Nanocomposite Hydrogels and Their Application in Drug Delivery and Tissue Engineering

A special issue of Pharmaceutics (ISSN 1999-4923). This special issue belongs to the section "Nanomedicine and Nanotechnology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 October 2024 | Viewed by 850

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Faculty of Sciences for Healthcare Nutrition and Dietetica School, Universidad San Sebastián, Campus Las Tres Pascualas, Concepción 4030000, Chile
Interests: hydrogels; polysaccharides; biopolymers; polyphenols; biocomposites
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor
Biomaterials Center, University of Havana, Havana, Cuba
Interests: hydrogels; biopolymers; drug delivery; biomaterials; tissue engineering; cartilage tissue

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Hydrogels are one of the most investigated materials for different applications in the biomedical field. They possess a highly hydrated three-dimensional polymeric network and can mimic the chemical, physical, electrical and biological properties of tissues. Hydrogels have been used as wound dressings, hygiene products, adhesives and in tissue engineering. They are also crucial for the controlled release of bioactive molecules. Recent advances in these materials include the development of nanocomposite hydrogels, which result from the combination of nanoparticles of different nature (polymeric, inorganic/ceramic, metallic, etc.) with the polymeric network, achieving hydrogels reinforced with these nanostructures that exhibit enhanced physicochemical and biological properties. These emerging trends aim to achieve advanced hydrogels designed with tunable properties not commonly found in polymers.

This Special Issue aims to report on recent research and advances in the design, fabrication, and application of nanocomposite hydrogels. The potential of these hydrogels in biomedicine will be highlighted, especially in areas such as tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, cell culture, and drug delivery systems. This issue invites original research articles and reviews on the recent advances and challenges in this field of knowledge.

Dr. Gustavo Cabrera Barjas
Dr. Jomarien García-Couce
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • nanocomposite hydrogels
  • nanomaterials
  • tissue engineering
  • regenerative medicine
  • drug delivery
  • cell culture

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

17 pages, 4917 KiB  
Article
Engineered Exosomes Biopotentiated Hydrogel Promote Hair Follicle Growth via Reprogramming the Perifollicular Microenvironment
by Hairui Zhang, Jiali Yao, Qianyang Jiang, Yurou Shi, Weihong Ge and Xiaoling Xu
Pharmaceutics 2024, 16(7), 935; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics16070935 - 13 Jul 2024
Viewed by 531
Abstract
Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) is a highly prevalent condition in contemporary society. The conventional treatment of minoxidil tincture is hindered by issues such as skin irritation caused by ethanol, non-specific accumulation in hair follicles, and short retention due to its liquid form. Herein, we [...] Read more.
Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) is a highly prevalent condition in contemporary society. The conventional treatment of minoxidil tincture is hindered by issues such as skin irritation caused by ethanol, non-specific accumulation in hair follicles, and short retention due to its liquid form. Herein, we have developed a novel minoxidil-incorporated engineered exosomes biopotentiated hydrogel (Gel@MNs) that has the capability to modulate the perifollicular microenvironment for the treatment of AGA. Leveraging the exceptional skin penetration abilities of flexible liposomes and the targeting properties of exosomes, the encapsulated minoxidil can be effectively delivered to the hair follicles. In comparison to free minoxidil, Gel@MNs demonstrated accelerated hair regeneration in an AGA mouse model without causing significant skin irritation. This was evidenced by an increase in both the number and size of hair follicles within the dermal layer, enhanced capillary formation surrounding the follicles, and the regulation of the transition of hair follicle cells from the telogen phase to the anagen growth phase. Therefore, this safe and microenvironment-modifying hybrid exosome-embedded hydrogel shows promising potential for clinical treatment of AGA. Full article
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