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Smart Hydrogels and Hydrogels Composites: Current Challenges and Opportunities
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Smart Hydrogels and Hydrogels Composites: Current Challenges and Opportunities

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 February 2022) | Viewed by 54959

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. David Mills

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Biological Sciences, Louisiana Tech University, Ruston, LA 71272, USA
Interests: cancer biomaterials; bioengineering; implant design; surface modification; targeted drug delivery; tissue engineering; 3D printing
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Hydrogels are highly hydrated three-dimensional (3D) networks of crosslinked hydrophilic polymer chains and have been widely explored for use as bioactive delivery agents, cell carriers, consumer products, tissue engineering scaffolds, and for wound healing. Hydrogels can be tailored for different chemical, electrical, mechanical, and thermal properties and can even be made to conduct electricity. Recent trends have focused on incorporating carbon-based nanomaterials, clay nanomaterials, and metallic and polymeric nanoparticles within the polymeric network to create hybrid, multicomposite, and multiresponsive hydrogels.

The goal of this Special Issue is to focus attention on synergies resulting from the combination of these materials. Nanoparticles can significantly enhance or modulate the electrical, bioinductive, pH, thermal or photoresponse. This Special Issue will feature recent advances in this field, focusing on pharmaceutical and regenerative medical applications, and the use of natural and synthetic additives that impart unique, novel, or critical functionalities. Manuscripts that address recent advances combining nanoparticles and hydrogels and highlight the synergic combination for the design of hydrogel systems are especially welcome.

Prof. Dr. David Mills
Guest Editor

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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

  • additives
  • biomedicine
  • hydrogel
  • functionalities

Published Papers (15 papers)

