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Polymers
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Functional and Biocompatible Nanostructured Polymer Scaffolds for Therapeutic Applications
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Functional and Biocompatible Nanostructured Polymer Scaffolds for Therapeutic Applications

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (25 June 2025) | Viewed by 2089

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Beatriz Liliana España-Sánchez

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Guest Editor
Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo Tecnológico en Electroquímica (CIDETEQ) S. C., Parque Tecnológico Querétaro s/n, Sanfandila, Pedro Escobedo, Querétaro 76703, Mexico
Interests: antimicrobial; nanomaterials; materials science; polymers; nanocomposites
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Goldie Oza

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Guest Editor
Dirección de Ciencia, Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo Tecnológico en Electroquímica, Parque Tecnológico Querétaro S/N, Sanfandila, Querétaro 76703, Pedro Escobedo, Mexico
Interests: organ on a chip; lab on a chip; nanotechnology; cancer
Dr. Fabrizio Olivito

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Dipartimento di Chimica e Tecnologie Chimiche, Università della Calabria, Via P. Bucci, Cubo 12C, 87036 Rende, CS, Italy
Interests: sustainable chemistry; environmental chemistry; medicinal chemistry; macromolecules
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Advances in regenerative medicine have driven the development of functional biocompatible scaffolds that represent critical tools in tissue repair, drug delivery, and therapeutic interventions. These scaffolds provide a dynamic and supportive environment for cell proliferation, differentiation, and tissue remodeling. This Special Issue will showcase cutting-edge research and innovation in designing, fabricating, and applying nanostructured polymer scaffolds for diverse therapeutic needs.

This Special Issue will focus on nanostructured scaffold technologies for applications such as bone regeneration, neural repair, wound healing, and targeted drug delivery. Possible research topics include surface functionalization strategies, self-healing and injectable hydrogels, bioactive and biodegradable materials, and advanced manufacturing techniques such as 3D printing and electrospinning. Emphasis will be placed on translational research and the integration of scaffolds into clinical practice.

Dr. Beatriz Liliana España-Sánchez
Dr. Goldie Oza
Dr. Fabrizio Olivito
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. 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

  • polymer scaffolds
  • nanostructured materials
  • nanocomposites
  • therapeutic
  • diagnostic
  • antimicrobials
  • wound dressing
  • sensing

