Gels | Special Issue : Hydrogels: Synthesis, Characterization and Applications (2nd Edition)

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Dear Colleagues,

Hydrogels, due to their biomimetic nature, have been widely explored for application in regenerative medicine. With the advancements in chemistry, biology and material sciences, diverse new methods for the synthesis and characterization of hydrogels have been proposed; the chemical compositions, topological structures and functionalities of hydrogels can be manipulated more effectively; and the physiological properties and biological functions of hydrogels can be further tailor-made and greatly enhanced. Correspondingly, the utility of hydrogels in regenerative medicine, in terms of tissue engineering, drug delivery and diagnosis, etc., have been intensively assessed, both in vitro and in vivo. This progress in the field has brought hydrogels ever closer to achieving their potential in regenerative medicine. Meanwhile, new challenges associated with translating hydrogels from bench to bedside have also emerged. In this Special Issue, we aim to highlight the most recent progress in the synthesis, characterization and application of hydrogels in regenerative medicine, with the expectation to provide new insights into the development of clinical applicable hydrogels. We invite original research articles and review papers that cover the emerging methods for synthesizing and characterizing hydrogels, new strategies in tailoring the chemical compositions, functionalities and properties of hydrogels, the in vitro and in vivo performance of hydrogels in tissue engineering, drug delivery and diagnosis, etc., and potential challenges in translating hydrogels to clinical settings.

Prof. Dr. Dezhong Zhou
Dr. Shuai Liu
Guest Editors

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Published Papers (1 paper)

Research

26 pages, 8628 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Novel Injectable Hydrogel Formulations and Gas Chromatography Analysis of the Residual Crosslinker in Formulations Intended for Pharmaceutical and Cosmetic Applications

by Fatimah Rashid, Paul Carter and Stephen Childs

Gels 2024, 10(4), 280; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels10040280 - 21 Apr 2024

Viewed by 427

Abstract

Novel hyaluronic acid (HA) crosslinked with pentaerythritol tetra-acrylate (PT) injectable hydrogels was invented. These injectable hydrogel/dermal filler formulations were synthesised using HA and the acrylate PT as a crosslinker under basic pH conditions using thermal crosslinking methods (oven heating), which provides a simple, safe, and eco-friendly method for crosslinking in 4 h under 45 °C. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analyses were conducted to represent the difference between the formulations in terms of peak formation and pore size, respectively. The crosslinking was partial as is considered to be typical for dermal injectable fillers. The rheological properties of these formulations showed that these novel dermal injectables are highly promising, and the newly developed fillers could be used with better results for dermal anti-wrinkle corrections, shaping, and volumising reasons. Furthermore, crosslinker (PT) residual analysis was carried out to state the formulations that are valid and acceptable for intradermal usage. The results from the GC method validation revealed it was a suitable method for this study. The GC analysis of all five injectable hydrogel/filler formulations demonstrated the formulations HA-PT 1, 2, 3 and 4 were formulated using (0.05–0.1)% w/w PT containing residual PT monomers within the safe limits that were determined to be below (0.008% w/w). This work has shown the development of a novel injectable hydrogel/filler formulation for pharmaceutical and cosmetic applications can be prepared in a more sustainable and simple way using pentaerythritol tetra-acrylate as a crosslinker agent, which holds great promise for the industry’s future advancement. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hydrogels: Synthesis, Characterization and Applications (2nd Edition))

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