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Research

Jump to: Review

17 pages, 30168 KiB  
Article
Repeated Application and Removal of Polyisocyanopeptide Hydrogel Wound Dressings in a Splinted Full-Thickness Wound Model
by Roel C. Op ‘t Veld, Lieke Joosten, Peter Laverman, Ewald M. Bronkhorst, John A. Jansen, X. Frank Walboomers and Frank A. D. T. G. Wagener
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(6), 5127; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24065127 - 07 Mar 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1272
Abstract
Polyisocyanopeptide (PIC) hydrogels are proposed as promising wound dressings. These gels are thermo-sensitive, allow application as a cold liquid, and rely on gelation through body heat. It is supposed that the gel can be easily removed by reversing the gelation and washing it [...] Read more.
Polyisocyanopeptide (PIC) hydrogels are proposed as promising wound dressings. These gels are thermo-sensitive, allow application as a cold liquid, and rely on gelation through body heat. It is supposed that the gel can be easily removed by reversing the gelation and washing it away with a cold irrigation solution. The impact on wound healing of the regular application and removal of PIC dressings is compared to a single application of PIC and the clinically used Tegaderm™ in murine splinted full-thickness wounds for up to 14 days. SPECT/CT analysis of 111In-labelled PIC gels showed that, on average, 58% of the PIC gel could be washed out of the wounds with the employed method, which is, however, heavily influenced by personal technique. Evaluation with photography and (immuno-)histology showed that wounds in which PIC dressings were regularly removed and replaced were smaller at 14 days post-injury but performed on par with the control treatment. Moreover, the encapsulation of PIC in wound tissue was less severe and occurred less often when PIC was regularly refreshed. In addition, no morphological damage related to the removal procedure was observed. Thus, PIC gels are atraumatic and perform similarly to currently employed wound dressing materials, offering possible future benefits for both clinicians and patients. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Hydrogels and Hydrogels Composites: Current Challenges and Opportunities)
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17 pages, 4114 KiB  
Article
Effect of Hydrogel Contact Angle on Wall Thickness of Artificial Blood Vessel
by Wenyu Jin, Huanbao Liu, Zihan Li, Ping Nie, Guangxi Zhao, Xiang Cheng, Guangming Zheng and Xianhai Yang
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(19), 11114; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms231911114 - 21 Sep 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2391
Abstract
Vascular replacement is one of the most effective tools to solve cardiovascular diseases, but due to the limitations of autologous transplantation, size mismatch, etc., the blood vessels for replacement are often in short supply. The emergence of artificial blood vessels with 3D bioprinting [...] Read more.
Vascular replacement is one of the most effective tools to solve cardiovascular diseases, but due to the limitations of autologous transplantation, size mismatch, etc., the blood vessels for replacement are often in short supply. The emergence of artificial blood vessels with 3D bioprinting has been expected to solve this problem. Blood vessel prosthesis plays an important role in the field of cardiovascular medical materials. However, a small-diameter blood vessel prosthesis (diameter < 6 mm) is still unable to achieve wide clinical application. In this paper, a response surface analysis was firstly utilized to obtain the relationship between the contact angle and the gelatin/sodium alginate mixed hydrogel solution at different temperatures and mass percentages. Then, the self-developed 3D bioprinter was used to obtain the optimal printing spacing under different conditions through row spacing, printing, and verifying the relationship between the contact angle and the printing thickness. Finally, the relationship between the blood vessel wall thickness and the contact angle was obtained by biofabrication with 3D bioprinting, which can also confirm the controllability of the vascular membrane thickness molding. It lays a foundation for the following study of the small caliber blood vessel printing molding experiment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Hydrogels and Hydrogels Composites: Current Challenges and Opportunities)
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16 pages, 2986 KiB  
Article
Extracellular Matrix Biomimetic Hydrogels, Encapsulated with Stromal Cell-Derived Factor 1, Improve the Composition of Foetal Tissue Grafts in a Rodent Model of Parkinson’s Disease
