine, which can significantly reduce periodontal tissue inflammation, and to investigate whether berberine thermosensitive hydrogel can exert anti-inflammatory and osteogenic effects by modulating phosphatifylinositol-3-kinase/Protein Kinase B (PI3K/AKT) signaling pathway. Consequently, firstly berberine temperature-sensitive hydrogel was prepared, and its characterizations showed that the mixed solution gelated within 3 min under 37 °C with a hole diameter of 10–130 µm, and the accumulation of berberine release amounted to 89.99% at 21 days. CCK-8 and live-dead cell staining results indicated that this hydrogel was not biotoxic, and it is also presumed that the optimum concentration of berberine is 5 µM, which was selected for subsequent experiments. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and Western blotting (WB)results demonstrated that inflammatory factors, as well as protein levels, were significantly reduced in the berberine-loaded hydrogel group, and LY294002 (PI3K inhibitor) could enhance this effect (p < 0.05). In the berberine-loaded hydrogel group, osteogenesis-related factor levels and protein profiles were visibly increased, along with an increase in alkaline phosphatase expression, which was inhibited by LY294002 (p < 0.05). Therefore, berberine thermosensitive hydrogel may be an effective treatment for periodontitis, and it may exert anti-inflammatory and osteogenic effects through the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design and Synthesis of Biomedical Polymer Materials)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

21 pages, 18453 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Surface Biofunctionalization of Gadolinium Phosphate Nanobunches for Boosting Osteogenesis/Chondrogenesis Differentiation

by Zhongxing Cai, Ziyi Guo, Chaohui Yang, Fei Wang, Peibiao Zhang, Yu Wang, Min Guo, Zongliang Wang, Jing Huang and Long Zhang

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(3), 2032; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24032032 - 19 Jan 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1388

Abstract

In order to achieve smart biomedical micro/nanomaterials, promote interaction with biomolecules, improve osteogenic/chondrogenic differentiation, exhibit better dispersion in bone implants and ultimately maximize functionality, we innovatively and successfully designed and synthesized polymer PBLG-modified GdPO₄·H₂O nanobunches by hydroxylation, silylation and glutamylation processes. The effects of different feeding ratios on the surface coating of GdPO₄·H₂O with Si-OH, the grafting γ-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APS) and the in situ ring-opening polymerization reaction of poly(g-benzyl-L-glutamate) (PBLG) were investigated, and the physical and chemical properties were characterized in detail. When GdPO₄·H₂O@SiO₂–APS:NCA = 4:1, the PBLG-g-GdPO₄·H₂O grafting rate was 5.93%, with good stability and dispersion in degradable polymeric materials. However, the MRI imaging signal was sequentially weakened as the modification process proceeded. Despite this, the biological effects had surprising findings. All the modifiers at appropriate concentrations were biocompatible and biologically active and the biomacromolecules of COL I and COL II in particular were expressed at least 3 times higher in GdPO₄·H₂O@SiO₂ compared to the PLGA. This indicates that the appropriate surface modification and functionalization of gadolinium-containing micro/nanomaterials can promote interaction with cells and encourage bone regeneration by regulating biomacromolecules and can be used in the field of biomedical materials. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design and Synthesis of Biomedical Polymer Materials)

► Show Figures

Graphical abstract

16 pages, 10576 KiB

Open AccessArticle

DNA Nanoflowers’ Amelioration of Lupus Symptoms in Mice via Blockade of TLR7/9’s Signal

by Jing Wang and Mingzhe Gan

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(24), 16030; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms232416030 - 16 Dec 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1272

