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Gels
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Polymeric Hydrogels for Biomedical Application
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Polymeric Hydrogels for Biomedical Application

A special issue of Gels (ISSN 2310-2861). This special issue belongs to the section "Gel Processing and Engineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 February 2025) | Viewed by 8845

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Ion Cosmin Călina

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Electron Accelerators Laboratory, National Institute for Laser, Plasma and Radiation Physics, 409 Atomiștilor St., 077125 Măgurele, Romania
Interests: polymers; hydrogels; radiation; crosslinking; biocompatibility; biomaterials; wound dressing
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Muhammad Asim Raza

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Chemical Engineering, Yeungnam University, Gyeongbuk 38541, Republic of Korea
Interests: polymers; hydrogels; crosslinking; drug delivery; wound healing; tissue Engineering
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue aims to showcase the latest advancements in polymeric hydrogel research, focusing on synthesis, characterization, and multifaceted applications. By harnessing innovative synthesis techniques. The applications of polymeric hydrogels are wide-ranging and impactful. Biomedical applications include drug/gene delivery for precision therapy, wound healing/dressing, tissue engineering, and 3D-printed scaffolds for regenerative medicine.

This Special Issue invites original research articles, reviews, and perspectives that delve into the diverse aspects of polymeric hydrogels. Topics of interest include:

  • Novel synthesis strategies and design principles for polymeric hydrogels
  • Advances in characterizing hydrogel structures and properties
  • Responsive and functional hydrogels for various biomedical applications
  • Industrial implementations and technological innovations utilizing polymeric hydrogels

We welcome contributions that will not only deepen our understanding of polymeric hydrogels but also inspire novel applications across disciplines. This collection of work promises to foster collaboration, stimulate further research, and accelerate the translation of polymeric hydrogel research into real-world solutions.

Dr. Ion Cosmin Călina
Dr. Muhammad Asim Raza
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. Gels is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 2100 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
  • hydrogels
  • crosslinking
  • radiation
  • biocompatibility
  • drug delivery
  • wound healing
  • tissue engineering

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Editorial

Jump to: Research, Review

3 pages, 238 KiB  
Editorial
Editorial for the Special Issue “Polymeric Hydrogels for Biomedical Application”
by Ion Călina and Muhammad Asim Raza
Gels 2025, 11(4), 221; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels11040221 - 21 Mar 2025
Viewed by 203
Abstract
Three-dimensional networks of hydrophilic polymers, known as hydrogels, have shown great promise across various fields due to their ability to absorb and retain large amounts of water [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymeric Hydrogels for Biomedical Application)