by Vanessa Penna, Niamh Moriarty, Yi Wang, Kevin C. L. Law, Carlos W. Gantner, Richard J. Williams, David R. Nisbet and Clare L. Parish
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(9), 4646; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23094646 - 22 Apr 2022
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2355
Abstract
Clinical studies have provided evidence for dopamine (DA) cell replacement therapy in Parkinson’s Disease. However, grafts derived from foetal tissue or pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) remain heterogeneous, with a high proportion of non-dopaminergic cells, and display subthreshold reinnervation of target tissues, thereby highlighting [...] Read more.
Clinical studies have provided evidence for dopamine (DA) cell replacement therapy in Parkinson’s Disease. However, grafts derived from foetal tissue or pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) remain heterogeneous, with a high proportion of non-dopaminergic cells, and display subthreshold reinnervation of target tissues, thereby highlighting the need to identify new strategies to improve graft outcomes. In recent work, Stromal Cell-Derived Factor-1 (SDF1), secreted from meninges, has been shown to exert many roles during ventral midbrain DA development and DA-directed differentiation of PSCs. Related, co-implantation of meningeal cells has been shown to improve neural graft outcomes, however, no direct evidence for the role of SDF1 in neural grafting has been shown. Due to the rapid degradation of SDF1 protein, here, we utilised a hydrogel to entrap the protein and sustain its delivery at the transplant site to assess the impact on DA progenitor differentiation, survival and plasticity. Hydrogels were fabricated from self-assembling peptides (SAP), presenting an epitope for laminin, the brain’s main extracellular matrix protein, thereby providing cell adhesive support for the grafts and additional laminin–integrin signalling to influence cell fate. We show that SDF1 functionalised SAP hydrogels resulted in larger grafts, containing more DA neurons, increased A9 DA specification (the subpopulation of DA neurons responsible for motor function) and enhanced innervation. These findings demonstrate the capacity for functionalised, tissue-specific hydrogels to improve the composition of grafts targeted for neural repair. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Hydrogels and Hydrogels Composites: Current Challenges and Opportunities)
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18 pages, 2973 KiB  
Article
Hybrid Core-Shell Polymer Scaffold for Bone Tissue Regeneration
by Luciana Sartore, Chiara Pasini, Stefano Pandini, Kamol Dey, Marco Ferrari, Stefano Taboni, Harley H. L. Chan, Jason Townson, Sowmya Viswanathan, Smitha Mathews, Ralph W. Gilbert, Jonathan C. Irish, Federica Re, Piero Nicolai and Domenico Russo
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(9), 4533; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23094533 - 20 Apr 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2918
Abstract
A great promise for tissue engineering is represented by scaffolds that host stem cells during proliferation and differentiation and simultaneously replace damaged tissue while maintaining the main vital functions. In this paper, a novel process was adopted to develop composite scaffolds with a [...] Read more.
A great promise for tissue engineering is represented by scaffolds that host stem cells during proliferation and differentiation and simultaneously replace damaged tissue while maintaining the main vital functions. In this paper, a novel process was adopted to develop composite scaffolds with a core-shell structure for bone tissue regeneration, in which the core has the main function of temporary mechanical support, and the shell enhances biocompatibility and provides bioactive properties. An interconnected porous core was safely obtained, avoiding solvents or other chemical issues, by blending poly(lactic acid), poly(ε-caprolactone) and leachable superabsorbent polymer particles. After particle leaching in water, the core was grafted with a gelatin/chitosan hydrogel shell to create a cell-friendly bioactive environment within its pores. The physicochemical, morphological, and mechanical characterization of the hybrid structure and of its component materials was carried out by means of infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy, and mechanical testing under different loading conditions. These hybrid polymer devices were found to closely mimic both the morphology and the stiffness of bones. In addition, in vitro studies showed that the core-shell scaffolds are efficiently seeded by human mesenchymal stromal cells, which remain viable, proliferate, and are capable of differentiating towards the osteogenic phenotype if adequately stimulated. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Hydrogels and Hydrogels Composites: Current Challenges and Opportunities)
