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Biomaterials and Molecular Imaging Materials for Biomedical Research

A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944). This special issue belongs to the section "Biomaterials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2021) | Viewed by 18376

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Molecular Science and Technology, Ajou University, Suwon 16499, Korea
Interests: biodegradable polymers; smart drug delivery materials; 3D bioprinting

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Molecular Science and Technology, Ajou University, Suwon 16499, Korea
Interests: fluorescent bioprobe; molecular imaging; click chemistry; bioorthogonal chemistry; bio-imaging materials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Biomedical research is a broad area of science that aims to prevent and treat the diseases of human beings. Utilizing biotechnology techniques, biomedical researchers are eager to develop effective treatments and cures. Biomedical research is an evolutionary process requiring careful experimentation by many scientists, including biologists and chemists. Biomedical research saves lives, decreases the death rate, and improves the life quality of many of human patients.

Among other fields in biomedical research, there has been remarkable progress in biomaterial research over the past several decades. Biomaterials are manufactured or processed to be suitable for use as medical devices (or components thereof), interacting with human tissue and body fluids to treat, augment, replace tissue function, or diagnose diseases of the human body, without adverse reactions in the host organism.

The modern field of biomaterials research combines medicine, biology, physics, and chemistry. The field has grown significantly in the past decade because of innovative progression in tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, and more. Versatile materials, including metals, ceramics, polymers, glass, and even living cells and tissues, can be used in creating biomaterials. Along with a variety of chemical approaches, they can be reengineered into moulded or machined parts, coatings, fibres, films, foams, and fabrics for use in biomedical products and devices. They often are biodegradable, and some are bio-absorbable, meaning that they are eliminated gradually from the body after fulfilling a function.

On the other hand, we have experienced a rapid growth in the field of molecular imaging techniques for application in biomedical research. Many of the systems were originally developed for studying biochemical systems; however, recent molecular imaging research is considered a new scientific area that allows for the study of biomaterials for monitoring functional and anatomical changes in biomedical applications. Various bioimaging materials, including proteins, small molecules, nanomaterials, and polymers for X-ray computed tomography (CT); magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); single photon emission computer tomography (SPECT); positron emission tomography (PET); fluorescence; bioluminescence imaging; and ultrasound imaging have been used for monitoring application of biomaterial for biomedical research.

Because of the rapid progress of their application to biomedical research in the last couple of years, this Special Issue aims to collect relevant research or review articles so as to give an overview of the state of art in the assessment and recent technological breakthrough in biomaterials and molecular imaging materials for application in biomedical research.

Prof. Dr. Moonsuk Kim
Prof. Dr. Eunha Kim
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. Materials is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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

  • 3D Bioprinting
  • Nanoscale molecular self-assembly
  • Electrospinning
  • Biodegradable polymers
  • Bio-based polymers
  • Implantable biomaterials
  • Smart drug delivery materials
  • Cell recruiting materials
  • Signaling molecule releasing materials
  • Biocompatibility
  • Hybrid materials
  • Bioactivity
  • Click chemistry
  • Bioorthogonal chemistry
  • Ultrasound imaging
  • X-ray computed tomography
  • Magnetic resonance imaging
  • Single photon emission computer tomography
  • Positron emission tomography
  • Fluorescence and bioluminesecence imaging