Research

Jump to: Editorial, Review

12 pages, 3264 KiB  
Article
Injectable and In Situ Phospholipid-Based Phase Separation Gel for Sustained Delivery of Altrenogest
by Dongbo Li, Awn Abbas, Nanxin Li, Chao Li, Xiaoyang Ai, Lian Chen, Dongmei Dai, Gang Shu, Juchun Lin, Wei Zhang, Guangneng Peng, Haohuan Li, Funeng Xu and Hualin Fu
Gels 2024, 10(12), 847; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels10120847 - 23 Dec 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 719
Abstract
Altrenogest is a key regulatory hormone for intensive and batch management of reserve sows in breeding farms. As a synthetic hormone, altrenogest could make ovaries stay at the initial stage of follicles and inhibit estrus and ovulation in animals. However, the currently used [...] Read more.
Altrenogest is a key regulatory hormone for intensive and batch management of reserve sows in breeding farms. As a synthetic hormone, altrenogest could make ovaries stay at the initial stage of follicles and inhibit estrus and ovulation in animals. However, the currently used oral altrenogest solution needs to be administered continuously every day for more than two weeks in clinical practice. In this study we developed a phospholipid-based injectable gel carrying altrenogest to decrease the number of administrations, sustain release of the drug, and enhance therapeutic efficacy for clinical use. The altrenogest gel had a viscosity of 100 cP before phase transition and over 1,000,000 cP after phase transition. In vitro, altrenogest can be continuously released from gel for over two weeks. The pharmacokinetic results showed that the AUC (0–∞) of the altrenogest gel was almost double that of the altrenogest solution. The MRT (0–∞) was 40.92 ± 7.21 h and the t1/2 of the altrenogest gel was 80.03 ± 20.79 h. The altrenogest gel demonstrated excellent fluidity, ease of injectability, high drug-loading capacity, and appropriate sustained-release characteristics both in vitro and in vivo, making it a potential drug delivery system for swine production. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymeric Hydrogels for Biomedical Application)
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20 pages, 3272 KiB  
Article
Crosslinking by Click Chemistry of Hyaluronan Graft Copolymers Involving Resorcinol-Based Cinnamate Derivatives Leading to Gel-like Materials
by Mario Saletti, Simone Pepi, Marco Paolino, Jacopo Venditti, Germano Giuliani, Claudia Bonechi, Gemma Leone, Agnese Magnani, Claudio Rossi and Andrea Cappelli
Gels 2024, 10(11), 751; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels10110751 - 19 Nov 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1215
Abstract
The well-known “click chemistry” reaction copper(I)-catalyzed azide-alkyne 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition (CuAAC) was used to transform under very mild conditions hyaluronan-based graft copolymers HA(270)-FA-Pg into the crosslinked derivatives HA(270)-FA-TEGERA-CL and HA(270)-FA-HEGERA-CL. In particular, medium molecular weight (i.e., 270 kDa) hyaluronic acid (HA) grafted at [...] Read more.
The well-known “click chemistry” reaction copper(I)-catalyzed azide-alkyne 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition (CuAAC) was used to transform under very mild conditions hyaluronan-based graft copolymers HA(270)-FA-Pg into the crosslinked derivatives HA(270)-FA-TEGERA-CL and HA(270)-FA-HEGERA-CL. In particular, medium molecular weight (i.e., 270 kDa) hyaluronic acid (HA) grafted at various extents (i.e., 10, 20, and 40%) with fluorogenic ferulic acid (FA) residue bonding propargyl groups were used in the CuAAC reaction with novel azido-terminated crosslinking agents Tri(Ethylene Glycol) Ethyl Resorcinol Acrylate (TEGERA) and Hexa(Ethylene Glycol) Ethyl Resorcinol Acrylate (HEGERA). The resulting HA(270)-FA-TEGERA-CL and HA(270)-FA-HEGERA-CL materials were characterized from the point of view of their structure by performing NMR studies. Moreover, the swelling behavior and rheological features were assessed employing TGA and DSC analysis to evaluate the potential gel-like properties of the resulting crosslinked materials. Despite the 3D crosslinked structure, HA(270)-FA-TEGERA-CL and HA(270)-FA-HEGERA-CL frameworks showed adequate swelling performance, the required shear thinning behavior, and coefficient of friction values close to those of the main commercial HA solutions used as viscosupplements (i.e., 0.20 at 10 mm/s). Furthermore, the presence of a crosslinked structure guaranteed a longer residence time. Indeed, HA(270)-FA-TEGERA-CL-40 and HA(270)-FA-HEGERA-CL-40 after 48 h showed a four times greater enzymatic resistance than the commercial viscosupplements. Based on the promising obtained results, the crosslinked materials are proposed for their potential applicability as novel viscosupplements. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymeric Hydrogels for Biomedical Application)
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13 pages, 3875 KiB  
Article
Improvement of Adsorption Capacity by Refined Encapsulating Method of Activated Carbon into the Hollow-Type Spherical Bacterial Cellulose Gels for Oral Absorbent
by Aya Hirai, Kaito Sato, Toru Hoshi and Takao Aoyagi
Gels 2024, 10(11), 723; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels10110723 - 8 Nov 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 980
Abstract
To reduce the risk of adsorption of granular activated carbon (AC) in the gastrointestinal tract, we successfully prepared a hollow-type spherical bacterial cellulose gel encapsulated with AC (ACEG) and evaluated its pH tolerance and adsorption capacity. The bacterial cellulose gel membrane of ACEG [...] Read more.
To reduce the risk of adsorption of granular activated carbon (AC) in the gastrointestinal tract, we successfully prepared a hollow-type spherical bacterial cellulose gel encapsulated with AC (ACEG) and evaluated its pH tolerance and adsorption capacity. The bacterial cellulose gel membrane of ACEG features a three-dimensional mesh structure of cellulose fibers, allowing the selective permeation of substances based on their size. In this study, the preparation method of ACEGs was investigated, and the indole saturation adsorption capacity of the obtained gel was measured. We modified the gel culture nucleus gel from calcium alginate gel to agar gel, facilitating the encapsulation of previously challenging particles. The new preparation method used sodium hydroxide solution for sterilization and dissolution to remove the debris of Komagataeibacter xylinus, which was feared to remain in the bacterial cellulose membrane. This treatment was also confirmed to have no effect on the adsorption capacity of the AC powder. Therefore, this new preparation method is expected not only to improve the performance of ACEGs but also to be applied to a wide range of adsorbent-encapsulated hollow-type bacterial cellulose gels. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymeric Hydrogels for Biomedical Application)
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19 pages, 7427 KiB  
Article
The Influence of the Structural Architecture on the Swelling Kinetics and the Network Behavior of Sodium-Alginate-Based Hydrogels Cross-Linked with Ionizing Radiation
by Ion Călina, Maria Demeter, Gabriela Crăciun, Anca Scărișoreanu and Elena Mănăilă
Gels 2024, 10(9), 588; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels10090588 - 12 Sep 2024
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1955
Abstract
The present work discusses the influence of the structural architecture of sodium alginate–co-acrylic acid–poly(ethylene) oxide hydrogels, crosslinked through electron beam (e-beam) radiation processing. The most important properties of the hydrogels were studied in detail to identify a correlation between the architecture of the [...] Read more.
The present work discusses the influence of the structural architecture of sodium alginate–co-acrylic acid–poly(ethylene) oxide hydrogels, crosslinked through electron beam (e-beam) radiation processing. The most important properties of the hydrogels were studied in detail to identify a correlation between the architecture of the hydrogels and their properties. Furthermore, the effect of sodium alginate (NaAlg) concentration, the amounts of the polymer blend, and the size of the samples on hydrogel properties were investigated. The results show that the hydrogels cross-linked (0.5% and 1% NaAlg) with 12.5 kGy exhibit improved physicochemical properties. High gel fraction levels (exceeding 83.5–93.7%) were achieved. Smaller hydrogel diameter (7 mm) contributed to a maximum swelling rate and degree of 20.440%. The hydrogel network was dependent on the hydrogels’ diameter and the amount of polymer blend used. The hydrogels best suited the first-order rate constants and exhibited a non-Fickian diffusion character with diffusion exponent values greater than 0.5. This study indicates that the cross-linked hydrogel has good properties, particularly because of its high degree of swelling and extensive stability (more than 180 h) in water. These findings show that hydrogels can be effectively applied to the purification of water contaminated with metals, dyes, or even pharmaceuticals, as well as materials with a gradual release of bioactive chemicals and water retention. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymeric Hydrogels for Biomedical Application)
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Review

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39 pages, 3751 KiB  
Review
Multifunctional Hydrogel Microneedles (HMNs) in Drug Delivery and Diagnostics
by Hossein Omidian and Sumana Dey Chowdhury
Gels 2025, 11(3), 206; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels11030206 - 15 Mar 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1319
Abstract
Hydrogel microneedles (HMNs) have emerged as a transformative platform for minimally invasive drug delivery and biosensing, offering enhanced bioavailability, controlled drug release, and real-time biomarker detection. By leveraging swelling hydrogels, nanomaterial integration, and stimuli-responsive properties, HMNs provide precision medicine capabilities across diverse therapeutic [...] Read more.
Hydrogel microneedles (HMNs) have emerged as a transformative platform for minimally invasive drug delivery and biosensing, offering enhanced bioavailability, controlled drug release, and real-time biomarker detection. By leveraging swelling hydrogels, nanomaterial integration, and stimuli-responsive properties, HMNs provide precision medicine capabilities across diverse therapeutic and diagnostic applications. However, challenges remain in mechanical stability, as hydrogel-based MNs must balance flexibility with sufficient strength for skin penetration. Drug retention and controlled release require optimization to prevent premature diffusion and ensure sustained therapeutic effects. Additionally, biosensing accuracy is influenced by variability in interstitial fluid extraction and signal transduction. Clinical translation is hindered by regulatory hurdles, scalability concerns, and the need for extensive safety validation in human trials. This review critically examines the key materials, fabrication techniques, functional properties, and testing frameworks of HMNs while addressing these limitations. Furthermore, we explore future research directions in smart wearable MNs, AI-assisted biosensing, and hybrid drug–device platforms to optimize transdermal medicine. Overcoming these barriers will drive the clinical adoption of HMNs, paving the way for next-generation patient-centered therapeutics and diagnostics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymeric Hydrogels for Biomedical Application)
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18 pages, 3229 KiB  
Review
Polymeric Dural Biomaterials in Spinal Surgery: A Review
by Taoxu Yan, Junyao Cheng, Qing He, Yifan Wang, Chuyue Zhang, Da Huang, Jianheng Liu and Zheng Wang
Gels 2024, 10(9), 579; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels10090579 - 6 Sep 2024
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1492
Abstract
Laminectomy is a commonly performed surgical procedure by orthopedic and neurosurgeons, aimed at alleviating nerve compression and reducing pain. However, in some cases, excessive proliferation of fibrous scar tissue in the epidural space post-surgery can lead to persistent and intractable lower back pain, [...] Read more.
Laminectomy is a commonly performed surgical procedure by orthopedic and neurosurgeons, aimed at alleviating nerve compression and reducing pain. However, in some cases, excessive proliferation of fibrous scar tissue in the epidural space post-surgery can lead to persistent and intractable lower back pain, a condition known as Failed Back Surgery Syndrome (FBSS). The persistent fibrous tissue causes both physical and emotional distress for patients and also makes follow-up surgeries more challenging due to reduced visibility and greater technical difficulty. It has been established that the application of biomaterials to prevent epidural fibrosis post-lumbar surgery is more beneficial than revision surgeries to relieve dural fibrosis. Hydrogel-based biomaterials, with their excellent biocompatibility, degradability, and injectability and tunable mechanical properties, have been increasingly introduced by clinicians and researchers. This paper, building on the foundation of epidural fibrosis, primarily discusses the strategies for the preparation of natural and polymeric biomaterials to prevent epidural fibrosis, their physicochemical properties, and their ability to mitigate the excessive proliferation of fibroblasts. It also emphasizes the challenges that need to be addressed to translate laboratory research into clinical practice and the latest advancements in this field. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymeric Hydrogels for Biomedical Application)
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