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15 pages, 4556 KiB  
Article
Transdermal Delivery of Indirubin-Loaded Microemulsion Gel: Preparation, Characterization and Anti-Psoriatic Activity
by Enxue He, Hailing Li, Xiaokun Li, Xunxun Wu, Kun Lei and Yong Diao
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(7), 3798; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23073798 - 30 Mar 2022
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2855
Abstract
Psoriasis is an immune disease caused by rapid and incomplete differentiation of skin basal cells. Natural products such as indirubin have historically served as excellent sources for the treatments of psoriasis. However, the poor solubility and bioavailability due to its plane and rigid [...] Read more.
Psoriasis is an immune disease caused by rapid and incomplete differentiation of skin basal cells. Natural products such as indirubin have historically served as excellent sources for the treatments of psoriasis. However, the poor solubility and bioavailability due to its plane and rigid crystal structure, which limits its efficacy. Herein, to improve the efficacy of indirubin, a hydrogel-based microemulsion drug delivery system was developed for transdermal delivery. The mean droplet size of the optimized microemulsion was 84.37 nm, with a polydispersity index (PDI) less than 0.2 and zeta potential value of 0~−20 mV. The transdermal flux and skin retention of indirubin at 24 h were 47.34 ± 3.59 μg/cm2 and 8.77 ± 1.26 μg/cm2, respectively. The optimized microemulsion was dispersed in carbomer 934 hydrogel to increase the consistency. The indirubin-loaded microemulsion gel was tested on an imiquimod-induced psoriasis mouse model. Results showed that this preparation can improve psoriasis symptoms by down-regulating the expression of IL-17A, Ki67, and CD4+T. This experiment provides great scalability for researchers to treat psoriasis, avoid first-pass effects, and increase the concentration of targeted drugs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Hydrogels and Hydrogels Composites: Current Challenges and Opportunities)
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12 pages, 4884 KiB  
Article
An Innovative Customized Biomimetic Hydrogel for Drug Screening Application Potential: Biocompatibility and Cell Invasion Ability
by Keng-Liang Ou, Chiung-Fang Huang, Wen-Chien Lan, Bai-Hung Huang, Hsu-An Pan, Yung-Kang Shen, Takashi Saito, Hsin-Yu Tsai, Yung-Chieh Cho, Kuo-Sheng Hung and Hsin-Hua Chou
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(3), 1488; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23031488 - 27 Jan 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3087
Abstract
The ability of Pluronic F127 (PF127) conjugated with tetrapeptide Gly-Arg-Gly-Asp (GRGD) as a sequence of Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) peptide to form the investigated potential hydrogel (hereafter referred to as 3DG bioformer (3BE)) to produce spheroid, biocompatibility, and cell invasion ability, was assessed in this [...] Read more.
The ability of Pluronic F127 (PF127) conjugated with tetrapeptide Gly-Arg-Gly-Asp (GRGD) as a sequence of Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) peptide to form the investigated potential hydrogel (hereafter referred to as 3DG bioformer (3BE)) to produce spheroid, biocompatibility, and cell invasion ability, was assessed in this study. The fibroblast cell line (NIH 3T3), osteoblast cell line (MG-63), and human breast cancer cell line (MCF-7) were cultured in the 3BE hydrogel and commercial product (Matrigel) for comparison. The morphology of spheroid formation was evaluated via optical microscopy. The cell viability was observed through cell counting Kit-8 assay, and cell invasion was investigated via Boyden chamber assay. Analytical results indicated that 3BE exhibited lower spheroid formation than Matrigel. However, the 3BE appeared biocompatible to NIH 3T3, MG-63, and MCF-7 cells. Moreover, cell invasion ability and cell survival rate after invasion through the 3BE was displayed to be comparable to Matrigel. Thus, these findings demonstrate that the 3BE hydrogel has a great potential as an alternative to a three-dimensional cell culture for drug screening applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Hydrogels and Hydrogels Composites: Current Challenges and Opportunities)
