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Polymers
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Advanced Polymers for Medical Applications
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Advanced Polymers for Medical Applications

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Biomacromolecules, Biobased and Biodegradable Polymers".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2024 | Viewed by 5981

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Daniela Vieira Buchaim

E-Mail Website1 Website2
Guest Editor
Postgraduate Program in Structural and Functional Interactions in Rehabilitation, Postgraduate Department, University of Marilia (UNIMAR), Marília 17525-902, Brazil
Interests: regenerative medicine; scaffolds; fibrin sealant; photobiomodulation; bone repair; nerve regeneration; nerve repair; bone regeneration; fibrin biopolymer; low-level laser therapy

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Tissue Engineering, in the medical field, faces great challenges currently in developing research investigating new methods for available treatments, in the face of injuries, where reconstruction does not occur independently, with the objective of forming a new tissue with morphofunctional characteristics, identical to the original tissue. This research, aiming at translational medicine, takes place in an interdisciplinary way within the medical area in various pathologies. Therefore, this Special Issue seeks to confront scientific barriers with innovations in polymeric materials, from their production, development, pre-clinical and clinical studies, of natural or synthetic origin, which bring positive and beneficial effects from the bench to the bed.

This Special Issue is dedicated to reviews, meta-analyses, clinical and preclinical studies on the different uses of polymers in medicine.

Prof. Dr. Daniela Vieira Buchaim
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. Polymers 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 2700 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

  • polymers
  • medicine
  • scaffolds
  • regenerative medicine
  • biomaterials
  • biopolymers
  • 3D bioprinting
  • translational science
  • tissue regeneration
  • drug delivery system

