ijms-logo

Journal Browser

Journal Browser

Biocomposite Hydrogels for Biomedical Applications

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Materials Science".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 May 2025 | Viewed by 447

Special Issue Editor


E-Mail Website1 Website2
Guest Editor

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Hydrogels, based on synthetic and/or natural polymers, have a three-dimensional spatial network and are widely studied for biomedical applications, such as controlled and sustained drug delivery, tissue engineering, bone repair, dressings for wound healing, etc., owing to their biocompatibility, biodegradability, and strong water absorption capacity.

The combination of two or more components with markedly different physicochemical characteristics, combined in a single material, led to the formation of composite systems. These composite materials are characterized by improved physicochemical properties, as compared to the individual components, due to a synergic effect between their components. A personalized composite hydrogel will have better chances to mimic the complex nature of biological tissue and could be thus more easily translated to clinical studies.

Composite hydrogels based on polymeric micro- or nanoparticles, electrospun fibers, inorganic nanoparticles, or other materials embedded in the hydrogel network with remarkable physicochemical and biological properties and biomedical applications are of interest for this Special Issue. Moreover, new preparation technologies such as 3D printing and UV-crosslinking, will also be taken into consideration. Finally, stimuli-responsive injectable composite hydrogels will be considered.

Prof. Dr. Leonard Ionut Atanase
Guest Editor

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. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. 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

  • hydrogels
  • biocomposite
  • micro/nanoparticles
  • electrospun fibers
  • inorganic particles
  • tissue engineering
  • drug delivery
  • 3D printing

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (1 paper)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

18 pages, 7599 KiB  
Article
Injectable, Manganese-Labeled Alginate Hydrogels as a Matrix for Longitudinal and Rapidly Retrievable 3D Cell Culture
by Izabela Malysz-Cymborska, Dominika Golubczyk, Piotr Walczak, Luiza Stanaszek and Miroslaw Janowski
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(10), 4574; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26104574 - 10 May 2025
Viewed by 223
Abstract
Hydrogels are one of the most attractive biomaterials, used in both three-dimensional (3D) and in vivo cultures. They facilitate the reconstruction of tissue microenvironments by preserving the spatial arrangement of cells, cell–cell interactions, and functional dynamics in the tissue. In this work, the [...] Read more.
Hydrogels are one of the most attractive biomaterials, used in both three-dimensional (3D) and in vivo cultures. They facilitate the reconstruction of tissue microenvironments by preserving the spatial arrangement of cells, cell–cell interactions, and functional dynamics in the tissue. In this work, the long-term effect of alginate hydrogel on cell culture and the possibility of rapid cell recovery by dissolving the hydrogel were investigated. Mouse glial-restricted progenitors (GRPs) and porcine mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were suspended in hydrogels; their metabolic activity, viability, and expression of genes, which are involved in oxidative stress, apoptosis, proliferation, migration, and differentiation, were assessed using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). The concentration that was able to dissolve the hydrogel and was the least harmful to the cells was 0.005 M ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA). The metabolism of both cell types was reduced from the beginning of the experiment to day 3. From day 7 to the end of the experiment, the normalization of the GRP metabolism was observed, in contrast to the MSCs. For the apoptosis-related genes, caspase 3, 7, and B-cell leukemia (Casp3, Casp 7, Bcl2) were increased in GRPs and MSCs on days 0 and 1. After 3 and 7 days, an increase in the expression of oxidative stress genes (nuclear factor of activated T-cells 5—NFAT5 and autophagy-related 14-ATG14) was observed in cells cultured in calcium chloride (CaCl2). GRPs cultured in calcium alginate (CaM) were not affected and, remarkably, showed increased Antigen Kiel 67 (Ki67) levels after 30 days. In conclusion, alginate hydrogels provide an excellent environment for stem cell culture in 3D for a longer period of time, but this is dependent on the cell type. Therefore, an individual approach to cell culture is necessary, taking into account the requirements of the cells to be used. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biocomposite Hydrogels for Biomedical Applications)
Show Figures

Graphical abstract

Back to TopTop