Cellulose Nanomaterials for Biomedical Applications

Dear Colleagues,

Advances in the nanoengineering of cellulose, the world's most abundant biopolymer, have provided a new class of biomaterials, namely, “building blocks”, for the next generation of multifunctional biomedical products.

Cellulose nanocrystals, cellulose nanofibers, and bacterial cellulose have been widely exploited as pharmaceutical additives as well as for synthesising different drug-delivery systems, individually or combined with other biopolymers. Nanoparticles, nanocomposites, microcapsules, microsponges, hydrogels, and aerogels are produced to provide a fine control of drug release through different mechanisms, ensuring oral, ocular, topical, and intratumoral delivery.

An open challenge is the targeted release of liposoluble compounds, which have interesting biological activities such as anticancer, antimicrobial, and antioxidant effects; however, their use is restricted due to their low water solubility, stability, and bioavailability. The amphiphilic nature and large surface area of nanocellulose materials enhance the adsorption of drug molecules. Nanocellulose is predominantly hydrophilic and binds significant amounts of water-soluble compounds, but its surface also shows molecular interactions (such as electrostatic and hydrophobic) to efficiently bind hydrophobic biomolecules. Its physicochemical properties enable nanocellulose to stabilise oil/water and air/water interfaces. Typically, cationic and hydrophobic modifications or coupling with cationic polymers have been carried out to use cellulose nanocrystals as carriers of lipid–soluble compounds.

These results will contribute towards the development of new tools for biosensing and bioimaging. Recently, great attention has been dedicated to paper-based biosensors and nanocellulose-based substrates obtaining new flexible and sensitive platforms in health diagnostics, as we have seen in recent COVID-19 detection systems.

Innovative diagnostic tools have been developed by producing fluorescently labelled cellulose nanomaterials and immobilising biomarkers, antibodies, enzymes, and noble metal nanoparticles. Much effort should be directed towards highly sensitive, selective, and possibly low-cost sensors to detect biomarkers for the early detection of diseases such as cancer or neurodegenerative diseases.

To formulate smart delivery systems or sensors with desirable properties and loading/release profiles, it is essential to continuously improve the existing materials and create new ones with a wide range of physicochemical properties. In this scenario, cellulose nanomaterials and hybrids can greatly contribute to revolutionising drug delivery and theranostic applications.

This Special Issue aims to provide a comprehensive collection of research contributions and reviews, which may include, but are not limited to, the following topic:

• Nanocellulose-based drug delivery systems, including nanocomposites, for the sustained release of anticancer, antioxidant, and antimicrobial drugs into human cells;
• The study of encapsulation method selection and nanocellulose–bioactives interactions;
• Nanocellulose-based biosensor preparation for the detection of human diseases biomarkers;
• Nanocellulose-based bioimaging and theranostic systems and their application in human cells and/or tissues.

Dr. Francesca Baldassarre
Dr. Viviana Vergaro
Guest Editors

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• cellulose nanocrystals
• cellulose nanofibers
• drug delivery systems
• biosensors
• theranostic systems