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12 pages, 3175 KiB  
Article
Hydrogel-Assisted 3D Volumetric Hotspot for Sensitive Detection by Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy
by Soo Hyun Lee, Sunho Kim, Jun-Yeong Yang, ChaeWon Mun, Seunghun Lee, Shin-Hyun Kim and Sung-Gyu Park
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(2), 1004; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23021004 - 17 Jan 2022
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2359
Abstract
Effective hotspot engineering with facile and cost-effective fabrication procedures is critical for the practical application of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). We propose a SERS substrate composed of a metal film over polyimide nanopillars (MFPNs) with three-dimensional (3D) volumetric hotspots for this purpose. The [...] Read more.
Effective hotspot engineering with facile and cost-effective fabrication procedures is critical for the practical application of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). We propose a SERS substrate composed of a metal film over polyimide nanopillars (MFPNs) with three-dimensional (3D) volumetric hotspots for this purpose. The 3D MFPNs were fabricated through a two-step process of maskless plasma etching and hydrogel encapsulation. The probe molecules dispersed in solution were highly concentrated in the 3D hydrogel networks, which provided a further enhancement of the SERS signals. SERS performance parameters such as the SERS enhancement factor, limit-of-detection, and signal reproducibility were investigated with Cyanine5 (Cy5) acid Raman dye solutions and were compared with those of hydrogel-free MFPNs with two-dimensional hotspots. The hydrogel-coated MFPNs enabled the reliable detection of Cy5 acid, even when the Cy5 concentration was as low as 100 pM. We believe that the 3D volumetric hotspots created by introducing a hydrogel layer onto plasmonic nanostructures demonstrate excellent potential for the sensitive and reproducible detection of toxic and hazardous molecules. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Hydrogels and Hydrogels Composites: Current Challenges and Opportunities)
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13 pages, 7004 KiB  
Article
Tuning Physicochemical Properties of a Macroporous Polysaccharide-Based Scaffold for 3D Neuronal Culture
by Gaspard Gerschenfeld, Rachida Aid, Teresa Simon-Yarza, Soraya Lanouar, Patrick Charnay, Didier Letourneur and Piotr Topilko
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22(23), 12726; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms222312726 - 25 Nov 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1966
Abstract
Central nervous system (CNS) lesions are a leading cause of death and disability worldwide. Three-dimensional neural cultures in biomaterials offer more physiologically relevant models for disease studies, toxicity screenings or in vivo transplantations. Herein, we describe the development and use of pullulan/dextran polysaccharide-based [...] Read more.
Central nervous system (CNS) lesions are a leading cause of death and disability worldwide. Three-dimensional neural cultures in biomaterials offer more physiologically relevant models for disease studies, toxicity screenings or in vivo transplantations. Herein, we describe the development and use of pullulan/dextran polysaccharide-based scaffolds for 3D neuronal culture. We first assessed scaffolding properties upon variation of the concentration (1%, 1.5%, 3% w/w) of the cross-linking agent, sodium trimetaphosphate (STMP). The lower STMP concentration (1%) allowed us to generate scaffolds with higher porosity (59.9 ± 4.6%), faster degradation rate (5.11 ± 0.14 mg/min) and lower elastic modulus (384 ± 26 Pa) compared with 3% STMP scaffolds (47 ± 2.1%, 1.39 ± 0.03 mg/min, 916 ± 44 Pa, respectively). Using primary cultures of embryonic neurons from PGKCre, Rosa26tdTomato embryos, we observed that in 3D culture, embryonic neurons remained in aggregates within the scaffolds and did not attach, spread or differentiate. To enhance neuronal adhesion and neurite outgrowth, we then functionalized the 1% STMP scaffolds with laminin. We found that treatment of the scaffold with a 100 μg/mL solution of laminin, combined with a subsequent freeze-drying step, created a laminin mesh network that significantly enhanced embryonic neuron adhesion, neurite outgrowth and survival. Such scaffold therefore constitutes a promising neuron-compatible and biodegradable biomaterial. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Hydrogels and Hydrogels Composites: Current Challenges and Opportunities)
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Review

