Search Results (688)

The development of next-generation organotypic platforms and disease models has proven crucial for the progress toward personalized therapeutic solutions in cancer. Fetal bovine serum (FBS) is a nutrient-rich cell culture supplement that contains essential factors for cell growth. However, in addition to ethical and environmental concerns, the manufacturing of tumor models requires a more standardized and controlled environment. This has led to the commercialization of several alternatives for the substitution of FBS, in the form of both animal-based and synthetic products. We here test the use of two alternatives for the culture of glioblastoma cells in the fabrication of organotypic tumor models, in combination with an insightful review of the existing literature, which allows for the elucidation of the most relevant challenges and potential solutions. We assess metabolic activity and cell proliferation in both 2D and 3D culture systems to determine the influence of serum on cell attachment and growth. The 3D culture systems are fabricated by photopolymerization of gelatin methacrylamide to achieve hydrogels that closely mimic the native tissue’s extracellular environment. We aim to advance our understanding of the role of culture media in these models and provide practical guidance to optimize experimental design and enhance reproducibility, thereby facilitating their broader adoption by the research community. These studies are key for the biofabrication of next-generation organoids and other advanced in vitro tumor models. Full article

Skin tissue engineering has emerged as a promising therapeutic strategy for severe wounds and inflammatory skin diseases. Stem cell-derived exosomes (SC-Exos) have recently gained increasing attention as cell-free therapeutic agents with regenerative and immunomodulatory potential, offering possible advantages over direct stem cell transplantation. To fully realize their therapeutic potential, however, efficient delivery platforms are needed to enhance local retention, preserve vesicle integrity, and support sustained release within the diseased skin microenvironment. In this review, we discuss advanced polymeric biomaterials as functional delivery platforms for SC-Exos in skin tissue engineering. We focus on natural and synthetic polymers engineered into nanofibrous scaffolds, hydrogels, and microneedles, and examine how these systems enhance exosome loading, protect vesicle integrity, improve local retention, and modulate release kinetics. We further highlight the therapeutic effects and underlying mechanisms of polymer–exosome systems in skin lesion repair, focusing on their roles in promoting angiogenesis, modulating local inflammation and immune responses, and facilitating extracellular matrix remodeling. Finally, we address remaining challenges and future directions for translating polymer-based SC-Exos delivery platforms into clinically relevant skin regenerative therapies. Full article

Clays, historically employed in traditional medical practices, have recently gained prominence within contemporary biomedical science, especially in the context of wound healing, due to advancements in nanotechnology and materials science. This review article investigates the physicochemical characteristics, biological processes, and therapeutic functions of clay materials—including bentonite, halloysite nanotubes, palygorskite, sepiolite, and synthetic clays like Laponite—in diverse wound-healing applications. These materials play a crucial role in the wound-healing process, including stopping bleeding, controlling inflammation, protecting against infection, and rebuilding tissue. They work through both passive and active methods. The layered or fibrous structure of these materials allows for efficient drug loading, controlled release, and mechanical support when used in hydrogels, films, and advanced drug delivery systems. Preclinical and initial clinical investigations have substantiated the biocompatibility, antimicrobial properties, and regenerative capabilities of these systems, although they have also revealed several challenges concerning toxicity, regulatory categorization, and standardization. Consequently, clay-based systems present a potentially valuable multifunctional platform for advancing next-generation wound-treatment therapies, necessitating additional translational and clinical research. Full article

