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Hydrogel Biomaterials: Present and Future Challenges

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2022) | Viewed by 6664

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Gachon University, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do 13120, Korea
Interests: hydrogel; tissue engineering; drug delivery system; mechanobiology; stem cell fate control; hyaluronic acid hydrogel; click chemistry; electrospinning; three-dimensional cell culture
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Hydrogels consist of hydrophilic polymer networks with the ability to hold large quantities of water. The high-water content of hydrogels provides a biofriendly nature, and hydrogel biomaterials have been popular in the biomedical field. The three-dimensional network structure is linked through physical or chemical interaction. The physical properties, such as water content, mechanical strength, and degradation, can be controlled by the types of crosslinking and component polymers. Thus, versatile biomaterials can be designed in various ways according to the purpose.

Hydrogels are outstanding biomaterials that resemble the key physiological characteristics of natural extracellular matrices. They have great advantages when it comes to exploiting biomolecules such as nucleic acids, proteins, and cells, and many studies have been achieved to utilize the features. Still, novel hydrogel materials are being synthesized, and various process technologies are being used to fabricate functional hydrogels. Hydrogels are used as biomaterials for mechanobiology controlling cellular fate control. They are also used in the biomedical field, such as in tissue engineering, drug delivery, and biosensors, expanding into clinical applications. Researchers have been developing novel hydrogel materials, and advanced hydrogel materials will be widely used in the future.

It is our pleasure to invite you to submit review articles, original papers, and communications for this Special Issue, “Hydrogel Biomaterials: Present and Future Challenges”.

Prof. Dr. Hyun Jong Lee
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • synthesis of novel hydrogel biomaterials and characterization
  • fabrication of novel hydrogel biomaterials with new processing technologies
  • applications of hydrogel biomaterials for tissue engineering, drug delivery, and biosensors
  • fate control of cells with hydrogel biomaterials
  • clinical application of hydrogel biomaterials

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

11 pages, 5776 KiB  
Article
The Effects of 3-Dimensional Bioprinting Calcium Silicate Cement/Methacrylated Gelatin Scaffold on the Proliferation and Differentiation of Human Dental Pulp Stem Cells
by Dakyung Choi, Manfei Qiu, Yun-Chan Hwang, Won-Mann Oh, Jeong-Tae Koh, Chan Park and Bin-Na Lee
Materials 2022, 15(6), 2170; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15062170 - 15 Mar 2022
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2633
Abstract
A calcium silicate cement/methacrylated gelatin (GelMa) scaffold has been applied in tissue engineering; however, the research on its applications in dental tissue regeneration remains lacking. We investigate the effect of this scaffold on human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs). hDPSCs were cultured in [...] Read more.
A calcium silicate cement/methacrylated gelatin (GelMa) scaffold has been applied in tissue engineering; however, the research on its applications in dental tissue regeneration remains lacking. We investigate the effect of this scaffold on human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs). hDPSCs were cultured in 3D-printed GelMa and MTA-GelMa scaffolds. Cell adhesion was evaluated using scanning electron microscopy images. Cells were cultured in an osteogenic differentiation medium, which contained a complete medium or α-MEM containing aqueous extracts of the 3D-printd GelMa or MTA-GelMa scaffold with 2% FBS, 10 mM β-glycerophosphate, 50 μg/mL ascorbic acid, and 10 nM dexamethasone; cell viability and differentiation were shown by WST-1 assay, Alizarin Red S staining, and alkaline phosphatase staining. Quantitative real-time PCR was used to measure the mRNA expression of DSPP and DMP-1. One-way analysis of variance followed by Tukey’s post hoc test was used to determine statistically significant differences, identified at p < 0.05. hDPSCs adhered to both the 3D-printed GelMa and MTA-GelMa scaffolds. There was no statistically significant difference between the GelMa and MTA-GelMa groups and the control group in the cell viability test. Compared with the control group, the 3D-printed MTA-GelMa scaffold promoted the odontogenic differentiation of hDPSCs. The 3D-printed MTA-GelMa scaffold is suitable for the growth of hDPSCs, and the scaffold extracts can better promote odontoblastic differentiation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hydrogel Biomaterials: Present and Future Challenges)
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11 pages, 2692 KiB  
Article
Blue Light-Activated Riboflavin Phosphate Promotes Collagen Crosslinking to Modify the Properties of Connective Tissues
by Yeyoung Kang, Jae Hak Kim, Seo Young Kim, Won-Gun Koh and Hyun Jong Lee
Materials 2021, 14(19), 5788; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14195788 - 3 Oct 2021
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3275
Abstract
Reduced amounts of collagen and fragmented collagen fibers are characteristics of aging skin. Recently, user-friendly, at-home personal aesthetic devices using light-emitting diode (LED) light have been used for cost-effective and safe skin improvement. However, to dramatically improve the skin via collagen repair, we [...] Read more.
Reduced amounts of collagen and fragmented collagen fibers are characteristics of aging skin. Recently, user-friendly, at-home personal aesthetic devices using light-emitting diode (LED) light have been used for cost-effective and safe skin improvement. However, to dramatically improve the skin via collagen repair, we need to develop an LED-responsive photosensitizer. Corneal collagen crosslinking uses ultraviolet light to activate riboflavin phosphate (RFP) and is used in ophthalmology. RFP is a biocompatible photosensitizer derived from vitamin B2. This study aimed to prove that RFP combined with blue light (BL) can increase collagen crosslinking density, improving its mechanical properties in skin tissue and enhancing skin elasticity. We confirmed the RFP-induced photo-crosslinking in pure collagen by studying changes in its dynamic modulus and matrix morphology using collagen hydrogels. We also measured the changes in the mechanical properties after applying photo-crosslinking on porcine skin. The Young’s modulus (1.07 ± 0.12 MPa) and tensile strength (11.04 ± 1.06 MPa) of the porcine skin after photo-crosslinking were 2.8 and 3.5 times better compared to those of normal porcine skin, respectively. Thus, photo-crosslinking through RFP and BL irradiation can be potentially used for skin improvement using aesthetic LED devices. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hydrogel Biomaterials: Present and Future Challenges)
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