Jump to: Research

21 pages, 1991 KiB  
Review
NVCL-Based Hydrogels and Composites for Biomedical Applications: Progress in the Last Ten Years
by Alejandra Gonzalez-Urias, Angel Licea-Claverie, J. Adriana Sañudo-Barajas and Mirian A. González-Ayón
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(9), 4722; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23094722 - 25 Apr 2022
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2592
Abstract
Hydrogels consist of three-dimensionally crosslinked polymeric chains, are hydrophilic, have the ability to absorb other molecules in their structure and are relatively easy to obtain. However, in order to improve some of their properties, usually mechanical, or to provide them with some physical, [...] Read more.
Hydrogels consist of three-dimensionally crosslinked polymeric chains, are hydrophilic, have the ability to absorb other molecules in their structure and are relatively easy to obtain. However, in order to improve some of their properties, usually mechanical, or to provide them with some physical, chemical or biological characteristics, hydrogels have been synthesized combined with other synthetic or natural polymers, filled with inorganic nanoparticles, metals, and even polymeric nanoparticles, giving rise to composite hydrogels. In general, different types of hydrogels have been synthesized; however, in this review, we refer to those obtained from the thermosensitive polymer poly(N-vinylcaprolactam) (PNVCL) and we focus on the definition, properties, synthesis techniques, nanomaterials used as fillers in composites and mainly applications of PNVCL-based hydrogels in the biomedical area. This type of material has great potential in biomedical applications such as drug delivery systems, tissue engineering, as antimicrobials and in diagnostic and bioimaging. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Hydrogels and Hydrogels Composites: Current Challenges and Opportunities)
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26 pages, 1564 KiB  
Review
Bacterial Cellulose and ECM Hydrogels: An Innovative Approach for Cardiovascular Regenerative Medicine
by Izabela Gabriela Rodrigues da Silva, Bruna Tássia dos Santos Pantoja, Gustavo Henrique Doná Rodrigues Almeida, Ana Claudia Oliveira Carreira and Maria Angélica Miglino
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(7), 3955; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23073955 - 02 Apr 2022
Cited by 21 | Viewed by 3433
Abstract
Cardiovascular diseases are considered the leading cause of death in the world, accounting for approximately 85% of sudden death cases. In dogs and cats, sudden cardiac death occurs commonly, despite the scarcity of available pathophysiological and prevalence data. Conventional treatments are not able [...] Read more.
Cardiovascular diseases are considered the leading cause of death in the world, accounting for approximately 85% of sudden death cases. In dogs and cats, sudden cardiac death occurs commonly, despite the scarcity of available pathophysiological and prevalence data. Conventional treatments are not able to treat injured myocardium. Despite advances in cardiac therapy in recent decades, transplantation remains the gold standard treatment for most heart diseases in humans. In veterinary medicine, therapy seeks to control clinical signs, delay the evolution of the disease and provide a better quality of life, although transplantation is the ideal treatment. Both human and veterinary medicine face major challenges regarding the transplantation process, although each area presents different realities. In this context, it is necessary to search for alternative methods that overcome the recovery deficiency of injured myocardial tissue. Application of biomaterials is one of the most innovative treatments for heart regeneration, involving the use of hydrogels from decellularized extracellular matrix, and their association with nanomaterials, such as alginate, chitosan, hyaluronic acid and gelatin. A promising material is bacterial cellulose hydrogel, due to its nanostructure and morphology being similar to collagen. Cellulose provides support and immobilization of cells, which can result in better cell adhesion, growth and proliferation, making it a safe and innovative material for cardiovascular repair. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Hydrogels and Hydrogels Composites: Current Challenges and Opportunities)
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22 pages, 2559 KiB  
Review
Future Challenges and Opportunities of Extracellular Matrix Hydrogels in Female Reproductive Medicine
by Emilio Francés-Herrero, Adolfo Rodríguez-Eguren, María Gómez-Álvarez, Lucía de Miguel-Gómez, Hortensia Ferrero and Irene Cervelló
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(7), 3765; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23073765 - 29 Mar 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3890
Abstract
Bioengineering and reproductive medicine have progressed shoulder to shoulder for several decades. A key point of overlap is the development and clinical translation of technologies to support reproductive health, e.g., scaffold-free constructs, polymeric scaffolds, bioprinting or microfluidics, and hydrogels. Hydrogels are the focus [...] Read more.
Bioengineering and reproductive medicine have progressed shoulder to shoulder for several decades. A key point of overlap is the development and clinical translation of technologies to support reproductive health, e.g., scaffold-free constructs, polymeric scaffolds, bioprinting or microfluidics, and hydrogels. Hydrogels are the focus of intense study, and those that are derived from the extracellular matrix (ECM) of reproductive tissues and organs are emerging as promising new players given their results in pre-clinical models. This literature review addresses the recent advances in the use of organ-specific ECM hydrogels in reproductive medicine, considering the entire female reproductive tract. We discuss in-depth papers describing the development of ECM hydrogels, their use in in vitro models, and their in vivo application in preclinical studies. We also summarize the functions of hydrogels, including as grafts, carriers for cell transplantation, or drug depots, and present the potential and possible scope for use of ECM hydrogels in the near future based on recent scientific advances. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Hydrogels and Hydrogels Composites: Current Challenges and Opportunities)
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23 pages, 5042 KiB  
Review
Smart Hydrogels for Advanced Drug Delivery Systems
by Aydin Bordbar-Khiabani and Michael Gasik
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(7), 3665; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23073665 - 27 Mar 2022
Cited by 98 | Viewed by 13951
Abstract
Since the last few decades, the development of smart hydrogels, which can respond to stimuli and adapt their responses based on external cues from their environments, has become a thriving research frontier in the biomedical engineering field. Nowadays, drug delivery systems have received [...] Read more.
