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Polymers
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Biopolymer for Biomedical Application
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Biopolymer for Biomedical Application

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 September 2024 | Viewed by 5217

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Roxana Gheorghita

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Medicine and Biological Sciences, Ștefan cel Mare University of Suceava, 72229 Suceava, Romania
Interests: inulin; biopolymers; edible packaging; food; environment
Dr. Gheorghe Gutt

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Food Engineering, Stefan Cel Mare University of Suceava, 720229 Suceava, Romania
Interests: material engineering; instrumental analysis; food safety

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Biopolymers, while initially developed for food industry applications, have become widely used across various disciplines. The physicochemical properties, mechanical performance, high stability, degradability and microencapsulation capacity, make biopolymers adaptable to many other fields and functions. They can be designed for personalized and specialized biocompatibility, and are for the most part non-toxic, non-allergenic, and biodegradable. These properties, coupled with the ease of development and manipulation, have advanced the use of biopolymers beyond the original intent.

Because they are biologically active molecules, biopolymers have broad application in the biomedical domain. Forms of these molecules (e.g., hydrogels, microcapsules, films, coatings) are used in tissue engineering, wound dressings, in the design of medical implants, in drug delivery, and many other uses.

The purpose of the special issue "Biopolymer for Biomedical Application" is to highlight new discoveries, progress, and future directions of biopolymers in biomedical applications. We invite authors in the field to submit their latest original research papers, review articles, or short communications.

Dr. Roxana Gheorghita
Dr. Gheorghe Gutt
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. 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

  • biopolymers
  • biomedical applications
  • biocompatibility
  • microencapsulation
  • films and coatings
  • tissue engineering
  • wound dressings
  • modern biomedicine
  • essential oils and other active substances

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 2941 KiB  
Article
Inhibition of Pro-Fibrotic Molecules Expression in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis—Derived Lung Fibroblasts by Lactose-Modified Hyaluronic Acid Compounds
by Alice Donato, Antonino Di Stefano, Nadia Freato, Laura Bertocchi and Paola Brun
Polymers 2024, 16(1), 138; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16010138 - 31 Dec 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 917
Abstract
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic inflammatory and fibrotic pathological condition with undefined effective therapies and a poor prognosis, partly due to the lack of specific and effective therapies. Galectin 3 (Gal-3), a pro-fibrotic ß-galactoside binding lectin, was upregulated in the early [...] Read more.
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic inflammatory and fibrotic pathological condition with undefined effective therapies and a poor prognosis, partly due to the lack of specific and effective therapies. Galectin 3 (Gal-3), a pro-fibrotic ß-galactoside binding lectin, was upregulated in the early stages of the pathology, suggesting that it may be considered a marker of active fibrosis. In the present in vitro study, we use Hylach®, a lactose-modified hyaluronic acid able to bind Gal-3, to prevent the activation of lung myofibroblast and the consequent excessive ECM protein cell expression. Primary human pulmonary fibroblasts obtained from normal and IPF subjects activated with TGF-β were used, and changes in cell viability, fibrotic components, and pro-inflammatory mediator expression at both gene and protein levels were analyzed. Hylach compounds with a lactosylation degree of about 10% and 30% (Hylach1 and Hylach 2), administrated to TGF-β—stimulated lung fibroblast cultures, significantly downregulated α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) gene expression and decreased collagen type I, collagen type III, elastin, fibronectin gene and protein expression to near baseline values. This anti-fibrotic activity is accompanied by a strong anti-inflammatory effect and by a downregulation of the gene expression of Smad2 for both Hylachs in comparison to the native HA. In conclusion, the Gal-3 binding molecules Hylachs attenuated inflammation and TGF-β—induced over-expression of α-SMA and ECM protein expression by primary human lung fibroblasts, providing a new direction for the treatment of pulmonary fibrotic diseases. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biopolymer for Biomedical Application)
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25 pages, 9330 KiB  
Article
Surface Topography of PLA Implants Defines the Outcome of Foreign Body Reaction: An In Vivo Study
by Elena Ivanova, Alexey Fayzullin, Nikita Minaev, Irina Dolganova, Natalia Serejnikova, Elvira Gafarova, Mark Tokarev, Ekaterina Minaeva, Polina Aleksandrova, Igor Reshetov, Peter Timashev and Anatoly Shekhter
Polymers 2023, 15(20), 4119; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15204119 - 17 Oct 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 880
Abstract
The formation of a dense fibrous capsule around the foreign body and its contracture is the most common complication of biomaterial implantation. The aim of our research is to find out how the surface of the implant influences the inflammatory and fibrotic reactions [...] Read more.
The formation of a dense fibrous capsule around the foreign body and its contracture is the most common complication of biomaterial implantation. The aim of our research is to find out how the surface of the implant influences the inflammatory and fibrotic reactions in the surrounding tissues. We made three types of implants with a remote surface topography formed of polylactide granules with different diameters: large (100–200 µm), medium (56–100 µm) and small (1–56 µm). We placed these implants in skin pockets in the ears of six chinchilla rabbits. We explanted the implants on the 7th, 14th, 30th and 60th days and performed optical coherence tomography, and histological, immunohistochemical and morphometric studies. We examined 72 samples and compared the composition of immune cell infiltration, vascularization, the thickness of the peri-implant tissues, the severity of fibrotic processes and α-SMA expression in myofibroblasts. We analyzed the scattering coefficient of tissue layers on OCT scans. We found that implants made from large granules induced a milder inflammatory process and slower formation of a connective tissue capsule around the foreign body. Our results prove the importance of assessing the surface texture in order to avoid the formation of capsular contracture after implantation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biopolymer for Biomedical Application)
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20 pages, 5932 KiB  
Article
Antimicrobial Formulation of a Bacterial Nanocellulose/Propolis-Containing Photosensitizer for Biomedical Applications
by Isabella Salgado Gonçalves, Lais Roncalho Lima, Andresa Aparecida Berretta, Nathaly Alcazar Amorim, Sebastião Pratavieira, Thaila Quatrini Corrêa, Flávia Aparecida Resende Nogueira and Hernane Silva Barud
Polymers 2023, 15(4), 987; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15040987 - 16 Feb 2023
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1689
Abstract
With the aim of contributing to the development of more efficient materials for wound care, new topical formulations based on bacterial nanocellulose (BNC) hydrogels containing propolis were produced. Characterizations confirmed the incorporation of propolis into the BNC matrix, maintaining its structure and properties. [...] Read more.
With the aim of contributing to the development of more efficient materials for wound care, new topical formulations based on bacterial nanocellulose (BNC) hydrogels containing propolis were produced. Characterizations confirmed the incorporation of propolis into the BNC matrix, maintaining its structure and properties. Rheological analysis confirmed that the hydrogels showed thixotropic behavior appropriate for topical application. Chromatographic profiles showed sustained release of propolis biomarkers for at least 20 h. The formulations did not present mutagenicity. For application in photodynamic inactivation (PDI), BNC/propolis hydrogels were prepared with the photosensitizers methylene blue (MB). Spectroscopy and confocal fluorescence microscopy confirmed the interaction of MB and propolis in BNC hydrogels, as well as the formation of a new composite material. In the antibacterial assays, formulations containing MB and propolis significantly reduced Staphylococcus aureus growth. In the presence of light, BNC/MB hydrogels completely inhibited the microorganism. Therefore, the results suggest potential materials for the prevention or treatment of Staphylococcus aureus infections in wounds. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biopolymer for Biomedical Application)
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Review

