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Polymers
Special Issues
Advanced Biodegradable Polymers for Drug Delivery
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Advanced Biodegradable Polymers for Drug Delivery

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Biobased and Biodegradable Polymers".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2025 | Viewed by 13738

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Barbara Jadach

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Chair, Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Rokietnicka Street 3, 60-806 Poznań, Poland
Interests: natural polymers; polymeric materials; microparticles; controlled release; encapsulation techniques; jonotropic gelation; hydrogels; solid–solid systems

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Biodegradable polymers have important properties which make them very useful for the preparation of different drug delivery systems. The wide range forms of drugs, as well as their possibility to coat or enclose active substance inside polymers, make them powerful pharmaceutical tools. The encapsulation of active substances in polymeric particles, as well as the preparation of hydrogels or eye preparations, make them important excipients. Also, the modification of structure or complex (mixed) preparations plays a new role and brings novel solutions in drug delivery systems.

This Special Issue aims to publish articles concerned with the use of new compositions of biodegradable polymers in the field of pharmaceutical drug development and their current or potential applications. Authors are invited to submit both original research and reviews.

Dr. Barbara Jadach
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. Polymers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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 2700 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

  • biopolymer
  • biodegradability
  • drug delivery
  • biomedical application
  • controlled release
  • functional polymers
  • smart polymers

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

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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18 pages, 8141 KiB  
Article
Biodegradable 3D-Printed Conjunctival Inserts for the Treatment of Dry Eyes
by Piyush Garg, Parvin Shokrollahi, Chau-Minh Phan and Lyndon Jones
Polymers 2025, 17(5), 623; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17050623 - 26 Feb 2025
Viewed by 470
Abstract
Purpose: To fabricate 3D-printed, biodegradable conjunctival gelatin methacrylate (GelMA) inserts that can release polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) when exposed to an ocular surface enzyme. Method: In this work, biodegradable conjunctival inserts were 3D-printed using a stereolithography-based technique. The release of PVA from these insert [...] Read more.
Purpose: To fabricate 3D-printed, biodegradable conjunctival gelatin methacrylate (GelMA) inserts that can release polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) when exposed to an ocular surface enzyme. Method: In this work, biodegradable conjunctival inserts were 3D-printed using a stereolithography-based technique. The release of PVA from these insert formulations (containing 10% GelMA and 5% PVA (P-Gel-5%)) was assessed along with different mathematical models of drug release. The biodegradation rates of these inserts were studied in the presence of a tear-film enzyme (matrix metalloproteinase-9; MMP9). The morphology of the inserts before and after enzymatic degradation was monitored using scanning electron microscopy. Results: The 3D-printed P-Gel-5% inserts formed a semi-interpenetrating network, which was mechanically stronger than GelMA inserts. The PVA release graphs demonstrate that at the end of 24 h, 222.7 ± 20.3 µg, 265.5 ± 27.1 µg, and 242.7 ± 30.4 µg of PVA were released when exposed to 25, 50, and 100 µg/mL of MMP9, respectively. The release profiles of the P-Gel-5% containing hydrogels in the presence of different concentrations of MMP9 showed the highest linearity with the Korsmeyer–Peppas model. The results suggest that the degradation rate over 24 h is a function of MMP9 enzyme concentration. Over 80% of P-Gel-5% inserts were degraded at the end of 8 h, 12 h, and 24 h in the presence of 100, 50, and 25 µg/mL MMP9 enzyme solutions, respectively. Conclusions: These results demonstrate the potential for 3D printing of GelMA for use as conjunctival inserts. These inserts could be used to deliver PVA, which is a well-known therapeutic agent for dry eye disease. PVA release is influenced by multiple mechanisms, including diffusion and enzymatic degradation, which is supported by morphological studies and biodegradation results. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Biodegradable Polymers for Drug Delivery)
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16 pages, 4206 KiB  
Article
Nano-Polymers as Cas9 Inhibitors
by Oksana Chepurna, Avradip Chatterjee, Yuanqing Li, Hong Ding, Ramachandran Murali, Keith L. Black and Tao Sun
Polymers 2025, 17(3), 417; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17030417 - 5 Feb 2025
Viewed by 622
Abstract
Despite wide applications of CRISPR/Cas9 technology, effective approaches for CRISPR delivery with functional control are limited. In an attempt to develop a nanoscale CRSIPR/Cas9 delivery platform, we discovered that several biocompatible polymers, including polymalic acid (PMLA), polyglutamic acid (PGA), and polyaspartic acid (PLD), [...] Read more.
Despite wide applications of CRISPR/Cas9 technology, effective approaches for CRISPR delivery with functional control are limited. In an attempt to develop a nanoscale CRSIPR/Cas9 delivery platform, we discovered that several biocompatible polymers, including polymalic acid (PMLA), polyglutamic acid (PGA), and polyaspartic acid (PLD), when conjugated with a trileucine (LLL) moiety, can effectively inhibit Cas9 nuclease function. The Cas9 inhibition by those polymers is dose-dependent, with varying efficiency to achieve 100% inhibition. Further biophysical studies revealed that PMLA-LLL directly binds the Cas9 protein, resulting in a substantial decrease in Cas9/sgRNA binding affinity. Transmission electron microscopy and molecular docking were performed to provide a possible binding mechanism for PMLA-LLL to interact with Cas9. This work identified a new class of Cas9 inhibitor in nano-polymer form. These biodegradable polymers may serve as novel Cas9 delivery vehicles with a potential to enhance the precision of Cas9-mediated gene editing. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Biodegradable Polymers for Drug Delivery)
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Review