S-Methylmethionine (SMM), also called vitamin U, shows antihistamine, anti-inflammatory, radioprotective and anti-irritant activity, as well as enhanced wound healing. In addition, vitamin U affects the regeneration and renewal of the skin hydrolipid mantle and offers some UVB-protective effects on the skin. Since there are currently no reports in the scientific literature concerning the release of vitamin U from cosmetic formulations, the present study was undertaken as a preliminary and exploratory pilot investigation. The research focused on evaluating the release behavior of SMM (synthetic methylmethionine), a compound recognized for its potential skin-regenerating, soothing, and protective properties, from several commonly used topical delivery systems. Therefore, the various topical formulations, including oil-in-water (O/W) and water-in-oil (W/O) emulsions, as well as hydrogel formulations, were evaluated as potential, effective vitamin U skin delivery systems. Vitamin U-loaded emulsions (O/W and W/O) differing in droplet size in the internal phase and a hydrogel were prepared. The physicochemical properties of the formulations, such as emulsion type, stability, viscosity, pH and droplet size, were evaluated. The study of vitamin U release was performed in thermostatic diffusion chambers at a temperature of T = 32 °C using the Spectra/Por Standard Regenerated Cellulose dialysis membrane. A phosphate buffer (PBS) with pH 7.4 was used as the receptor solution. The concentration of the released S-Methylmethionine was analyzed with ninhydrin-based spectrophotometric assays. The obtained results showed that the type of the formulation significantly influenced the SMM release. The highest release of SMM was observed from hydrogel and O/W emulsions. Full article

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic autoimmune disease in which persistent synovitis drives interconnected cartilage degradation, bone erosion, and functional decline. Conventional synthetic, biologic, and targeted synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) remain the foundation of RA management. Hydrogel-based local therapy should therefore be positioned as an adjunct for selected joints rather than as a substitute for systemic disease control. Hydrogels provide a versatile local materials platform because their injectability, tunable crosslinking, tissue retention, stimulus-responsive release, interfacial adhesion, lubrication, and extracellular matrix-mimetic properties can be tailored to the inflamed joint microenvironment. This narrative, evidence-graded review evaluates local hydrogel therapies using two complementary frameworks: the synovium–cartilage–bone pathological axis and a materials-science chain linking composition and crosslinking to structure and properties, release and degradation, and tissue-level outcomes. Evidence is classified as direct RA evidence, transferable evidence from related disease or tissue-engineering models, or conceptual evidence from mechanistic and materials-science studies. Therapeutic outcomes are separately graded as local immunomodulation, structural protection, tissue repair, or functionally validated structural disease modification. Current preclinical evidence supports the use of hydrogels for sustained local delivery and synovial immunomodulation, while selected systems demonstrate cartilage-protective or anti-erosive effects. However, durable multitissue restoration accompanied by functional recovery remains insufficiently demonstrated. Future studies should prioritize RA-relevant long-term models, in vivo intra-articular pharmacokinetics and biodistribution, standardized structural and functional endpoints, repeat-dose safety, and evaluation as add-on therapy to systemic DMARDs. Full article

Poly(methyl vinyl ether-alt-maleic anhydride) (PMVEMA) is a versatile synthetic copolymer that has gained considerable attention in biomedical and pharmaceutical applications due to its biocompatibility, biodegradability, bioadhesive properties and chemical reactivity. This review summarizes the current knowledge regarding the derivatives, physicochemical properties, functionalization and crosslinking strategies of PMVEMA, with particular emphasis on their relevance to biomedical applications. A comprehensive literature analysis was performed using major scientific databases, combined with artificial intelligence-assisted text mining, to identify the principal research trends associated with PMVEMA. The reviewed studies demonstrate that the reactive anhydride groups of PMVEMA enable the formation of a wide variety of derivatives, including hydrogels, nanoparticles and nanofibers with tunable properties. These characteristics have facilitated its application in different fields, including immunology, drug delivery, dentistry and dermatology. In particular, PMVEMA-based systems exhibit enhanced mucosal adhesion, controlled drug release, immunoadjuvant activity and biocompatibility in vitro and in vivo. Despite its broad applicability, further studies are still needed to fully elucidate its biodegradation mechanisms in vivo and optimize its clinical translation. Full article