Since the last few decades, the development of smart hydrogels, which can respond to stimuli and adapt their responses based on external cues from their environments, has become a thriving research frontier in the biomedical engineering field. Nowadays, drug delivery systems have received great attention and smart hydrogels can be potentially used in these systems due to their high stability, physicochemical properties, and biocompatibility. Smart hydrogels can change their hydrophilicity, swelling ability, physical properties, and molecules permeability, influenced by external stimuli such as pH, temperature, electrical and magnetic fields, light, and the biomolecules’ concentration, thus resulting in the controlled release of the loaded drugs. Herein, this review encompasses the latest investigations in the field of stimuli-responsive drug-loaded hydrogels and our contribution to this matter. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Hydrogels and Hydrogels Composites: Current Challenges and Opportunities)
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33 pages, 84840 KiB  
Review
Recent Advances in Polymer Additive Engineering for Diagnostic and Therapeutic Hydrogels
by Sang-Wook Bae, Jiyun Kim and Sunghoon Kwon
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(6), 2955; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23062955 - 09 Mar 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3808
Abstract
Hydrogels are hydrophilic polymer materials that provide a wide range of physicochemical properties as well as are highly biocompatible. Biomedical researchers are adapting these materials for the ever-increasing range of design options and potential applications in diagnostics and therapeutics. Along with innovative hydrogel [...] Read more.
Hydrogels are hydrophilic polymer materials that provide a wide range of physicochemical properties as well as are highly biocompatible. Biomedical researchers are adapting these materials for the ever-increasing range of design options and potential applications in diagnostics and therapeutics. Along with innovative hydrogel polymer backbone developments, designing polymer additives for these backbones has been a major contributor to the field, especially for expanding the functionality spectrum of hydrogels. For the past decade, researchers invented numerous hydrogel functionalities that emerge from the rational incorporation of additives such as nucleic acids, proteins, cells, and inorganic nanomaterials. Cases of successful commercialization of such functional hydrogels are being reported, thus driving more translational research with hydrogels. Among the many hydrogels, here we reviewed recently reported functional hydrogels incorporated with polymer additives. We focused on those that have potential in translational medicine applications which range from diagnostic sensors as well as assay and drug screening to therapeutic actuators as well as drug delivery and implant. We discussed the growing trend of facile point-of-care diagnostics and integrated smart platforms. Additionally, special emphasis was given to emerging bioinformatics functionalities stemming from the information technology field, such as DNA data storage and anti-counterfeiting strategies. We anticipate that these translational purpose-driven polymer additive research studies will continue to advance the field of functional hydrogel engineering. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Hydrogels and Hydrogels Composites: Current Challenges and Opportunities)
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19 pages, 5228 KiB  
Review
Nanohydrogels: Advanced Polymeric Nanomaterials in the Era of Nanotechnology for Robust Functionalization and Cumulative Applications
by Mohzibudin Z. Quazi and Nokyoung Park
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(4), 1943; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23041943 - 09 Feb 2022
Cited by 22 | Viewed by 3362
Abstract
In the era of nanotechnology, the synthesis of nanomaterials for advanced applications has grown enormously. Effective therapeutics and functionalization of effective drugs using nano-vehicles are considered highly productive and selectively necessary. Polymeric nanomaterials have shown their impact and influential role in this process. [...] Read more.
In the era of nanotechnology, the synthesis of nanomaterials for advanced applications has grown enormously. Effective therapeutics and functionalization of effective drugs using nano-vehicles are considered highly productive and selectively necessary. Polymeric nanomaterials have shown their impact and influential role in this process. Polymeric nanomaterials in molecular science are well facilitated due to their low cytotoxic behavior, robust functionalization, and practical approach towards in vitro and in vivo therapeutics. This review highlights a brief discussion on recent techniques used in nanohydrogel designs, biomedical applications, and the applied role of nanohydrogels in the construction of advanced therapeutics. We reviewed recent studies on nanohydrogels for their wide applications in building strategies for advantageously controlled biological applications. The classification of polymers is based on their sources of origin. Nanohydrogel studies are based on their polymeric types and their endorsed utilization for reported applications. Nanotechnology has developed significantly in the past decades. The novel and active role of nano biomaterials with amplified aspects are consistently being studied to minimize the deleterious practices and side effects. Here, we put forth challenges and discuss the outlook regarding the role of nanohydrogels, with future perspectives on delivering constructive strategies and overcoming the critical objectives in nanotherapeutic systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Hydrogels and Hydrogels Composites: Current Challenges and Opportunities)
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15 pages, 2043 KiB  
Review
Smart Nucleic Acid Hydrogels with High Stimuli-Responsiveness in Biomedical Fields
by Jie Li, Yangzi Zhang, Longjiao Zhu, Keren Chen, Xiangyang Li and Wentao Xu
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(3), 1068; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23031068 - 19 Jan 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2358
Abstract
Due to their hydrophilic, biocompatible and adjustability properties, hydrogels have received a lot of attention. The introduction of nucleic acids has made hydrogels highly stimuli-responsiveness and they have become a new generation of intelligent biomaterials. In this review, the development and utilization of [...] Read more.
Due to their hydrophilic, biocompatible and adjustability properties, hydrogels have received a lot of attention. The introduction of nucleic acids has made hydrogels highly stimuli-responsiveness and they have become a new generation of intelligent biomaterials. In this review, the development and utilization of smart nucleic acid hydrogels (NAHs) with a high stimulation responsiveness were elaborated systematically. We discussed NAHs with a high stimuli-responsiveness, including pure NAHs and hybrid NAHs. In particular, four stimulation factors of NAHs were described in details, including pH, ions, small molecular substances, and temperature. The research progress of nucleic acid hydrogels in biomedical applications in recent years is comprehensively discussed. Finally, the opportunities and challenges facing the future development of nucleic acid hydrogels are also discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Hydrogels and Hydrogels Composites: Current Challenges and Opportunities)
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