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36 pages, 1539 KiB  
Review
Collagen and Its Derivatives Serving Biomedical Purposes: A Review
by Hanna Wosicka-Frąckowiak, Kornelia Poniedziałek, Stanisław Woźny, Mateusz Kuprianowicz, Martyna Nyga, Barbara Jadach and Bartłomiej Milanowski
Polymers 2024, 16(18), 2668; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16182668 - 22 Sep 2024
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 5973
Abstract
Biomaterials have been the subject of extensive research, and their applications in medicine and pharmacy are expanding rapidly. Collagen and its derivatives stand out as valuable biomaterials due to their high biocompatibility, biodegradability, and lack of toxicity and immunogenicity. This review comprehensively examines [...] Read more.
Biomaterials have been the subject of extensive research, and their applications in medicine and pharmacy are expanding rapidly. Collagen and its derivatives stand out as valuable biomaterials due to their high biocompatibility, biodegradability, and lack of toxicity and immunogenicity. This review comprehensively examines collagen from various sources, its extraction and processing methods, and its structural and functional properties. Preserving the native state of collagen is crucial for maintaining its beneficial characteristics. The challenges associated with chemically modifying collagen to tailor its properties for specific clinical needs are also addressed. The review discusses various collagen-based biomaterials, including solutions, hydrogels, powders, sponges, scaffolds, and thin films. These materials have broad applications in regenerative medicine, tissue engineering, drug delivery, and wound healing. Additionally, the review highlights current research trends related to collagen and its derivatives. These trends may significantly influence future developments, such as using collagen-based bioinks for 3D bioprinting or exploring new collagen nanoparticle preparation methods and drug delivery systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Biodegradable Polymers for Drug Delivery)
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24 pages, 2236 KiB  
Review
Biodegradable Polymeric Nanoparticle-Based Drug Delivery Systems: Comprehensive Overview, Perspectives and Challenges
by Małgorzata Geszke-Moritz and Michał Moritz
Polymers 2024, 16(17), 2536; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16172536 - 7 Sep 2024
Cited by 21 | Viewed by 5860
Abstract
In the last few decades, there has been a growing interest in the use of biodegradable polymeric nanoparticles (BPNPs) as the carriers for various therapeutic agents in drug delivery systems. BPNPs have the potential to improve the efficacy of numerous active agents by [...] Read more.
In the last few decades, there has been a growing interest in the use of biodegradable polymeric nanoparticles (BPNPs) as the carriers for various therapeutic agents in drug delivery systems. BPNPs have the potential to improve the efficacy of numerous active agents by facilitating targeted delivery to a desired site in the body. Biodegradable polymers are especially promising nanocarriers for therapeutic substances characterized by poor solubility, instability, rapid metabolism, and rapid system elimination. Such molecules can be efficiently encapsulated and subsequently released from nanoparticles, which greatly improves their stability and bioavailability. Biopolymers seem to be the most suitable candidates to be used as the nanocarriers in various delivery platforms, especially due to their biocompatibility and biodegradability. Other unique properties of the polymeric nanocarriers include low cost, flexibility, stability, minimal side effects, low toxicity, good entrapment potential, and long-term and controlled drug release. An overview summarizing the research results from the last years in the field of the successful fabrication of BPNPs loaded with various therapeutic agents is provided. The possible challenges involving nanoparticle stability under physiological conditions and the possibility of scaling up production while maintaining quality, as well as the future possibilities of employing BPNPs, are also reviewed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Biodegradable Polymers for Drug Delivery)
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