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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13 pages, 3119 KiB  
Article
Study on the Expansion Dynamics of MDCK Epithelium by Interstitial Flow Using a Traction Force-Measurable Microfluidic Chip
by Mirim Kim, Hwanseok Jang and Yongdoo Park
Materials 2021, 14(4), 935; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14040935 - 16 Feb 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2480
Abstract
The movement of collective cells is affected through changes in physical interactions of cells in response to external mechanical stimuli, including fluid flow. Most tissues are affected by fluid flow at the interstitial level, but few studies have investigated the physical effects in [...] Read more.
The movement of collective cells is affected through changes in physical interactions of cells in response to external mechanical stimuli, including fluid flow. Most tissues are affected by fluid flow at the interstitial level, but few studies have investigated the physical effects in collective cells affected by a low flow rate. In this study, collective cell migration of Madin–Darby canine kidney (MDCK) epithelial cells was investigated under static or interstitial flow (0, 0.1, and 1 μL/min) using a traction microfluidic device. The optimization of calculation of cellular traction forces was first achieved by changing interrogation window size from the fluorescent bead images. Migration analysis of cell collectives patterned with a 700 μm circular shape reveals that cells under the slow flow (0.1 and 1 μL/min) showed the inhibitory migration by decreasing cell island size and cellular speed compared to that of static condition. Analysis of cellular forces shows that level of traction forces was lower in the slow flow condition (~20 Pa) compared to that of static condition (~50 Pa). Interestingly, the standard deviation of traction force of cells was dramatically decreased as the flow rate increased from 0 to 1 μL/min, which indicates that flow affects the distribution of cellular traction forces among cell collectives. Cellular tension was increased by 50% in the cells under the fluid flow rate of 1 μL/min. Treatment of calcium blocker increased the migratory speed of cells under the flow condition, whereas there is little change of cellular forces. In conclusion, it has been shown that the interstitial flow inhibited the collective movement of epithelial cells by decreasing and re-distributing cellular forces. These findings provide insights into the study of the effect of interstitial flow on cellular behavior, such as development, regeneration, and morphogenesis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biomaterials and Molecular Imaging Materials for Biomedical Research)
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10 pages, 3695 KiB  
Article
In Vivo Imaging of Click-Crosslinked Hydrogel Depots Following Intratympanic Injection
by Hyeon Jin Ju, Mina Park, Ji Hoon Park, Gi Ru Shin, Hak Soo Choi, Myung-Whan Suh and Moon Suk Kim
Materials 2020, 13(14), 3070; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma13143070 - 9 Jul 2020
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2918
Abstract
In this study, we developed injectable intratympanic hyaluronic acid (HA) depots for the treatment of hearing loss. We prepared an injectable click-crosslinking formulation by modifying HA with tetrazine (HA-TET) and trans-cyclooctene (HA-TCO), which crosslinked to form an HA depot (Cx-HA). Preparation of the [...] Read more.
In this study, we developed injectable intratympanic hyaluronic acid (HA) depots for the treatment of hearing loss. We prepared an injectable click-crosslinking formulation by modifying HA with tetrazine (HA-TET) and trans-cyclooctene (HA-TCO), which crosslinked to form an HA depot (Cx-HA). Preparation of the click-crosslinking HA formulation was facile, and Cx-HA depot formation was reproducible. Additionally, the Cx-HA hydrogel was significantly stiffer than HA hydrogel. To monitor the degradation pattern of hydrogels, we mixed a zwitterionic near-infrared (NIR) fluorophore (e.g., ZW800-1C) in the click-crosslinking HA formulation. Then, HA-TET and HA-TCO solutions containing ZW800-1C were loaded separately into the compartments of a dual-barrel syringe for intratympanic injection. The Cx-HA depots formed quickly, and an extended residence time in the tympanic cavity was confirmed by performing NIR fluorescence imaging. We have successfully prepared an injectable click-crosslinking HA formulation that has promise as an intratympanic drug depot. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biomaterials and Molecular Imaging Materials for Biomedical Research)
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Review