Abstract

Inhibitory oligodeoxynucleotides (INH-ODN) can exert an immunomodulatory effect to specifically block TLR7 and TLR9 signaling in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). To extend the half-life of INH-ODN in vivo, the phosphorothioate backbone, instead of the native phosphodiester, is preferred due to its strong resistance against nuclease degradation. However, its incomplete degradation in vivo may lead to potential risk. To solve these problems and enhance the blockage of TLR7 and TLR9, we prepared highly compressed DNA nanoflowers with prolonged native DNA backbones and repeated INH-ODN motifs. Three therapeutic types of nanoflower, incorporating INH-ODN sequences, including IRS 661, IRS 869, and IRS 954, were prepared by rolling circle amplification and were subcutaneously injected into MRL/lpr mice. The TLR7 blocker of the IRS 661 nanoflower and the TLR9 antagonist of the IRS 869 nanoflower could decrease autoantibodies, reduce cytokine secretion, and alleviate lupus nephritis in mice. However, the IRS 954 nanoflower, the TLR7 and TLR9 dual antagonist, did not have additive or opposing effects on lupus nephritis but only showed a decrease in serum IFNα, suggesting that the TLR7 and TLR9 antagonist may have a competition mechanism or signal-dependent switching relationship. INH-ODN nanoflowers were proposed as a novel and potential therapeutic nucleic acids for SLE. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design and Synthesis of Biomedical Polymer Materials)

► Show Figures

Graphical abstract

21 pages, 3233 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Development of Chitosan/Gelatin-Based Hydrogels Incorporated with Albumin Particles

by Magdalena Bańkosz

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(22), 14136; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms232214136 - 16 Nov 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1614

Abstract

The research subject of this paper are natural polymer-based hydrogels modified with albumin particles. The proteins were obtained via the salt-induced precipitation method, and next characterized using dynamic light scattering (DLS), UV-Vis spectroscopy and FT-IR spectroscopy. The most favorable composition showing monodispersity and particles with a size lower than 40 nm was selected for modification of hydrogels. Such systems were obtained via the photopolymerization performed under the influence of UV radiation using diacrylate poly(ethylene glycol) as a crosslinking agent and 2-hydroxy-2-methylpropiophenone as a photoinitiator. Next, the hydrogels’ swelling ability, mechanical properties, wettability and surface morphology were characterized. Moreover, FT-IR spectroscopy, incubation studies in simulated physiological liquids, pro-inflammatory activity analysis and MTT reduction assay with L929 murine fibroblasts were performed. The release profiles of proteins from hydrogels were also verified. Materials modified with proteins showed higher swelling ability, increased flexibility even by 50% and increased surface hydrophilicity. Hydrogels’ contact angles were within the range 62–69° while the tensile strength of albumin-containing hydrogels was approx. 0.11 MPa. Furthermore, the possibility of the effective release of protein particles from hydrogels in acidic environment (approximately 70%) was determined. Incubation studies showed hydrogels’ stability and lack of their degradation in tested media. The viability of fibroblasts was 89.54% for unmodified hydrogel, and approx. 92.73% for albumin-modified hydrogel, and such an increase indicated the positive impact of the albumin on murine fibroblast proliferation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design and Synthesis of Biomedical Polymer Materials)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

19 pages, 12617 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Treatment of Periodontal Inflammation in Diabetic Rats with IL-1ra Thermosensitive Hydrogel

by Yue Liu, Chang Liu, Chang Wang, Qian Zhang, Xingyuan Qu, Chen Liang, Chao Si and Lei Wang

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(22), 13939; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms232213939 - 11 Nov 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2188

Abstract

Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease that is considered to be the main cause of adult tooth loss. Diabetes mellitus (DM) has a bidirectional relationship with periodontitis. Interleukin-1β (IL-1β) is an important pre-inflammatory factor, which participates in the pathophysiological process of periodontitis and diabetes. The interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra) is a natural inhibitor of IL-1, and the balance between IL-1ra and IL-1β is one of the main factors affecting chronic periodontitis (CP) and diabetes. The purpose of this study is to develop a drug carrier that is safe and nontoxic and can effectively release IL-1ra, which can effectively slow down the inflammation of periodontal tissues with diabetes, and explore the possibility of lowering the blood sugar of this drug carrier. Therefore, in this experiment, a temperature-sensitive hydrogel loaded with IL-1ra was prepared and characterized, and its anti-inflammatory effect in high-sugar environments in vivo and in vitro was evaluated. The results showed that the hydrogel could gel after 5 min at 37 °C, the pore size was 5–70 μm, and the cumulative release of IL-1ra reached 83.23% on the 21st day. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) showed that the expression of IL-1β, Interleukin 6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) inflammatory factors decreased after the treatment with IL-1ra-loaded thermosensitive hydrogel. Histological evaluation and micro-computed tomography (Micro-CT) showed that IL-1ra-loaded thermosensitive hydrogel could effectively inhibit periodontal inflammation and reduce alveolar bone absorption in rats with diabetic periodontitis. It is worth mentioning that this hydrogel also plays a role in relieving hyperglycemia. Therefore, the temperature-sensitive hydrogel loaded with IL-1ra may be an effective method to treat periodontitis with diabetes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design and Synthesis of Biomedical Polymer Materials)

