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Application of Synthetic and Natural Polymers in Medicine
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Application of Synthetic and Natural Polymers in Medicine

A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Macromolecular Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2023) | Viewed by 12476

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Matthias Schnabelrauch

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
INNOVENT e. V., Department of Biomaterials, Pruessingstrasse 27B, D-07745 Jena, Germany
Interests: biomaterials; biopolymers; polymer synthesis; biodegradable polymers; polysaccharides; glycosaminoglycans; hydrogels; hybrid materials; tissue engineering; electrospinning; antibacterial polymers; material–cell interactions; surface modification
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Biocompatible polymers derived from natural and synthetic sources play a crucial role in many medical applications. During the next decade, the market for medical polymers will forecast to grow by 8% per year. Polymers are important and attractive biomaterials for researchers and clinicians due to the ease of tailoring their chemical, physical and biological properties for target devices. As rods, fibers, films, or foam- and gel-like structures, they have a wide variety of applications and a major impact on the practice of contemporary medicine and patient care to improve the quality of human and animal lives.

This Special Issue will focus on cutting edge research and development regarding the synthesis and modification of biocompatible natural and synthetic polymer and composite material systems.  Topics are not limited to specific medical and dental application purposes, but can cover all application areas concerning implants, catheters, and prostheses for all tissue types, release systems for bioactive molecules, drugs and cells, devices for regenerative medicine and tissue regeneration, cell culture devices for organ-on-a-chip technologies, bio-imaging devices, adhesive and non-adhesive systems or biologically active polymers with, e.g.,  immune-modulating, haemostatic, anti-proliferative, antiviral or antimicrobial activity.

Considering your prominent contribution in this interesting research field, I would like to cordially invite you to submit an article to this Special Issue. Full research papers, communications, and review articles are welcome.

Dr. Matthias Schnabelrauch
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. Molecules 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

  • synthetic and natural polymers
  • implants, catheters, prostheses
  • synthesis and modification
  • additive manufacturing techniques
  • rods, films, fibers, foams, gels, composites
  • material characterization
  • material-cell(tissue)-interaction
  • cyto/biocompatibility
  • application testing
  • fabrication technique, production process