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 10372 KiB  
Article
Polysaccharide Composite Alginate–Pectin Hydrogels as a Basis for Developing Wound Healing Materials
by Galina A. Davydova, Leonid L. Chaikov, Nikolay N. Melnik, Radmir V. Gainutdinov, Irina I. Selezneva, Elena V. Perevedentseva, Muhriddin T. Mahamadiev, Vadim A. Proskurin, Daniel S. Yakovsky, Aurel George Mohan and Julietta V. Rau
Polymers 2024, 16(2), 287; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16020287 - 20 Jan 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 921
Abstract
This article presents materials that highlight the bioengineering potential of polymeric systems of natural origin based on biodegradable polysaccharides, with applications in creating modern products for localized wound healing. Exploring the unique biological and physicochemical properties of polysaccharides offers a promising avenue for [...] Read more.
This article presents materials that highlight the bioengineering potential of polymeric systems of natural origin based on biodegradable polysaccharides, with applications in creating modern products for localized wound healing. Exploring the unique biological and physicochemical properties of polysaccharides offers a promising avenue for the atraumatic, controlled restoration of damaged tissues in extensive wounds. The study focused on alginate, pectin, and a hydrogel composed of their mixture in a 1:1 ratio. Atomic force microscopy data revealed that the two-component gel exhibits greater cohesion and is characterized by the presence of filament-like elements. The dynamic light scattering method indicated that this structural change results in a reduction in the damping of acoustic modes in the gel mixture compared to the component gels. Raman spectroscopy research on these gels revealed the emergence of new bonds between the components’ molecules, contributing to the observed effects. The biocompatibility of the gels was evaluated using dental pulp stem cells, demonstrating that all the gels exhibit biocompatibility. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Polymers for Medical Applications)
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20 pages, 10743 KiB  
Article
Ultrastructural Evidence of Synapse Preservation and Axonal Regeneration Following Spinal Root Repair with Fibrin Biopolymer and Therapy with Dimethyl Fumarate
by Paula Regina Gelinski Kempe, Mateus Vidigal de Castro, Victor Campos Khuriyeh, Benedito Barraviera, Rui Seabra Ferreira, Jr. and Alexandre Leite Rodrigues de Oliveira
Polymers 2023, 15(15), 3171; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15153171 - 26 Jul 2023
Viewed by 732
Abstract
Spinal cord injury causes critical loss in motor and sensory function. Ventral root avulsion is an experimental model in which there is the tearing of the ventral (motor) roots from the surface of the spinal cord, resulting in several morphological changes, including motoneuron [...] Read more.
Spinal cord injury causes critical loss in motor and sensory function. Ventral root avulsion is an experimental model in which there is the tearing of the ventral (motor) roots from the surface of the spinal cord, resulting in several morphological changes, including motoneuron degeneration and local spinal cord circuitry rearrangements. Therefore, our goal was to test the combination of surgical repair of lesioned roots with a fibrin biopolymer and the pharmacological treatment with dimethyl fumarate, an immunomodulatory drug. Thus, adult female Lewis rats were subjected to unilateral ventral root avulsion of L4–L6 roots followed by repair with fibrin biopolymer and daily treatment with dimethyl fumarate (15 mg/Kg; gavage) for 4 weeks, the survival time post-surgery being 12 weeks; n = 5/group/technique. Treatments were evaluated by immunofluorescence and transmission electron microscopy, morphometry of the sciatic nerve, and motor function recovery. Our results indicate that the combination between fibrin biopolymer and dimethyl fumarate is neuroprotective since most of the synapses apposed to alfa motoneurons were preserved in clusters. Also, nerve sprouting occurred, and the restoration of the ‘g’ ratio and large axon diameter was achieved with the combined treatment. Such parameters were combined with up to 50% of gait recovery, observed by the walking track test. Altogether, our results indicate that combining root restoration with fibrin biopolymer and dimethyl fumarate administration can enhance motoneuron survival and regeneration after proximal lesions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Polymers for Medical Applications)
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16 pages, 5845 KiB  
Article
Influence of Molecular Weight and Grafting Density of PEG on the Surface Properties of Polyurethanes and Their Effect on the Viability and Morphology of Fibroblasts and Osteoblasts
by Antonio David Abreu-Rejón, Wilberth Antonio Herrera-Kao, Alejandro May-Pat, Alejandro Ávila-Ortega, Nayeli Rodríguez-Fuentes, Jorge Alonso Uribe-Calderón and José Manuel Cervantes-Uc
Polymers 2022, 14(22), 4912; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14224912 - 14 Nov 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1285
Abstract
Grafting polyethylene glycol (PEG) onto a polymer’s surface is widely used to improve biocompatibility by reducing protein and cell adhesion. Although PEG is considered to be bioinert, its incorporation onto biomaterials has shown to improve cell viability depending on the amount and molecular [...] Read more.
Grafting polyethylene glycol (PEG) onto a polymer’s surface is widely used to improve biocompatibility by reducing protein and cell adhesion. Although PEG is considered to be bioinert, its incorporation onto biomaterials has shown to improve cell viability depending on the amount and molecular weight (MW) used. This phenomenon was studied here by grafting PEG of three MW onto polyurethane (PU) substrata at three molar concentrations to assess their effect on PU surface properties and on the viability of osteoblasts and fibroblasts. PEG formed a covering on the substrata which increased the hydrophilicity and surface energy of PUs. Among the results, it was observed that osteoblast viability increased for all MW and grafting densities of PEG employed compared with unmodified PU. However, fibroblast viability only increased at certain combinations of MW and grafting densities of PEG, suggesting an optimal level of these parameters. PEG grafting also promoted a more spread cell morphology than that exhibited by unmodified PU; nevertheless, cells became apoptotic-like as PEG MW and grafting density were increased. These effects on cells could be due to PEG affecting culture medium pH, which became more alkaline at higher MW and concentrations of PEG. Results support the hypothesis that surface energy of PU substrates can be tuned by controlling the MW and grafting density of PEG, but these parameters should be optimized to promote cell viability without inducing apoptotic-like behavior. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Polymers for Medical Applications)
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22 pages, 3001 KiB  
Article
Use of Photobiomodulation Combined with Fibrin Sealant and Bone Substitute Improving the Bone Repair of Critical Defects
by Karina Torres Pomini, Daniela Vieira Buchaim, Ana Carolina Cestari Bighetti, Jesus Carlos Andreo, Marcelie Priscila de Oliveira Rosso, José Stalin Bayas Escudero, Bruna Botteon Della Coletta, Murilo Priori Alcalde, Marco Antonio Hungaro Duarte, Dimitrius Leonardo Pitol, João Paulo Mardegan Issa, Edilson Ervolino, Matheus Bento Medeiros Moscatel, Márcia Zilioli Bellini, Alexandre Teixeira de Souza, Wendel Cleber Soares and Rogerio Leone Buchaim
Polymers 2022, 14(19), 4170; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14194170 - 04 Oct 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2123
Abstract
In this preclinical protocol, an adjunct method is used in an attempt to overcome the limitations of conventional therapeutic approaches applied to bone repair of large bone defects filled with scaffolds. Thus, we evaluate the effects of photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) on the bone [...] Read more.
In this preclinical protocol, an adjunct method is used in an attempt to overcome the limitations of conventional therapeutic approaches applied to bone repair of large bone defects filled with scaffolds. Thus, we evaluate the effects of photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) on the bone repair process on defects filled with demineralized bovine bone (B) and fibrin sealant (T). The groups were BC (blood clot), BT (B + T), BCP (BC + PBMT), and BTP (B + T + PBMT). Microtomographically, BC and BCP presented a hypodense cavity with hyperdense regions adjacent to the border of the wound, with a slight increase at 42 days. BT and BTP presented discrete hyperdensing areas at the border and around the B particles. Quantitatively, BCP and BTP (16.96 ± 4.38; 17.37 ± 4.38) showed higher mean bone density volume in relation to BC and BT (14.42 ± 3.66; 13.44 ± 3.88). Histologically, BC and BCP presented deposition of immature bone at the periphery and at 42 days new bone tissue became lamellar with organized total collagen fibers. BT and BTP showed inflammatory infiltrate along the particles, but at 42 days, it was resolved, mainly in BTP. In the birefringence analysis, BT and BTP, the percentage of red birefringence increased (9.14% to 20.98% and 7.21% to 27.57%, respectively), but green birefringence was similar in relation to 14 days (3.3% to 3.5% and 3.5% to 4.2%, respectively). The number of osteocytes in the neoformed bone matrix proportionally reduced in all evaluated groups. Immunostaining of bone morphogenetic protein (BMP—2/4), osteocalcin (OCN), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were higher in BCP and BTP when compared to the BC and BT groups (p < 0.05). An increased number of TRAP positive cells (tartrate resistant acid phosphatase) was observed in BT and BTP. We conclude that PBMT positively influenced the repair of bone defects filled with B and T. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Polymers for Medical Applications)
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