Colorectal Cancer (CRC) is a prevalent global malignant tumor, and conventional therapies and drugs for CRC are limited by poor targeting and severe toxic side effects. Existing reviews on hydrogel-based CRC treatments mainly focus on synthetic materials or single-responsive systems concerning drug loading and local delivery. Natural polysaccharides possess inherent anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antitumor activities, and polysaccharide hydrogels (PSHs) prepared from them exhibit favorable biocompatibility, tunable structures and potential targeting capability, which can synergistically enhance the efficacy of loaded drugs and thus become a research hotspot. This article summarizes the pathogenesis and conventional treatments of CRC, introduces monocomponent and composite PSHs as well as physical and chemical crosslinking methods, and emphasizes their tumor microenvironment (TME)-responsive mechanisms, combined drug effects and clinical applications. It also analyzes the challenges in safety evaluation and practical application, and summarizes recent advances in the use of artificial intelligence (AI) for PSHs design, regulation, performance prediction and implementation. This paper serves as a reference for follow-up research and clinical translation of hydrogels prepared from natural polysaccharides for the treatment of CRC. Full article

Rechargeable zinc-based batteries (ZBBs) have attracted considerable attention for use in large-scale energy storage systems due to their inherent high safety, low cost, and environmental friendliness. However, the practical applicability of ZBBs is limited by challenges related to the anode—such as uncontrollable zinc dendritic growth, the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), and corrosion—which lead to significant polarization, capacity degradation, and unsatisfactory Coulombic efficiency of the ZBBs. Polyacrylamide (PAM)-based hydrogels have emerged as promising electrolyte materials to address these challenges due to their superior mechanical properties, flexibility, high ionic conductivity, and structural designability. Considering the rapid increase in research attention regarding this topic, we comprehensively summarize recent progress in PAM-based hydrogels as electrolytes for ZBBs in this study. First, we discuss the key challenges associated with Zn anodes in ZBBs, together with corresponding optimization strategies. Next, we detail the fundamental structure, properties, and synthesis of PAM-based hydrogels. Then, the relationships among synthetic methods, nano/microstructures, and electrochemical properties are systematically reviewed and discussed. Finally, prospects for the rational design and application of PAM-based hydrogels in ZBBs are summarized. Full article

Diabetic wounds are characterized by persistent hyperglycemia, excessive ROS accumulation, sustained inflammation, and impaired angiogenesis, yet current treatments remain suboptimal. To address these challenges, we developed a mild heat stimulating and microenvironment reprogramming hydrogel (termed C-4-N) via a green synthetic strategy. L-Arginine (L-Arg) triggered the spontaneous self-polymerization of protocatechuic aldehyde (PA) into poly (protocatechuic aldehyde) (PPA) nanoparticles, onto which ginsenoside Compound K (CK) was subsequently loaded, yielding CK/L-Arg/PPA nanoparticles. These nanoparticles were then uniformly embedded into a dynamic disulfide network composed of α-lipoic acid (LA)-modified chitosan (CS-LA) and 4-arm-PEG-SH under UV irradiation without toxic photo-initiators, forming the C-4-N hydrogel. The C-4-N hydrogel reprogrammed the diabetic wound microenvironment through three synergistic mechanisms, lowering blood glucose and scavenging ROS via the coordinated actions of LA, CK and PPA, promoting M1-to-M2 macrophage polarization via downregulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6) and upregulation of anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-10, TGF-β1), further amplified by mild photothermal stimulation of 40–43 °C. In a diabetic rat model, the C-4-N hydrogel achieved a near-complete wound closure rate of 99.49 ± 0.10% on day 13 upon mild photothermal stimulation, accompanied by enhanced re-epithelialization, organized collagen deposition, vascular maturation, and systemic glucose regulation. In summary, this green synthesized, mild heat-stimulating hydrogel establishes a synergistic microenvironment reprogramming paradigm for chronic diabetic wound managements. Full article