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 4867 KiB  
Article
Responsive Microgels through RAFT-HDA Dynamic Covalent Bonding Chemistry
by Jingkai Nie, Hang Yin, Ruyue Cao, Changyuan Huang, Xiang Luo and Jun Ji
Molecules 2024, 29(6), 1217; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29061217 - 8 Mar 2024
Viewed by 1095
Abstract
This paper developed a method for preparing ultrasound-responsive microgels based on reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer-hetero Diels–Alder (RAFT-HAD) dynamic covalent bonding. First, a styrene cross-linked network was successfully prepared by a Diels–Alder (DA) reaction between phosphoryl dithioester and furan using double-ended diethoxyphosphoryl dithiocarbonate [...] Read more.
This paper developed a method for preparing ultrasound-responsive microgels based on reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer-hetero Diels–Alder (RAFT-HAD) dynamic covalent bonding. First, a styrene cross-linked network was successfully prepared by a Diels–Alder (DA) reaction between phosphoryl dithioester and furan using double-ended diethoxyphosphoryl dithiocarbonate (BDEPDF) for RAFT reagent-mediated styrene (St) polymerization, with a double-ended dienophile linker and copolymer of furfuryl methacrylate (FMA) and St as the dienophile. Subsequently, the microgel system was constructed by the HDA reaction between phosphoryl disulfide and furan groups using the copolymer of polyethylene glycol monomethyl ether acrylate (OEGMA) and FMA as the dienophore building block and hydrophilic segment and the polystyrene pro-dienophile linker as the cross-linker and hydrophobic segment. The number of furans in the dienophile chain and the length of the dienophile linker were regulated by RAFT polymerization to investigate the effects of the single-molecule chain functional group degree, furan/dithioester ratio, and hydrophobic cross-linker length on the microgel system. The prepared microgels can achieve the reversible transformation of materials under force responsiveness, and their preparation steps are simple and adaptive to various potential applications in biomedical materials and adaptive electrical materials. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Synthetic and Natural Polymers in Medicine)
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17 pages, 6557 KiB  
Article
Endothelialization of Whey Protein Isolate-Based Scaffolds for Tissue Regeneration
by Hatice Genç, Bernhard Friedrich, Christoph Alexiou, Krzysztof Pietryga, Iwona Cicha and Timothy E. L. Douglas
Molecules 2023, 28(20), 7052; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28207052 - 12 Oct 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1327
Abstract
Background: Whey protein isolate (WPI) is a by-product from the dairy industry, whose main component is β-lactoglobulin. Upon heating, WPI forms a hydrogel which can both support controlled drug delivery and enhance the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of bone-forming cells. This study makes [...] Read more.
Background: Whey protein isolate (WPI) is a by-product from the dairy industry, whose main component is β-lactoglobulin. Upon heating, WPI forms a hydrogel which can both support controlled drug delivery and enhance the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of bone-forming cells. This study makes a novel contribution by evaluating the ability of WPI hydrogels to support the growth of endothelial cells, which are essential for vascularization, which in turn is a pre-requisite for bone regeneration. Methods: In this study, the proliferation and antioxidant levels in human umbilical vascular endothelial cells (HUVECs) cultured with WPI supplementation were evaluated using real-time cell analysis and flow cytometry. Further, the attachment and growth of HUVECs seeded on WPI-based hydrogels with different concentrations of WPI (15%, 20%, 30%, 40%) were investigated. Results: Supplementation with WPI did not affect the viability or proliferation of HUVECs monitored with real-time cell analysis. At the highest used concentration of WPI (500 µg/mL), a slight induction of ROS production in HUVECs was detected as compared with control samples, but it was not accompanied by alterations in cellular thiol levels. Regarding WPI-based hydrogels, HUVEC adhered and spread on all samples, showing good metabolic activity. Notably, cell number was highest on samples containing 20% and 30% WPI. Conclusions: The demonstration of the good compatibility of WPI hydrogels with endothelial cells in these experiments is an important step towards promoting the vascularization of hydrogels upon implantation in vivo, which is expected to improve implant outcomes in the future. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Synthetic and Natural Polymers in Medicine)
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25 pages, 6463 KiB  
Article
Response of Osteoblasts on Amine-Based Nanocoatings Correlates with the Amino Group Density
by Susanne Seemann, Manuela Dubs, Dirk Koczan, Hernando S. Salapare III, Arnaud Ponche, Laurent Pieuchot, Tatiana Petithory, Annika Wartenberg, Susanne Staehlke, Matthias Schnabelrauch, Karine Anselme and J. Barbara Nebe
Molecules 2023, 28(18), 6505; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28186505 - 7 Sep 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1882
Abstract
Increased life expectancy in industrialized countries is causing an increased incidence of osteoporosis and the need for bioactive bone implants. The integration of implants can be improved physically, but mainly by chemical modifications of the material surface. It was recognized that amino-group-containing coatings [...] Read more.
Increased life expectancy in industrialized countries is causing an increased incidence of osteoporosis and the need for bioactive bone implants. The integration of implants can be improved physically, but mainly by chemical modifications of the material surface. It was recognized that amino-group-containing coatings improved cell attachment and intracellular signaling. The aim of this study was to determine the role of the amino group density in this positive cell behavior by developing controlled amino-rich nanolayers. This work used covalent grafting of polymer-based nanocoatings with different amino group densities. Titanium coated with the positively-charged trimethoxysilylpropyl modified poly(ethyleneimine) (Ti-TMS-PEI), which mostly improved cell area after 30 min, possessed the highest amino group density with an N/C of 32%. Interestingly, changes in adhesion-related genes on Ti-TMS-PEI could be seen after 4 h. The mRNA microarray data showed a premature transition of the MG-63 cells into the beginning differentiation phase after 24 h indicating Ti-TMS-PEI as a supportive factor for osseointegration. This amino-rich nanolayer also induced higher bovine serum albumin protein adsorption and caused the cells to migrate slower on the surface after a more extended period of cell settlement as an indication of a better surface anchorage. In conclusion, the cell spreading on amine-based nanocoatings correlated well with the amino group density (N/C). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Synthetic and Natural Polymers in Medicine)
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Review

