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Pharmaceutics
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New Advances and Applications of Cryogels in Drug Delivery and...
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New Advances and Applications of Cryogels in Drug Delivery and Regenerative Medicine

A special issue of Pharmaceutics (ISSN 1999-4923). This special issue belongs to the section "Drug Delivery and Controlled Release".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2025 | Viewed by 3345

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Patrizia Paolicelli

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Guest Editor
Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
Interests: drug delivery; hydrogels; polysaccharides; composite systems; rheomechanical properties; micro- and nanoparticulatex delivery systems
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Alessandra Adrover

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Guest Editor
Dipartimento di Ingegneria Chimica, Materiali e Ambiente, Sapienza Università di Roma, Via Eudossiana 18, 00184 Roma, Italy
Interests: transport in porous media; drug release; dispersion theory; chromatography
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Cryogels have emerged as pivotal tools in drug delivery and regenerative medicine. Their unique interconnected macroporous structure allows for efficient nutrient and oxygen diffusion, making them ideal for tissue engineering applications. In drug delivery, cryogels offer controlled and sustained release of therapeutic agents, improving efficacy and reducing side effects. Recent advances have enhanced their mechanical strength and biocompatibility, expanding their use in various medical fields. Innovations in cryogel technology include the development of smart cryogels that respond to environmental stimuli, such as pH or temperature changes, enabling targeted and on-demand drug release. Furthermore, cryogels are being utilized in the creation of scaffolds for regenerative medicine, promoting cell growth and tissue repair. These advances highlight the significant potential of cryogels in revolutionizing treatment strategies and improving patient outcomes in both drug delivery and regenerative medicine. Modeling and computational research are also welcome. 

Prof. Dr. Patrizia Paolicelli
Prof. Dr. Alessandra Adrover
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. Pharmaceutics 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 2900 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

  • cryogels
  • drug delivery
  • regenerative medicine
  • tissue engineering
  • controlled release
  • modeling and computation

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

23 pages, 13418 KiB  
Article
Newly Designed PCL-Wrapped Cryogel-Based Conduit Activated with IKVAV Peptide Derivative for Peripheral Nerve Repair
by Abdulla Yergeshov, Mohamed Zoughaib, Kenana Dayob, Marat Kamalov, Duong Luong, Albina Zakirova, Ruslan Mullin, Diana Salakhieva and Timur I. Abdullin
Pharmaceutics 2024, 16(12), 1569; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics16121569 - 8 Dec 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1594
Abstract
Background: The combination of macroporous cryogels with synthetic peptide factors represents a promising but poorly explored strategy for the development of extracellular matrix (ECM)-mimicking scaffolds for peripheral nerve (PN) repair. Methods: In this study, IKVAV peptide was functionalized with terminal lysine residues to [...] Read more.
Background: The combination of macroporous cryogels with synthetic peptide factors represents a promising but poorly explored strategy for the development of extracellular matrix (ECM)-mimicking scaffolds for peripheral nerve (PN) repair. Methods: In this study, IKVAV peptide was functionalized with terminal lysine residues to allow its in situ cross-linking with gelatin macromer, resulting in the formation of IKVAV-containing proteinaceous cryogels. The controllable inclusion and distribution of the peptide molecules within the scaffold was verified using a fluorescently labelled peptide counterpart. The optimized cryogel scaffold was combined with polycaprolactone (PCL)-based shell tube to form a suturable nerve conduit (NC) to be implanted into sciatic nerve diastasis in rats. Results: The NC constituents did not impair the viability of primary skin fibroblasts. Concentration-dependent effects of the peptide component on interrelated viscoelastic and swelling properties of the cryogels as well as on proliferation and morphological differentiation of neurogenic PC-12 cells were established, also indicating the existence of an optimal-density range of the introduced peptide. The in vivo implanted NC sustained the connection of the nerve stumps with partial degradation of the PCL tube over eight weeks, whereas the core-filling cryogel profoundly improved local electromyographic recovery and morphological repair of the nerve tissues, confirming the regenerative activity of the developed scaffold. Conclusions: These results provide proof-of-concept for the development of a newly designed PN conduit prototype based on IKVAV-activated cryogel, and they can be exploited to create other ECM-mimicking scaffolds. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Advances and Applications of Cryogels in Drug Delivery and Regenerative Medicine)
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16 pages, 9944 KiB  
Article
Experimental and Modelling Study of Controlled Release from Dextran-Based Cryogels
by Carolina Lauriola, Laura Di Muzio, Patrizia Paolicelli, Maria Antonietta Casadei, Claudia Sergi, Jacopo Tirillò, Vito Cosimo Carriero and Alessandra Adrover
Pharmaceutics 2024, 16(10), 1256; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics16101256 - 27 Sep 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1219
Abstract
In this work, five different dextran-based cryogels for controlled drug release are investigated. Vitamin B12 was used as a model drug for in vitro release tests. Two different drug-loading procedures were adopted, leading to very different drug release curves. Indeed, a fast Fickian [...] Read more.
In this work, five different dextran-based cryogels for controlled drug release are investigated. Vitamin B12 was used as a model drug for in vitro release tests. Two different drug-loading procedures were adopted, leading to very different drug release curves. Indeed, a fast Fickian release was observed when freeze-dried samples of DEX40PEG360MA and DEX40PEG500MA were infused with the drug after cryogel formation. On the contrary, a slowed highly non-Fickian behavior arises when the drug is loaded before the low-temperature crosslinking step, leading to the cryogel formation. The non-Fickian drug release, observed for all the five different dextran-based cryogels investigated, is actually due to the cryoconcentration phenomenon, modeled with a two-step release process. The proposed transport model accurately predicts experimental release curves characterized by a long lag time, confirming that dextran-based cryogels are suitable for controlled release. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Advances and Applications of Cryogels in Drug Delivery and Regenerative Medicine)
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