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Polymers
Special Issues
Multifunctional Polymeric Biomaterials
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Multifunctional Polymeric Biomaterials

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Biomacromolecules, Biobased and Biodegradable Polymers".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2019) | Viewed by 20513

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Maria Chatzinikolaidou

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Department of Materials Science and Technology, University of Crete, 70013 Heraklio, Greece
2. Institute of Electronic Structure and Laser (IESL), Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas (FORTH), 70013 Heraklion, Greece
Interests: multifunctional biomaterials; scaffolds; tissue engineering; cell-biomaterial interactions
Prof. Dr. Maria Vamvakaki

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Department of Materials Science and Technology, University of Crete, 70013 Heraklion, Greece
2. Institute of Electronic Structure and Laser (IESL), Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas (FORTH), P.O. Box 1527, 71110 Heraklion, Greece
Interests: nanocatalysts; semi-heterogeneous catalysts; photocatalysts, catalyst matrices; “smart”/responsive materials; organic-inorganic hybrid materials; hydrogels-nanogels

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We would like to invite you to contribute a full article, short communication, or review article to the Special Issue entitled ‘Multifunctional Polymeric Biomaterials’, which is anticipated to include topics on biomaterials synthesis and characterization and their use in various biomedical applications. Polymeric biomaterials present effective tools and platforms for supporting specific biomedical processes. The field of multifunctional polymeric biomaterials is evolving as an emerging research area that aims to control complex and tunable chemical, mechanical and biological functions in vitro and in vivo. Natural and synthetic polymers and hydrogels as well as composite biomaterials are being developed and processed to the desired form to carry and release bioactive molecules and drugs, to elicit specific biological responses, or to regenerate tissue or organs. Recent efforts focus on advanced materials endowed with electrical, magnetic, mechanical, or electronic features to stimulate specific biological functions in human organs. Contributions addressing topics related to the design, synthesis, characterization, modification and processing of such multifunctional polymeric and composite biomaterials for use in different biomedical applications, including but not limited to drug delivery, tissue engineering, medical implants and devices and biosensors, are very welcome.

Prof. Dr. Maria Chatzinikolaidou
Prof. Dr. Maria Vamvakaki
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

  • Polymers for biomedical applications (synthesis, characterization)
  • Multifunctional polymeric or composite biomaterials
  • Modification strategies to develop multifunctional biomaterials
  • Polymeric biomaterials for tissue engineering applications
  • Polymers in nanomedicine
  • Multifunctional polymers for controlled and/or targeted drug delivery
  • Nano-scale polymer assemblies for biomedical applications

