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Polymers
Special Issues
Hydrogel-Based Composites for Biomedical Applications
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Hydrogel-Based Composites for Biomedical Applications

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Polymer Composites and Nanocomposites".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 January 2022) | Viewed by 16039

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Ronke M. Olabisi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California—Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
Interests: tissue engineering; wound healing; biomaterials; biomechanics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Hydrogels are crosslinked, highly hydrophilic polymer networks widely used in a variety of biomedical applications, from tissue engineering to drug delivery. By adjusting polymerization conditions or molecular weight, hydrogel mechanical properties are highly tunable. When incorporating materials ranging from nanoparticles to sensors, hydrogel composites can be formed such that the properties of the whole composite are improved over that of the individual components. These range from improved mechanical and optical properties to self-healing and sensor abilities. This Special Issue focuses on such hydrogel composites.

Dr. Ronke M. Olabisi
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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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. Polymers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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 2700 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
  • hydrogel composites
  • biomaterials
  • gels
  • polymers

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

22 pages, 5890 KiB  
Article
Bioinspired Design of Sericin/Chitosan/Ag@MOF/GO Hydrogels for Efficiently Combating Resistant Bacteria, Rapid Hemostasis, and Wound Healing
by Meng Zhang, Dong Wang, Nana Ji, Shaoxiang Lee, Guohui Wang, Yuqi Zheng, Xin Zhang, Lin Yang, Zhiwei Qin and Yang Yang
Polymers 2021, 13(16), 2812; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13162812 - 21 Aug 2021
Cited by 42 | Viewed by 4717
Abstract
Due to the spread of drug-resistant bacteria in hospitals, the development of antibacterial dressings has become a strategy to control wound infections caused by bacteria. Here, we reported a green strategy for in situ biomimetic syntheses of silver nanoparticles@organic frameworks/graphene oxide (Ag@MOF–GO) in [...] Read more.
Due to the spread of drug-resistant bacteria in hospitals, the development of antibacterial dressings has become a strategy to control wound infections caused by bacteria. Here, we reported a green strategy for in situ biomimetic syntheses of silver nanoparticles@organic frameworks/graphene oxide (Ag@MOF–GO) in sericin/chitosan/polyvinyl alcohol hydrogel. Ag@MOF–GO was synthesized in situ from the redox properties of tyrosine residues in silk sericin without additional chemicals, similar to a biomineralization process. The sericin/chitosan/Ag@MOF–GO dressing possessed a high porosity, good water retention, and a swelling ratio. The hemolysis rate of the composite was 3.9% and the cell viability rate was 131.2%, which indicated the hydrogel possessed good biocompatibility. The composite also showed excellent lasting antibacterial properties against drug-sensitive and drug-resistant pathogenic bacteria. The composite possessed excellent hemostatic activity. The coagulation effect of the composite may be related to its effect on the red blood cells and platelets, but it has nothing to do with the activation of coagulation factors. An in vitro cell migration assay confirmed and an in vivo evaluation of mice indicated that the composite could accelerate wound healing and re-epithelialization. In summary, the composite material is an ideal dressing for accelerating hemostasis, preventing bacterial infection, and promoting wound healing. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hydrogel-Based Composites for Biomedical Applications)
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8 pages, 4791 KiB  
Communication
Calcein Binding to Assess Mineralization in Hydrogel Microspheres
by Kristopher White, Rabab Chalaby, Gina Lowe, Jacob Berlin, Carlotta Glackin and Ronke Olabisi
Polymers 2021, 13(14), 2274; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13142274 - 11 Jul 2021
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 3791
Abstract
We describe a method to assess mineralization by osteoblasts within microspheres using calcein. Fluorescence imaging of calcein bound to the calcium in hydroxyapatite permits assessment of the mineralized portion of the extracellular matrix. Colorimetric imaging of Alizarin Red S complexed with calcium also [...] Read more.
We describe a method to assess mineralization by osteoblasts within microspheres using calcein. Fluorescence imaging of calcein bound to the calcium in hydroxyapatite permits assessment of the mineralized portion of the extracellular matrix. Colorimetric imaging of Alizarin Red S complexed with calcium also gives measures of mineralization, and in tissue cultures calcein and Alizarin Red S have been shown to bind to the same regions of mineral deposits. We show that when the mineralization takes place within hydrogel microspheres, Alizarin Red S does not stain mineral deposits as consistently as calcein. As tissue engineers increasingly encapsulate osteoprogenitors within hydrogel scaffolds, calcein staining may prove a more reliable method to assess this mineralization. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hydrogel-Based Composites for Biomedical Applications)
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13 pages, 4458 KiB  
Article
Viscoelasticity, Mechanical Properties, and In Vitro Bioactivity of Gelatin/Borosilicate Bioactive Glass Nanocomposite Hydrogels as Potential Scaffolds for Bone Regeneration
by Asmaa M. Abd El-Aziz, Ahmed Abd El-Fattah, Azza El-Maghraby, Doaa A. Ghareeb and Sherif Kandil
Polymers 2021, 13(12), 2014; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13122014 - 20 Jun 2021
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 3138
Abstract
Chemical cross-linking was used to create nanocomposite hydrogels made up of gelatin (G) and borosilicate bioactive glass (BBG) with different content (0, 3, and 5 wt.%). The G/BBG nanocomposite hydrogels were studied for their morphology, mechanical properties, and viscoelasticity. SEM images revealed a [...] Read more.
Chemical cross-linking was used to create nanocomposite hydrogels made up of gelatin (G) and borosilicate bioactive glass (BBG) with different content (0, 3, and 5 wt.%). The G/BBG nanocomposite hydrogels were studied for their morphology, mechanical properties, and viscoelasticity. SEM images revealed a macroporous interconnected structure with particles scattered across the pore walls. Studies of water absorption and degradation confirmed that the nanocomposite scaffolds were hydrophilic and biodegradable. The addition of 5% BBG to the scaffold formulations increased the compressive modulus by 413% and the compressive intensity by 20%, respectively. At all frequency ranges tested, the storage modulus (G′) was greater than the loss modulus (G″), revealing a self-standing elastic nanocomposite hydrogel. The nanocomposite scaffolds facilitated apatite formation while immersed in simulated body fluid (SBF). According to the findings, G/BBG nanocomposite scaffolds could be a promising biomaterial for bone regeneration. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hydrogel-Based Composites for Biomedical Applications)
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Graphical abstract