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25 pages, 1643 KiB  
Review
Polymers and Biomaterials for Posterior Lamella of the Eyelid and the Lacrimal System
by Kevin Y. Wu, Jamie K. Fujioka, Emilie Goodyear and Simon D. Tran
Polymers 2024, 16(3), 352; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16030352 - 28 Jan 2024
Viewed by 872
Abstract
The application of biopolymers in the reconstruction of the posterior lamella of the eyelid and the lacrimal system marks a significant fusion of biomaterial science with clinical advancements. This review assimilates research spanning 2015 to 2023 to provide a detailed examination of the [...] Read more.
The application of biopolymers in the reconstruction of the posterior lamella of the eyelid and the lacrimal system marks a significant fusion of biomaterial science with clinical advancements. This review assimilates research spanning 2015 to 2023 to provide a detailed examination of the role of biopolymers in reconstructing the posterior lamella of the eyelid and the lacrimal system. It covers the anatomy and pathophysiology of eyelid structures, the challenges of reconstruction, and the nuances of surgical intervention. This article progresses to evaluate the current gold standards, alternative options, and the desirable properties of biopolymers used in these intricate procedures. It underscores the advancements in the field, from decellularized grafts and acellular matrices to innovative natural and synthetic polymers, and explores their applications in lacrimal gland tissue engineering, including the promise of 3D bioprinting technologies. This review highlights the importance of multidisciplinary collaboration between material scientists and clinicians in enhancing surgical outcomes and patient quality of life, emphasizing that such cooperation is pivotal for translating benchtop research into bedside applications. This collaborative effort is vital for restoring aesthetics and functionality for patients afflicted with disfiguring eyelid diseases, ultimately aiming to bridge the gap between innovative materials and their clinical translation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biopolymer for Biomedical Application)
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