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Polymers
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Polymer Nanomaterials-Mediated Delivery of Bioactive Molecules in Healthcare
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Polymer Nanomaterials-Mediated Delivery of Bioactive Molecules in Healthcare

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (25 January 2023) | Viewed by 4928

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Anna Di Salle

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Research Institute of Terrestrial Ecosystems – CNR Via Pietro Castellino, 111, 80131 Naples, Italy
Interests: biomaterials; bioactive molecule delivery; HPLC; bacteria–material interaction
Dr. Anna Calarco

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Research Institute on Terrestrial Ecosystems (IRET)—CNR, Via Pietro Castellino, 80131 Naples, Italy
Interests: nanotechnology; biomaterials; analytical methodologies applied to the chemical composition evaluation and nutritional property determination of natural substances; HPLC and UHPLC; GC; photodiode array detection (PDA); mass spectrometry (MS)
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Ilenia De Luca

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Research Institute of Terrestrial Ecosystems – CNR Via Pietro Castellino, 111, 80131 Naples, Italy
Interests: nanotechnology; biomaterials; gene delivery

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue highlights the current state and future prospects of polymer nanomaterial-mediated delivery of bioactive molecules in maintaining human wellbeing and health.

Nanosystems are increasingly applied in the administration of bioactive molecules as alternatives to traditional formulation approaches. Due to their unique properties, nanomaterials such as nanofibers, nanotubes, nanoparticles, and other nanofabricated devices are able to overcome drug instability during blood circulation, low renal clearance, limited accumulation in specific tissues, and low uptake by target cells.

This topic includes articles and reviews focused on the fabrication, characterization, and application of bionanomaterials based on natural or synthetic biopolymers delivering molecules able to modulate healthcare-related metabolic pathways and/or genetic and/or epigenetic factors. Research articles on biomaterial surface technology, cell–biomaterial interaction, and nanobiomaterial properties will also be included in this issue.

Dr. Anna Di Salle
Dr. Anna Calarco
Dr. Ilenia De Luca
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. 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

  • polymer nanomaterials
  • drug delivery
  • bioactive molecules
  • therapeutic applications
  • bioavailability

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 2715 KiB  
Article
MMP-2 Silencing through siRNA Loaded Positively-Charged Nanoparticles (AcPEI-NPs) Counteracts Chondrocyte De-Differentiation
by Raffaele Conte, Mauro Finicelli, Alessia Borrone, Sabrina Margarucci, Gianfranco Peluso, Anna Calarco and Michela Bosetti
Polymers 2023, 15(5), 1172; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15051172 - 25 Feb 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1876
Abstract
The abnormal matrix remodeling process, as well as inflammation, angiogenesis, and tumor metastasis, are related to an increase in the synthesis and secretion of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), the zinc-dependent proteolytic endopeptidases. Recent studies have evidenced MMPs’ role in osteoarthritis (OA) development, during which [...] Read more.
The abnormal matrix remodeling process, as well as inflammation, angiogenesis, and tumor metastasis, are related to an increase in the synthesis and secretion of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), the zinc-dependent proteolytic endopeptidases. Recent studies have evidenced MMPs’ role in osteoarthritis (OA) development, during which chondrocytes undergo hypertrophic differentiation and exhibit enhanced catabolism. The trait of OA is extracellular matrix (ECM) progressive degradation regulated by many factors, in which MMPs play an important role, which indicates them as potential therapeutic targets. Herein, a small interfering RNA (siRNA) delivery system able to suppress MMPs’ activity was synthetized. Results demonstrated that positively charged nanoparticles (AcPEI-NPs) complexed with MMP-2 siRNA are efficiently internalized by cells with endosomal escape. Moreover, avoiding lysosome degradation, MMP2/AcPEI nanocomplex increases nucleic acid delivery efficiency. Gel zymography, RT-PCR, and ELISA analyses confirmed MMP2/AcPEI nanocomplex activity even when embedded within collagen matrix resembling the natural extracellular matrix. Further, the inhibition of in vitro collagen degradation exerts a protective effect on chondrocyte dedifferentiation. The suppression of MMP-2 activity, preventing matrix degradation, protects chondrocytes against degeneration and supporting ECM homeostasis in articular cartilage. These encouraging results promote further investigation to validate the utilization of MMP-2 siRNA as ‘‘molecular switch’’ able to counteract osteoarthritis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Nanomaterials-Mediated Delivery of Bioactive Molecules in Healthcare)
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Review

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23 pages, 3489 KiB  
Review
Food-Derived Bioactive Molecules from Mediterranean Diet: Nanotechnological Approaches and Waste Valorization as Strategies to Improve Human Wellness
by Ilenia De Luca, Francesca Di Cristo, Anna Valentino, Gianfranco Peluso, Anna Di Salle and Anna Calarco
Polymers 2022, 14(9), 1726; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14091726 - 23 Apr 2022
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2456
Abstract
The beneficial effects of the Mediterranean diet (MedDiet), the most widely followed healthy diet in the world, are principally due to the presence in the foods of secondary metabolites, mainly polyphenols, whose healthy characteristics are widely recognized. However, one of the biggest problems [...] Read more.
The beneficial effects of the Mediterranean diet (MedDiet), the most widely followed healthy diet in the world, are principally due to the presence in the foods of secondary metabolites, mainly polyphenols, whose healthy characteristics are widely recognized. However, one of the biggest problems associated with the consumption of polyphenols as nutraceutical adjuvant concerns their bioavailability. During the last decades, different nanotechnological approaches have been developed to enhance polyphenol bioavailability, avoiding the metabolic modifications that lead to low absorption, and improving their retention time inside the organisms. This review focuses on the most recent findings regarding the encapsulation and delivery of the bioactive molecules present in the foods daily consumed in the MedDiet such as olive oil, wine, nuts, spice, and herbs. In addition, the possibility of recovering the polyphenols from food waste was also explored, taking into account the increased market demand of functional foods and the necessity to obtain valuable biomolecules at low cost and in high quantity. This circular economy strategy, therefore, represents an excellent approach to respond to both the growing demand of consumers for the maintenance of human wellness and the economic and ecological exigencies of our society. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Nanomaterials-Mediated Delivery of Bioactive Molecules in Healthcare)
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