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 4602 KiB  
Article
Antifungal Nanocomposites from Honeybee Chitosan and Royal Jelly-Mediated Nanosilver for Suppressing Biofilm and Hyphal Formation of Candida albicans
by Mousa Abdullah Alghuthaymi
Polymers 2025, 17(14), 1916; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17141916 - 11 Jul 2025
Viewed by 296
Abstract
Candida albicans complications challenged researchers and health overseers to discover effectual agents for suppressing such yeast growth, biofilm formation and conversion to hyphal form. The nanomaterials and their composites provided extraordinary bioactivities and functionalities as antimicrobial preparations. The extraction of chitosan (BCt) from [...] Read more.
Candida albicans complications challenged researchers and health overseers to discover effectual agents for suppressing such yeast growth, biofilm formation and conversion to hyphal form. The nanomaterials and their composites provided extraordinary bioactivities and functionalities as antimicrobial preparations. The extraction of chitosan (BCt) from honeybee corpuses was achieved as an innovative biopolymer for nanocomposite formation. The green (bio)synthesis of nanosilver (AgNPs) was promisingly performed using royal jelly (RJ) as a mediator of synthesis. The RJ-synthesized AgNPs had an average diameter of 3.61 nm and were negatively charged (−27.2 mV). The formulated nanocomposites from BCt/RJ/AgNPs at 2:1 (F1), 1:1 (F2), and 1:2 (F3) ratios had average diameters of 63.19, 27.65, and 52.74 nm, where their surface charges were +33.8, +29.3, and −11.5 mV, respectively. The infrared (FTIR) analysis designated molecules’ interactions, whereas the transmission microscopy emphasized the homogenous distribution and impedance of AgNPs within the biopolymers’ nanocomposites. Challenging C. albicans strains with nanomaterials/composites pinpointed their bioactivity for suppressing yeast growth and biofilm formation; the F2 nanocomposite exhibited superior actions, with the lowest inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 125–175 mg/L, whereas the MIC ranges were 150–200 and 175–225 mg/L for F3 and F1, respectively. The different BCht/RJ/AgNP nanocomposites could entirely suppress the biofilm formation of all C. albicans strains. The scanning microscopy reflected the nanocomposite efficiency for C. albicans cell destruction and the complete suppression of hyphal formation. The application of generated BCht/RJ/AgNP nanocomposites is strongly recommended as they are effectual, natural and advanced materials for combating C. albicans pathogens. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional and Biocompatible Nanostructured Polymer Scaffolds for Therapeutic Applications)
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29 pages, 3391 KiB  
Article
Near-Infrared and Sono-Enhanced Photodynamic Therapy of Prostate Cancer Cells Using Phyto-Second Harmonic Generation Nanoconjugates
by Efrat Hochma, Michael A. Firer and Refael Minnes
Polymers 2025, 17(13), 1831; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17131831 - 30 Jun 2025
Viewed by 312
Abstract
This study investigates near-infrared (NIR)-induced, Phyto-enhanced, second harmonic generation-mediated photodynamic therapy (Phyto-SHG-PDT) using barium titanate (BT)/rhein/polyethylene glycol 100 (PEG100) and BT/Yemenite “Etrog” leaf extract/PEG100 nanoconjugates. We compare continuous-wave (CW), multi-line Argon-ion laser illumination in the NIR range with high-peak-power femtosecond (fs) 800 nm [...] Read more.
This study investigates near-infrared (NIR)-induced, Phyto-enhanced, second harmonic generation-mediated photodynamic therapy (Phyto-SHG-PDT) using barium titanate (BT)/rhein/polyethylene glycol 100 (PEG100) and BT/Yemenite “Etrog” leaf extract/PEG100 nanoconjugates. We compare continuous-wave (CW), multi-line Argon-ion laser illumination in the NIR range with high-peak-power femtosecond (fs) 800 nm pulses. Under CW NIR light, BT/rhein nanoconjugates reduced PC3 prostate cancer cell viability by 18% versus non-irradiated controls (p < 0.05), while BT/extract nanoconjugates exhibited 15% dark toxicity. The observed SHG signal matched theoretical predictions and previous CW laser studies. Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) scavenger 1,3-diphenyl-isobenzofuran (DPBF) showed reduced absorbance at 410 nm upon NIR illumination, indirectly supporting SHG emission at 400 nm from nanoconjugates. Under fs-pulsed laser exposure, pronounced two-photon absorption (TPA) and SHG effects were observed in both nanoconjugate types. Our results demonstrate the effectiveness of BT/rhein nanoconjugates under both laser conditions, while the BT/extract nanoconjugates benefited from high-power pulsed excitation. These results highlight the potential of BT-based Phyto-SHG-PDT nanoconjugates for NIR and blue light applications, leveraging nonlinear optical effects for advanced photochemical cancer therapies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional and Biocompatible Nanostructured Polymer Scaffolds for Therapeutic Applications)
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17 pages, 2512 KiB  
Article
Multifunctional Biological Performance of Electrospun PCL Scaffolds Formulated with Silver Sulfide Nanoparticles
by María del Carmen Torres-Pedroza, Ariadna Fernanda Martínez-Ávila, Karla Juarez-Moreno, Miriam Estevez, Lorena Álvarez-Contreras, Martha Elena Cruz-Soto, Lucero Granados-López, Noé Arjona and Beatriz Liliana España-Sánchez
Polymers 2025, 17(2), 230; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17020230 - 17 Jan 2025
Viewed by 1194
Abstract
Our work describes the green synthesis of silver sulfide nanoparticles (Ag2S NPs) and their formulation into polycaprolactone fibers (PCL), aiming to improve the multifunctional biological performance of PCL membranes as scaffolds. For this purpose, an extract of rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus [...] Read more.
Our work describes the green synthesis of silver sulfide nanoparticles (Ag2S NPs) and their formulation into polycaprolactone fibers (PCL), aiming to improve the multifunctional biological performance of PCL membranes as scaffolds. For this purpose, an extract of rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus) was employed as a reducing agent for the Ag2S NPs, obtaining irregular NPs and clusters of 5–60 nm, with a characteristic SPR absorption at 369 nm. Ag2S was successfully incorporated into PCL fibers by electrospinning using heparin (HEP) as a stabilizer/biocompatibility agent, obtaining nanostructured fibers with a ca. 500–800 nm diameter. Different amounts of Ag2S NPs (0.05, 0.5, and 1 wt.%) enhanced the nanostructured membranes’ surface polarity and mechanical performance, with a controlled ion release after 6 days submerged in PBS solution, determined by cyclic voltammetry. As a result, PCL/HEP/Ag2S scaffolds exhibit high antibacterial performance (80–90%) at early stages of contact (3 h) against E. coli and S. aureus. Also, cytotoxicity analysis demonstrated that the nanostructured membranes are biocompatible and exhibit high fibroblast cell regeneration, which is optimal for their application as scaffolds. To validate the regenerative response of PCL/HEP/Ag2S scaffolds, controlled wounds were induced in Wistar rats, presenting a favorable healing response by contact with PCL/HEP/Ag2S 1%, compared with the untreated wound. Our results indicated that nanostructured scaffolds enable the development of novel nanomaterials with multifunctional biological performance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional and Biocompatible Nanostructured Polymer Scaffolds for Therapeutic Applications)
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