Hydrogel-based sensors have emerged as transformative soft-sensing platforms, featuring tissue-matched compliance, high water content, stimuli responsiveness, and chemical tunability, properties which are unachievable with conventional rigid sensors. Despite substantial advances, the existing reviews focus on individual polymer categories, discrete transduction mechanisms, or targeted standalone applications, failing to establish an integrated pipeline from material design to final sensing performance. This review fills these crucial gaps by systematically correlating polymer chemistry, crosslinking tactics, and fabrication protocols with the selection of transduction mechanisms and resultant sensing performance across biomedical and environmental fields. We conduct a critical assessment of natural and synthetic polymers together with chemical, physical, and hybrid composite crosslinking methodologies. Multiple sensing modalities, including piezoresistive, capacitive, thermogalvanic, electrochemical, colorimetric, ratiometric fluorescence, and piezoionic sensing are elaborated alongside representative quantitative performance parameters. Emerging platforms, including self-powered thermogalvanic sensors, SERS-integrated biosensors, and MXene/MOF composites, are highlighted as underexplored frontiers. In addition, persistent bottlenecks including dehydration-derived signal drift, inferior long-term operational stability, unsatisfactory target selectivity, and obstacles toward large-scale manufacturability are rigorously analyzed. Ultimately, this review constructs a holistic unified framework bridging polymer molecular design, fabrication engineering, signal transduction, and practical end-use applications, laying a clear developmental roadmap for next-generation flexible and smart hydrogel-based sensing systems. Full article

Polysaccharide hydrogel-based fertilizer carriers have emerged as promising alternatives to conventional synthetic systems due to their biodegradability, tunable physicochemical properties, and ability to regulate nutrient release through structure–transport interactions. However, their performance is still predominantly evaluated using simplified aqueous testing methods that fail to capture the complexity of real soil environments. This review provides an engineering-oriented analysis of nutrient release behavior from polysaccharide-based hydrogel systems, emphasizing the limitations of conventional aqueous evaluation and their implications for predicting field performance. The discussion integrates material design, transport phenomena, and environmental interactions to establish structure–property–release relationships governing nutrient delivery. Conventional aqueous testing methods are critically examined in terms of experimental configuration, performance metrics, and kinetic modeling approaches, highlighting their tendency to overestimate swelling, neglect ionic and biological interactions, and ignore external transport resistances. The influence of soil-dependent factors, including moisture dynamics, pH, ionic strength, microbial activity, and soil structure, is systematically analyzed to demonstrate their coupled effects on swelling, diffusion, and degradation-controlled release mechanisms. Comparative evidence reveals a consistent laboratory–soil mismatch, where aqueous systems predict faster release rates and shorter durations compared to soil conditions. Based on these insights, key gaps in current evaluation practices are identified, particularly the lack of soil-representative testing protocols and the limited applicability of models derived from aqueous systems. Finally, an engineering framework is proposed for soil-relevant evaluation and improved predictive modeling, aimed at supporting the rational design and scalable implementation of next-generation hydrogel-based fertilizer carriers. Full article

Background/Objectives: Modern dentistry increasingly requires biomaterials that not only replace damaged tissues but also actively regulate healing processes, modulate inflammation, and provide controlled delivery of therapeutic agents under the complex physicochemical conditions of the oral cavity. This review aims to analyze the potential of PCHs, particularly methacryloyl gelatin (GelMA), as multifunctional platforms for drug delivery in dental applications. Methods: This review provides a structured narrative synthesis of the literature, focusing on the physicochemical, biological, and translational aspects of photocrosslinkable hydrogels in dentistry. Special attention was given to the key functional requirements for hydrogels used in dentistry, including adhesion in a wet environment, antimicrobial properties, and the ability to provide sustained and localized release of active compounds. Natural, synthetic, and semi-synthetic polymers were comparatively evaluated to justify the selection of GelMA as a leading platform due to its tunable mechanical properties, biocompatibility, and photopolymerization capacity. The review also analyzes mechanisms of drug release activation and provides a comparative assessment of commonly used photoinitiators, including Irgacure 2959, lithium phenyl-2,4,6-trimethylbenzoylphosphinate (LAP), and camphorquinone, with emphasis on their cytocompatibility with oral tissues. Results: Applications of these hydrogels in endodontics, periodontology, peri-implantitis therapy, and regeneration of bone and dental pulp are summarized. Conclusions: Overall, photocrosslinkable GelMA-based hydrogels (PC-GelMA) represent promising multifunctional platforms for localized drug delivery and regenerative strategies in modern dentistry. Full article