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30 pages, 2614 KiB  
Review
Biodegradable Polymers in Veterinary Medicine—A Review
by Magdalena Broda, Daniel J. Yelle and Katarzyna Serwańska-Leja
Molecules 2024, 29(4), 883; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29040883 - 17 Feb 2024
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2629
Abstract
During the past two decades, tremendous progress has been made in the development of biodegradable polymeric materials for various industrial applications, including human and veterinary medicine. They are promising alternatives to commonly used non-degradable polymers to combat the global plastic waste crisis. Among [...] Read more.
During the past two decades, tremendous progress has been made in the development of biodegradable polymeric materials for various industrial applications, including human and veterinary medicine. They are promising alternatives to commonly used non-degradable polymers to combat the global plastic waste crisis. Among biodegradable polymers used, or potentially applicable to, veterinary medicine are natural polysaccharides, such as chitin, chitosan, and cellulose as well as various polyesters, including poly(ε-caprolactone), polylactic acid, poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid), and polyhydroxyalkanoates produced by bacteria. They can be used as implants, drug carriers, or biomaterials in tissue engineering and wound management. Their use in veterinary practice depends on their biocompatibility, inertness to living tissue, mechanical resistance, and sorption characteristics. They must be designed specifically to fit their purpose, whether it be: (1) facilitating new tissue growth and allowing for controlled interactions with living cells or cell-growth factors, (2) having mechanical properties that address functionality when applied as implants, or (3) having controlled degradability to deliver drugs to their targeted location when applied as drug-delivery vehicles. This paper aims to present recent developments in the research on biodegradable polymers in veterinary medicine and highlight the challenges and future perspectives in this area. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Synthetic and Natural Polymers in Medicine)
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25 pages, 3961 KiB  
Review
Hydrogels for Oral Tissue Engineering: Challenges and Opportunities
by Anfu Chen, Shuhua Deng, Jindi Lai, Jing Li, Weijia Chen, Swastina Nath Varma, Jingjing Zhang, Caihong Lei, Chaozong Liu and Lijia Huang
Molecules 2023, 28(9), 3946; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28093946 - 7 May 2023
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 4559
Abstract
Oral health is crucial to daily life, yet many people worldwide suffer from oral diseases. With the development of oral tissue engineering, there is a growing demand for dental biomaterials. Addressing oral diseases often requires a two-fold approach: fighting bacterial infections and promoting [...] Read more.
Oral health is crucial to daily life, yet many people worldwide suffer from oral diseases. With the development of oral tissue engineering, there is a growing demand for dental biomaterials. Addressing oral diseases often requires a two-fold approach: fighting bacterial infections and promoting tissue growth. Hydrogels are promising tissue engineering biomaterials that show great potential for oral tissue regeneration and drug delivery. In this review, we present a classification of hydrogels commonly used in dental research, including natural and synthetic hydrogels. Furthermore, recent applications of these hydrogels in endodontic restorations, periodontal tissues, mandibular and oral soft tissue restorations, and related clinical studies are also discussed, including various antimicrobial and tissue growth promotion strategies used in the dental applications of hydrogels. While hydrogels have been increasingly studied in oral tissue engineering, there are still some challenges that need to be addressed for satisfactory clinical outcomes. This paper summarizes the current issues in the abovementioned application areas and discusses possible future developments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Synthetic and Natural Polymers in Medicine)
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