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12 pages, 3327 KiB  
Review
Fluorescent Materials for Monitoring Mitochondrial Biology
by Yeonjeong Chu, Jisoo Park, Eunha Kim and Sanghee Lee
Materials 2021, 14(15), 4180; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14154180 - 27 Jul 2021
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3225
Abstract
Mitochondria play important roles in diverse cellular processes such as energy production, cellular metabolism, and apoptosis to promote cell death. To investigate mitochondria-associated biological processes such as structure, dynamics, morphological change, metabolism, and mitophagy, there exists a continuous demand for visualizing and monitoring [...] Read more.
Mitochondria play important roles in diverse cellular processes such as energy production, cellular metabolism, and apoptosis to promote cell death. To investigate mitochondria-associated biological processes such as structure, dynamics, morphological change, metabolism, and mitophagy, there exists a continuous demand for visualizing and monitoring techniques elucidating mitochondrial biology and disease-relevancy. Due to the advantages of high sensitivity and practicality, fluorescence phenomena have been most widely used as scientific techniques for the visualization of biological phenomena and systems. In this review, we briefly overview the different types of fluorescent materials such as chemical probes, peptide- or protein-based probes, and nanomaterials for monitoring mitochondrial biology. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biomaterials and Molecular Imaging Materials for Biomedical Research)
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20 pages, 1913 KiB  
Review
Fluorescent Protein-Based Autophagy Biosensors
by Heejung Kim and Jihye Seong
Materials 2021, 14(11), 3019; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14113019 - 2 Jun 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 4983
Abstract
Autophagy is an essential cellular process of self-degradation for dysfunctional or unnecessary cytosolic constituents and organelles. Dysregulation of autophagy is thus involved in various diseases such as neurodegenerative diseases. To investigate the complex process of autophagy, various biochemical, chemical assays, and imaging methods [...] Read more.
Autophagy is an essential cellular process of self-degradation for dysfunctional or unnecessary cytosolic constituents and organelles. Dysregulation of autophagy is thus involved in various diseases such as neurodegenerative diseases. To investigate the complex process of autophagy, various biochemical, chemical assays, and imaging methods have been developed. Here we introduce various methods to study autophagy, in particular focusing on the review of designs, principles, and limitations of the fluorescent protein (FP)-based autophagy biosensors. Different physicochemical properties of FPs, such as pH-sensitivity, stability, brightness, spectral profile, and fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET), are considered to design autophagy biosensors. These FP-based biosensors allow for sensitive detection and real-time monitoring of autophagy progression in live cells with high spatiotemporal resolution. We also discuss future directions utilizing an optobiochemical strategy to investigate the in-depth mechanisms of autophagy. These cutting-edge technologies will further help us to develop the treatment strategies of autophagy-related diseases. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biomaterials and Molecular Imaging Materials for Biomedical Research)
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18 pages, 3584 KiB  
Review
3D Printing and NIR Fluorescence Imaging Techniques for the Fabrication of Implants
by Yong Joon Suh, Tae Hyeon Lim, Hak Soo Choi, Moon Suk Kim, Sang Jin Lee, Soon Hee Kim and Chan Hum Park
Materials 2020, 13(21), 4819; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma13214819 - 28 Oct 2020
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3562
Abstract
Three-dimensional (3D) printing technology holds great potential to fabricate complex constructs in the field of regenerative medicine. Researchers in the surgical fields have used 3D printing techniques and their associated biomaterials for education, training, consultation, organ transplantation, plastic surgery, surgical planning, dentures, and [...] Read more.
Three-dimensional (3D) printing technology holds great potential to fabricate complex constructs in the field of regenerative medicine. Researchers in the surgical fields have used 3D printing techniques and their associated biomaterials for education, training, consultation, organ transplantation, plastic surgery, surgical planning, dentures, and more. In addition, the universal utilization of 3D printing techniques enables researchers to exploit different types of hardware and software in, for example, the surgical fields. To realize the 3D-printed structures to implant them in the body and tissue regeneration, it is important to understand 3D printing technology and its enabling technologies. This paper concisely reviews 3D printing techniques in terms of hardware, software, and materials with a focus on surgery. In addition, it reviews bioprinting technology and a non-invasive monitoring method using near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence, with special attention to the 3D-bioprinted tissue constructs. NIR fluorescence imaging applied to 3D printing technology can play a significant role in monitoring the therapeutic efficacy of 3D structures for clinical implants. Consequently, these techniques can provide individually customized products and improve the treatment outcome of surgeries. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biomaterials and Molecular Imaging Materials for Biomedical Research)
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