With an increased number of chronic wounds and accidents worldwide, the need for advanced wound care approaches has been urgent. In this regard, sprayable hydrogel dressings have emerged as an innovative biomaterial due to their unique rheological properties, minimally invasive operation capabilities, excellent adaptability to irregular surfaces, and in situ rapid gelation. This review focused on elaborating the main materials used to construct sprayable hydrogels, including natural polymers and synthetic polymers, and discussing their respective molecular structures, physicochemical properties, advantages, and challenges in formulation design. This review also explored the properties of sprayable hydrogels, including sprayability, adhesion performance, mechanical strength, moisture absorption, breathability, biocompatibility, and degradability. The mechanisms of their controllable gelation through chemical crosslinking and physical crosslinking strategies were analyzed. Subsequently, the applications of sprayable hydrogels in wound areas, including diabetic wounds, infected wounds, postoperative adhesions, burn wounds, and joint wounds, were comprehensively reviewed. The challenges and future developments in wound healing were clarified to provide valuable references for promoting interdisciplinary research and the clinical translation of sprayable hydrogels. Full article

Modern wound care is challenged by the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains, causing the need for advanced dressing materials that provide infection control while promoting healing. Although polyacrylamide (PAAm) hydrogels are widely investigated due to their biocompatibility, their lack of intrinsic antibacterial activity and poor mechanical properties restrict their clinical use. To overcome these limitations, this study proposes a natural–synthetic hydrogel that combines PAAm with TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanofiber (TOCNF) functionalized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). The synthesis is performed through the polymerization of the synthetic monomer in the presence of the TOCNF–AgNPs, the nanofibrillar cellulose simultaneously serving as a reducing and stabilizing agent for AgNPs, and as a plasticizer for the PAAm network. Morpho-structural analysis of the hybrid precursor (TOCNF–AgNPs) revealed two populations of AgNPs, offering a cumulative effect between rapid bacterial penetration and a prolonged ionic reservoir, while maintaining the stability of the system. The subsequent incorporation of the hybrid into PAAm matrix resulted in tunable swelling kinetics and mechanical properties. Wettability and surface stiffness improve with the increase in hybrid content. The antibacterial effect was confirmed by a colony-counting assay for formulations with higher AgNPs content, exhibiting inhibitory metabolic activity against several pathogenic strains. These results suggest that PAAm/TOCNF–AgNPs (PTA) nanocomposites represent a promising mechanically adaptive candidate for wound-care applications. Full article

Polymer-based dressings constitute an important class of macromolecular biomaterials enabling controlled drug delivery and enhanced wound healing performance. This review summarizes recent advances in the design, fabrication, and functionalization of polymer dressings, with emphasis on natural and synthetic polymer systems applied in biomedical topical and transdermal drug administration. Key material properties, including biocompatibility, mechanical stability, porosity, and degradation behavior, are discussed in relation to drug loading capacity and release kinetics. Current fabrication strategies, such as electrospinning, hydrogel formation, casting, and multilayer assembly, are critically evaluated with respect to structural control and scalability. Particular attention is given to antimicrobial and stimuli-responsive platforms capable of dynamic interaction with the wound microenvironment. Furthermore, challenges related to long-term stability, regulatory requirements, and clinical translation are addressed. By integrating recent experimental findings, this review highlights essential structure–function relationships governing polymer dressing performance and provides design guidelines for next-generation macromolecular topical and transdermal care systems with improved multifunctionality and clinical applicability. Full article