► Show Figures

Graphical abstract

Review

Jump to: Research

26 pages, 4290 KiB

Open AccessReview

PLGA-Based Micro/Nanoparticles: An Overview of Their Applications in Respiratory Diseases

by Xiaoping Guo, Xu Zuo, Zhengjie Zhou, Yinuo Gu, Haoyu Zheng, Xinlei Wang, Guoqiang Wang, Caina Xu and Fang Wang

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(5), 4333; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24054333 - 22 Feb 2023

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2916

Abstract

Respiratory diseases, such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), are critical areas of medical research, as millions of people are affected worldwide. In fact, more than 9 million deaths worldwide were associated with respiratory diseases in 2016, equivalent to 15% of global deaths, and the prevalence is increasing every year as the population ages. Due to inadequate treatment options, the treatments for many respiratory diseases are limited to relieving symptoms rather than curing the disease. Therefore, new therapeutic strategies for respiratory diseases are urgently needed. Poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) micro/nanoparticles (PLGA M/NPs) have good biocompatibility, biodegradability and unique physical and chemical properties, making them one of the most popular and effective drug delivery polymers. In this review, we summarized the synthesis and modification methods of PLGA M/NPs and their applications in the treatment of respiratory diseases (asthma, COPD, cystic fibrosis (CF), etc.) and also discussed the research progress and current research status of PLGA M/NPs in respiratory diseases. It was concluded that PLGA M/NPs are the promising drug delivery vehicles for the treatment of respiratory diseases due to their advantages of low toxicity, high bioavailability, high drug loading capacity, plasticity and modifiability. And at the end, we presented an outlook on future research directions, aiming to provide some new ideas for future research directions and hopefully to promote their widespread application in clinical treatment. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design and Synthesis of Biomedical Polymer Materials)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

22 pages, 30104 KiB

Open AccessReview

Recent Advances in Nanomaterials for Asthma Treatment

by Xu Zuo, Xiaoping Guo, Yinuo Gu, Haoyu Zheng, Zhengjie Zhou, Xinlei Wang, Shengyu Jiang, Guoqiang Wang, Caina Xu and Fang Wang

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(22), 14427; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms232214427 - 20 Nov 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2341

Abstract

Asthma is a chronic airway inflammatory disease with complex mechanisms, and these patients often encounter difficulties in their treatment course due to the heterogeneity of the disease. Currently, clinical treatments for asthma are mainly based on glucocorticoid-based combination drug therapy; however, glucocorticoid resistance and multiple side effects, as well as the occurrence of poor drug delivery, require the development of more promising treatments. Nanotechnology is an emerging technology that has been extensively researched in the medical field. Several studies have shown that drug delivery systems could significantly improve the targeting, reduce toxicity and improve the bioavailability of drugs. The use of multiple nanoparticle delivery strategies could improve the therapeutic efficacy of drugs compared to traditional delivery methods. Herein, the authors presented the mechanisms of asthma development and current therapeutic methods. Furthermore, the design and synthesis of different types of nanomaterials and micromaterials for asthma therapy are reviewed, including polymetric nanomaterials, solid lipid nanomaterials, cell membranes-based nanomaterials, and metal nanomaterials. Finally, the challenges and future perspectives of these nanomaterials are discussed to provide guidance for further research directions and hopefully promote the clinical application of nanotherapeutics in asthma treatment. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design and Synthesis of Biomedical Polymer Materials)

► Show Figures

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Design and Synthesis of Biomedical Polymer Materials

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editor

Special Issue Information

Keywords

Published Papers (7 papers)

Research

Review

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI