Biodegradable Hydrogels

A special issue of Gels (ISSN 2310-2861).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2021) | Viewed by 7866

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
1. Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
2. Petroleum Research Centre, Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR), PO Box 24885, Safat 13109, Kuwait
Interests: design and synthesis of well-defined nano-structured polymeric biomaterials for targeted biomedical applications; copolyesters and other hydrolysable hydrogels; hybrid hydrogels; in situ curable hydrogels for minimally invasive applications; self-reinforced polymeric dental materials; functional nanostructured particles and their applications in oil and gas production and surface modification of nanoporous membranes and their applications

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Hydrogels are generally known to be excellent candidates as biomaterials. Subsequently, biodegradable hydrogels have attracted a large amount of interest over the past two decades and become more attractive as tissue engineering scaffolds and polymeric matrices for drug and gene delivery. The ability to control the water uptake of these hydrogels and, hence, the degradation rate of the polymeric matrix in the hydrogel is an important design criteria utilized in optimizing the delivery of drugs from these hydrogels and the systematic desorption of tissue scaffolds. The copolymerization of biodegradable polyesters with common hydrogels is the most preferable approach for modulating the physical and mechanical properties of the copolyester hydrogels and water uptake and, hence, their hydrolysis and degradation rates. Furthermore, a wide range of chemistries can be used to design these copolymers with diverse properties and chemical structures. They can also be designed to have tissue-like properties that may enhance biocompatibility so that they do not cause any unwanted biological side-effects, such as inflammatory response from the surrounding tissue or damage to an organ of the body.

The aim of this Special Issue is to bring together researchers who are active in the field of biodegradable hydrogels, particularly copolyester hydrogels. Various topics are welcome, for example, design and synthesis of biodegradable copolyester hydrogels and other hydrolysable hydrogels, and structure–properties relationships and their applications in the delivery of bioactive molecules and as tissue scaffolds, including studies on the mechanism of degradation, cytotoxicity, and others.

Prof. Firas A. Rasoul
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • Biodegradable hydrogels
  • Hybrid degradable hydrogels
  • Copolyester hydrogels
  • Hydrolysable hydrogels
  • Drug delivery
  • Desorbable tissue scaffolds and others
  • Design and synthesis of new hydrogel structures
  • In situ curable hydrogels and biomedical applications

Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

39 pages, 3654 KiB  
Review
Design and Assessment of Biodegradable Macroporous Cryogels as Advanced Tissue Engineering and Drug Carrying Materials
by Irina N. Savina, Mohamed Zoughaib and Abdulla A. Yergeshov
Gels 2021, 7(3), 79; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels7030079 - 28 Jun 2021
Cited by 48 | Viewed by 7260
Abstract
Cryogels obtained by the cryotropic gelation process are macroporous hydrogels with a well-developed system of interconnected pores and shape memory. There have been significant recent advancements in our understanding of the cryotropic gelation process, and in the relationship between components, their structure and [...] Read more.
Cryogels obtained by the cryotropic gelation process are macroporous hydrogels with a well-developed system of interconnected pores and shape memory. There have been significant recent advancements in our understanding of the cryotropic gelation process, and in the relationship between components, their structure and the application of the cryogels obtained. As cryogels are one of the most promising hydrogel-based biomaterials, and this field has been advancing rapidly, this review focuses on the design of biodegradable cryogels as advanced biomaterials for drug delivery and tissue engineering. The selection of a biodegradable polymer is key to the development of modern biomaterials that mimic the biological environment and the properties of artificial tissue, and are at the same time capable of being safely degraded/metabolized without any side effects. The range of biodegradable polymers utilized for cryogel formation is overviewed, including biopolymers, synthetic polymers, polymer blends, and composites. The paper discusses a cryotropic gelation method as a tool for synthesis of hydrogel materials with large, interconnected pores and mechanical, physical, chemical and biological properties, adapted for targeted biomedical applications. The effect of the composition, cross-linker, freezing conditions, and the nature of the polymer on the morphology, mechanical properties and biodegradation of cryogels is discussed. The biodegradation of cryogels and its dependence on their production and composition is overviewed. Selected representative biomedical applications demonstrate how cryogel-based materials have been used in drug delivery, tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, cancer research, and sensing. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biodegradable Hydrogels)
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