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

11 pages, 2441 KiB  
Article
Development of Biodegradable Cosmetic Patch Using a Polylactic Acid/Phycocyanin–Alginate Composite
by Sarah Amalina Adli, Fathilah Ali, Azlin Suhaida Azmi, Hazleen Anuar, Nur Aimi Mohd Nasir, Rosnani Hasham and Mohamad Khairul Hafiz Idris
Polymers 2020, 12(8), 1669; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym12081669 - 27 Jul 2020
Cited by 20 | Viewed by 4502
Abstract
The usage of non-degradable polymer as the main matrix for a cosmetic patch raises concern, as it can cause environmental pollution when discarded in landfill. Thus, biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA) was chosen in this study, as PLA has non-toxic properties and similar mechanical [...] Read more.
The usage of non-degradable polymer as the main matrix for a cosmetic patch raises concern, as it can cause environmental pollution when discarded in landfill. Thus, biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA) was chosen in this study, as PLA has non-toxic properties and similar mechanical properties to conventional plastic materials. An active ingredient in a cosmetic patch serves the purpose of providing beneficial ingredients to the skin; therefore, phycocyanin, an extract from spirulina, was chosen, as it possesses antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Alginate was also incorporated with the phycocyanin for fabrication onto the PLA matrix. A preliminary study was first carried out to identify the antioxidant properties and cytotoxic effect of the phycocyanin on skin cells. It was observed that phycocyanin had no cytotoxic effect on the skin and showed good antioxidant activity. PLA/phycocyanin–alginate composite was fabricated using a solvent casting method, and optimization of preparation conditions (phycocyanin/alginate ratio, stirring time, and temperature) were carried out using the one-factor-at-a-time (OFAT) method with responses of elongation at break and releasing properties. Attenuated total reflectance (ATR)–FTIR analysis was also conducted to further analyze the functional group of the composites. Surface morphologies were observed for samples before and after the releasing test. From the analyses conducted, PLA/phycocyanin–alginate composite prepared at a phycocyanin/alginate ratio of 40/60 for 20 h at 20 °C gave the best properties in terms of flexibility of film and releasing properties of phycocyanin. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Multifunctional Polymeric Biomaterials)
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19 pages, 3758 KiB  
Article
Biodegradable Chitosan-graft-Poly(l-lactide) Copolymers For Bone Tissue Engineering
by Maria Kaliva, Anthie Georgopoulou, Dimitrios A. Dragatogiannis, Costas A. Charitidis, Maria Chatzinikolaidou and Maria Vamvakaki
Polymers 2020, 12(2), 316; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym12020316 - 4 Feb 2020
Cited by 25 | Viewed by 3697
Abstract
The design and synthesis of new biomaterials with adjustable physicochemical and biological properties for tissue engineering applications have attracted great interest. In this work, chitosan-graft-poly(l-lactide) (CS-g-PLLA) copolymers were prepared by chemically binding poly(l-lactide) (PLLA) chains [...] Read more.
The design and synthesis of new biomaterials with adjustable physicochemical and biological properties for tissue engineering applications have attracted great interest. In this work, chitosan-graft-poly(l-lactide) (CS-g-PLLA) copolymers were prepared by chemically binding poly(l-lactide) (PLLA) chains along chitosan (CS) via the “grafting to” approach to obtain hybrid biomaterials that present enhanced mechanical stability, due to the presence of PLLA, and high bioactivity, conferred by CS. Two graft copolymers were prepared, CS-g-PLLA(80/20) and CS-g-PLLA(50/50), containing 82 wt % and 55 wt % CS, respectively. Degradation studies of compressed discs of the copolymers showed that the degradation rate increased with the CS content of the copolymer. Nanomechanical studies in the dry state indicated that the copolymer with the higher CS content had larger Young modulus, reduced modulus and hardness values, whereas the moduli and hardness decreased rapidly following immersion of the copolymer discs in alpha-MEM cell culture medium for 24 h. Finally, the bioactivity of the hybrid copolymers was evaluated in the adhesion and growth of MC3T3-E1 pre-osteoblastic cells. In vitro studies showed that MC3T3-E1 cells exhibited strong adhesion on both CS-g-PLLA graft copolymer films from the first day in cell culture, whereas the copolymer with the higher PLLA content, CS-g-PLLA(50/50), supported higher cell growth. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Multifunctional Polymeric Biomaterials)
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13 pages, 1533 KiB  
Article
Oral Pharmacokinetics of a Chitosan-Based Nano- Drug Delivery System of Interferon Alpha
by Julieta C. Imperiale, Inbar Schlachet, Marianela Lewicki, Alejandro Sosnik and Mirna M. Biglione
Polymers 2019, 11(11), 1862; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym11111862 - 11 Nov 2019
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 3673
Abstract
Interferon alpha (IFNα) is a protein drug used to treat viral infections and cancer diseases. Due to its poor stability in the gastrointestinal tract, only parenteral administration ensures bioavailability, which is associated with severe side effects. We hypothesized that the nanoencapsulation of IFNα [...] Read more.