13 pages, 2885 KiB  
Article
Multifactorial Effects of Gelling Conditions on Mechanical Properties of Skin-Like Gelatin Membranes Intended for In Vitro Experimentation and Artificial Skin Models
by Lilian C. Alarcón-Segovia, Jorge I. Daza-Agudelo and Ignacio Rintoul
Polymers 2021, 13(12), 1991; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13121991 - 18 Jun 2021
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3024
Abstract
The development of new cosmetic products, skin contact medical devices, skin medicaments, wound care devices, tattooing and piercing has experienced an impressive growth in recent years. In parallel, new restrictions to in vivo experimentation in animals and humans have been widely implemented by [...] Read more.
The development of new cosmetic products, skin contact medical devices, skin medicaments, wound care devices, tattooing and piercing has experienced an impressive growth in recent years. In parallel, new restrictions to in vivo experimentation in animals and humans have been widely implemented by regulatory authorities. New knowledge about alternative materials for in vitro skin-related experimentation is required to overcome these severe limitations. This paper presents a set of three 4-D surface response equations describing the mechanical properties of skin-like gelatin membranes intended for use as an alternative biomaterial for in vitro skin-related experimentation. The membranes were obtained by a sol-gel method. The novelty of this contribution is the establishment of the cross-dependency effects of key synthesis conditions on the final mechanical properties of gelatin membranes. The results of this work are useful to produce gelatin membranes with tailored mechanical properties mimicking different types of human skins. In particular, membranes with Young’s modulus of 1 MPa and maximum tensile strength of 0.85 MPa were obtained. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hydrogel-Based Composites for Biomedical Applications)
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