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Pharmaceutics
Special Issues
Application Prospect of Hydrogels in the Treatment of Osteochondral Lesions
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Application Prospect of Hydrogels in the Treatment of Osteochondral Lesions

A special issue of Pharmaceutics (ISSN 1999-4923). This special issue belongs to the section "Drug Targeting and Design".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 January 2025 | Viewed by 3929

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Fátima Raquel Maia

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. 3B's Research Group, I3Bs—Research Institute on Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics, University of Minho, Headquarters of the European Institute of Excellence on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, Ave-Park, Parque de Ciência e Tecnologia, Zona Industrial da Gandra, Barco, 4805-017 Guimarães, Portugal
2. ICVS/3B’s—PT Government Associate Laboratory, Guimarães, Portugal
Interests: tissue engineering; regenerative medicine; biomaterials; hydrogels; biomimetics; biodegradable materials; osteochondral regeneration
Prof. Dr. Rui L. Reis

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. 3B’s Research Group, I3Bs—Research Institute on Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics, University of Minho, Headquarters of the European Institute of Excellence on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, AvePark, Parque de Ciência e Tecnologia, Zona Industrial da Gandra, Barco, 4805-017 Guimarães, Portugal
2. ICVS/3B’s–PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga, 4805-017 Guimarães, Portugal
Interests: tissue engineering; regenerative medicine; biomaterials; biomimetics; biodegradable materials; 3D in vitro models; cancer modelling
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Joaquim Miguel Oliveira

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. 3B’s Research Group, I3Bs—Research Institute on Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics, University of Minho, Headquarters of the European Institute of Excellence on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, AvePark, Parque de Ciência e Tecnologia, Zona Industrial da Gandra, Barco, 4805-017 Guimarães, Portugal
2. ICVS/3B’s–PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga, 4805-017 Guimarães, Portugal
Interests: nanobiomaterials; nanomedicine; theranostics; tissue engineering; bio 3D printing; 3D in vitro tissue models of disease
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The treatment of osteochondral (OC) lesions is complex due to the limited potential for cartilage and subchondral bone to heal. When OC lesions are not correctly restored, they can lead to osteoarthritis. Recent advancements in hydrogels have shown promise in many applications, including drug delivery systems and cell-laden materials. Hydrogels present a range of features, including a high water content that can partially emulate native tissues’ extracellular matrix, good permeability to nutrients and excretion metabolites, cytocompatibility, easy processability and modification, and tunable mechanical properties. In recent years, increasing research efforts have been focused on designing multifunctional injectable hydrogels and hierarchical scaffolds for OC tissue regeneration. Techniques such as scaffolding, bioprinting, in vitro OC models-on-chip, and drug-delivery systems have shown particular promise in this area.

This Special Issue aims to present the current developments of hydrogels for OC treatment, namely regarding drug delivery systems, cell-laden hydrogels, OC models-on-chip, and nanoparticle-loaded hydrogels. We invite you to submit your recent work on the use of hydrogels in treating OC defects. Both original research articles and reviews are welcome.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Fátima Raquel Maia
Prof. Dr. Rui L. Reis
Dr. Joaquim Miguel Oliveira
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. Pharmaceutics is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 2900 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

  • hydrogels
  • osteochondral defects
  • drug-delivery systems
  • cell-laden hydrogels
  • nanoparticle-loaded hydrogels

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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18 pages, 3354 KiB  
Article
Development of Conjugated Kefiran-Chondroitin Sulphate Cryogels with Enhanced Properties for Biomedical Applications
by Hajer Radhouani, Cristiana Gonçalves, F. Raquel Maia, Eduarda P. Oliveira, Rui L. Reis and Joaquim M. Oliveira
Pharmaceutics 2023, 15(6), 1662; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics15061662 - 5 Jun 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2303
Abstract
Hydrogels based on natural polysaccharides can have unique properties and be tailored for several applications, which may be mainly limited by the fragile structure and weak mechanical properties of this type of system. We successfully prepared cryogels made of newly synthesized kefiran exopolysaccharide-chondroitin [...] Read more.
Hydrogels based on natural polysaccharides can have unique properties and be tailored for several applications, which may be mainly limited by the fragile structure and weak mechanical properties of this type of system. We successfully prepared cryogels made of newly synthesized kefiran exopolysaccharide-chondroitin sulfate (CS) conjugate via carbodiimide-mediated coupling to overcome these drawbacks. The freeze-thawing procedure of cryogel preparation followed by lyophilization is a promising route to fabricate polymer-based scaffolds with countless and valuable biomedical applications. The novel graft macromolecular compound (kefiran-CS conjugate) was characterized through 1H-NMR and FTIR spectroscopy—which confirmed the structure of the conjugate, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA)—which mirrored good thermal stability (degradation temperature of about 215 °C) and, finally, gel permeation chromatography–size exclusion chromatography (GPC-SEC)—which proved an increased molecular weight due to chemical coupling of kefiran with CS. At the same time, the corresponding cryogels physically crosslinked after the freeze-thawing procedure were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Micro-CT, and dynamic rheology. The results revealed a prevalent contribution of elastic/storage component to the viscoelastic behavior of cryogels in swollen state, a micromorphology with micrometer-sized open pores fully interconnected, and high porosity (ca. 90%) observed for freeze-dried cryogels. Furthermore, the metabolic activity and proliferation of human adipose stem cells (hASCs), when cultured onto the developed kefiran-CS cryogel, was maintained at a satisfactory level over 72 h. Based on the results obtained, it can be inferred that the newly freeze-dried kefiran-CS cryogels possess a host of unique properties that render them highly suitable for use in tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, drug delivery, and other biomedical applications where robust mechanical properties and biocompatibility are crucial. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application Prospect of Hydrogels in the Treatment of Osteochondral Lesions)
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Review

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25 pages, 3196 KiB  
Review
Cutting-Edge Biomaterials in Intervertebral Disc Degeneration Tissue Engineering
by Yifan Wang, Chuyue Zhang, Junyao Cheng, Taoxu Yan, Qing He, Da Huang, Jianheng Liu and Zheng Wang
Pharmaceutics 2024, 16(8), 979; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics16080979 - 24 Jul 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1003
Abstract
Intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) stands as the foremost contributor to low back pain (LBP), imposing a substantial weight on the world economy. Traditional treatment modalities encompass both conservative approaches and surgical interventions; however, the former falls short in halting IVDD progression, while the [...] Read more.
Intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) stands as the foremost contributor to low back pain (LBP), imposing a substantial weight on the world economy. Traditional treatment modalities encompass both conservative approaches and surgical interventions; however, the former falls short in halting IVDD progression, while the latter carries inherent risks. Hence, the quest for an efficacious method to reverse IVDD onset is paramount. Biomaterial delivery systems, exemplified by hydrogels, microspheres, and microneedles, renowned for their exceptional biocompatibility, biodegradability, biological efficacy, and mechanical attributes, have found widespread application in bone, cartilage, and various tissue engineering endeavors. Consequently, IVD tissue engineering has emerged as a burgeoning field of interest. This paper succinctly introduces the intervertebral disc (IVD) structure and the pathophysiology of IVDD, meticulously classifies biomaterials for IVD repair, and reviews recent advances in the field. Particularly, the strengths and weaknesses of biomaterials in IVD tissue engineering are emphasized, and potential avenues for future research are suggested. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application Prospect of Hydrogels in the Treatment of Osteochondral Lesions)
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