Interferon alpha (IFNα) is a protein drug used to treat viral infections and cancer diseases. Due to its poor stability in the gastrointestinal tract, only parenteral administration ensures bioavailability, which is associated with severe side effects. We hypothesized that the nanoencapsulation of IFNα within nanoparticles of the mucoadhesive polysaccharide chitosan would improve the oral bioavailability of this drug. In this work, we produced IFNα-loaded chitosan nanoparticles by the ionotropic gelation method. Their hydrodynamic diameter, polydispersity index and concentration were characterized by dynamic light scattering and nanoparticle tracking analysis. After confirming their good cell compatibility in Caco-2 and WISH cells, the permeability of unmodified and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-modified (PEGylated) nanoparticles was measured in monoculture (Caco-2) and co-culture (Caco-2/HT29-MTX) cell monolayers. Results indicated that the nanoparticles cross the intestinal epithelium mainly by the paracellular route. Finally, the study of the oral pharmacokinetics of nanoencapsulated IFNα in BalbC mice revealed two maxima and area-under-the-curve of 56.9 pg*h/mL. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Multifunctional Polymeric Biomaterials)
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8 pages, 2618 KiB  
Article
Poly-Gamma-Glutamic Acid Functions as an Effective Lubricant with Antimicrobial Activity in Multipurpose Contact Lens Care Solutions
by Chen-Ying Su, Ching-Li Tseng, Shu-Hsuan Wu, Bo-Wu Shih, Yi-Zhou Chen and Hsu-Wei Fang
Polymers 2019, 11(6), 1050; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym11061050 - 16 Jun 2019
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3133
Abstract
In order to perform the multiple functions of disinfection, cleansing, and storage, preservatives are often added to contact lens care solutions. The disadvantage of adding preservatives is that this often causes various eye conditions. However, lens care solutions would not be able to [...] Read more.
In order to perform the multiple functions of disinfection, cleansing, and storage, preservatives are often added to contact lens care solutions. The disadvantage of adding preservatives is that this often causes various eye conditions. However, lens care solutions would not be able to disinfect in the absence of such preservatives. In addition, comfort is an important issue for contact lens wearers due to the long periods of time they are worn. It has been shown that lower friction coefficients are correlated with increased comfort. We have previously developed a multipurpose contact lens care solution in which poly-gamma-glutamic acid (γ-PGA) was the main ingredient. In this study, we investigated the antimicrobial activity and lubricating property of our care solution. We showed that there was a synergetic effect of γ-PGA and chlorine dioxide on antimicrobial activity. We also demonstrated that γ-PGA functioned as a lubricating agent. Our results provided evidence of γ-PGA acting as a multi-functional polymer that could be applied in contact lens care solutions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Multifunctional Polymeric Biomaterials)
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13 pages, 2841 KiB  
Article
Carbon Nanofibers in Pure Form and in Calcium Alginate Composites Films: New Cost-Effective Antibacterial Biomaterials against the Life-Threatening Multidrug-Resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis
by Beatriz Salesa, Miguel Martí, Belén Frígols and Ángel Serrano-Aroca
Polymers 2019, 11(3), 453; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym11030453 - 10 Mar 2019
Cited by 43 | Viewed by 5022
Abstract
Due to the current global health problem of antibiotic resistant recently announced by the World Health Organization, there is an urgent necessity of looking for new alternative antibacterial materials able to treat and impede multidrug-resistant infections which are cost-effective and non-toxic for human [...] Read more.
Due to the current global health problem of antibiotic resistant recently announced by the World Health Organization, there is an urgent necessity of looking for new alternative antibacterial materials able to treat and impede multidrug-resistant infections which are cost-effective and non-toxic for human beings. In this regard, carbon nanofibers (CNFs) possess currently much lower cost than other carbon nanomaterials, such as graphene oxide, and exhibit excellent chemical, mechanical and electric properties. Furthermore, here, the first report on the antibacterial activity of CNFs was demonstrated. Thus, these nanomaterials, in pure form or incorporated in a minuscule amount into calcium alginate composite films to reduce production costs as much as possible, showed to be new weapons against a globally spreading multidrug-resistant pathogen, the methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis (MRSE). This Gram-positive bacterium is becoming one of the most dangerous pathogens, due to its abundance on skin. In this study, these hollow filamentous materials, in direct contact with cells and loaded in the low-cost calcium alginate composite films, showed no cytotoxicity for human keratinocyte HaCaT cells, which render them very promising for biomedical applications. The CNFs used in this work were characterized by Raman spectroscopy and observed by high-resolution transmission electron with energy-disperse X-ray spectroscopy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Multifunctional Polymeric Biomaterials)
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