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Polymers
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Biopolymers and Composites for Biomedical Applications
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Biopolymers and Composites for Biomedical 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 (31 August 2024) | Viewed by 4539

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Katarzyna Klimek

E-Mail Website1 Website2
Guest Editor
Chair and Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Medical University of Lublin, Chodzki 1 Street, 20-059 Lublin, Poland
Interests: cell culture; cell–biomaterial interactions; biocompatibility; hydrogels; polymers; tissue engineering; regenerative medicine; scaffolds
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Timothy E. L. Douglas

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Engineering Department, Lancaster University, Gillow Avenue, Lancaster LA1 4YW, UK
Interests: hydrogels; implant coatings; composites; biopolymers; languages in science
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Biopolymers are natural polymers that are produced by living organisms. There are three main classes of biopolymers: polynucleotides, polypeptides, and polysaccharides. Examples of polynucleotides include deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA). Polypeptides, meanwhile, comprise amino acids. The group of biopolymers known as polysaccharides includes starch, cellulose, chitin, alginate, agarose, curdlan, hyaluronic acid and dextran. Composites, in turn, are materials composed of two or more constituents. Therefore, they can include a variety of polymers (natural and/or synthetic) as well as other ingredients, e.g., bioactive glasses, hydroxyapatite, etc. Both the biopolymers themselves and the composites have found diverse biomedical applications. For example, they are used for the production of wound dressings, synthetic skin, implants, drug carriers, etc.

The aim of this Special Issue is to highlight the uses of biopolymers and their composites for biomedical applications. Therefore, we hope to publish papers describing the fabrication of biomaterials composed of biopolymers or the fabrication of composite biomaterials and their structural, physicochemical and biological evaluation. All types of articles, both original research papers and reviews, are welcome in this Special Issue. 

Dr. Katarzyna Klimek
Dr. Timothy E. L. Douglas
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

  • polynucleotides
  • polypeptides
  • polysaccharides
  • biomaterials
  • tissue engineering
  • regenerative medicine

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 2523 KiB  
Article
Preliminary In Vitro Assessment of Whey Protein Isolate Hydrogel with Cannabidiol as a Potential Hydrophobic Oral Drug Delivery System for Colorectal Cancer Therapy
by Daniel K. Baines, Karen Wright and Timothy E. L. Douglas
Polymers 2024, 16(23), 3273; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16233273 - 24 Nov 2024
Viewed by 829
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second global cause of cancer morbidity. Often, potent CRC drugs fail to reach the market, due to the molecule having low solubility levels. Therefore, there is a need to develop a viable, targeted delivery system for hydrophobic drugs. [...] Read more.
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second global cause of cancer morbidity. Often, potent CRC drugs fail to reach the market, due to the molecule having low solubility levels. Therefore, there is a need to develop a viable, targeted delivery system for hydrophobic drugs. Whey protein isolate (WPI), in the form of hydrogels, has demonstrated loadability with hydrophobic molecules. Hydrophobic cannabidiol (CBD) has demonstrated potential in inhibiting and suppressing CRC tumour growth. Therefore, in this study, WPI hydrogels were assessed as a novel oral hydrophobic drug delivery vehicle, using CBD as a model drug. The hydrogels were analysed in conditions consistent with the alimentary tract. The investigation was performed at pH 2 (stomach), pH 7 (small intestines) and pH 9 (large intestines) and using the enzymes pepsin (stomach) and protease (small and large intestines) to simulate the digestive environment. Polymer swelling assays demonstrated that the swelling potential of the hydrogels was strongly dependent on pH. At pH 2, hydrogels decreased in mass, losing around 10% of their initial mass, while hydrogels in a pH 9 environment increased in mass by approximately 50%. However, the enzymatic degradation of the hydrogels at pH 2 (pepsin, stomach), pH 7 (protease, small intestines) and pH 9 (protease, large intestines) was more pronounced in the neutral–alkaline pH range. Pepsin at pH 2 had no significant effect on the hydrogels. In contrast, protease at pH 9 significantly degraded the hydrogels, resulting in a mass loss of 30–40% from the initial mass. The results suggesting a higher rate of degradation in the intestines rather than in the stomach. Furthermore, CBD release, analysed with U.V. spectroscopy, demonstrated a higher release rate in pH conditions associated with the intestines (pH 7 and pH 9) rather than the stomach (pH 2), suggesting a higher rate of CBD release in regions of the digestive tract affected by CRC. Significantly, the hydrogels significantly reduced the viability of HT29 CRC cells. This study demonstrates the potential of the utilisation of WPI hydrogels as an oral hydrophobic drug delivery system. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biopolymers and Composites for Biomedical Applications)
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14 pages, 5844 KiB  
Article
Polysaccharide/Silica Microcapsules Prepared via Ionic Gelation Combined with Spray Drying: Application in the Release of Hydrophilic Substances and Catalysis
by Asmaa M. Elzayat, Inés Adam-Cervera, Marie Albus, Amparo Cháfer, José D. Badia, Francisco F. Pérez-Pla and Rafael Muñoz-Espí
Polymers 2023, 15(20), 4116; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15204116 - 17 Oct 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1492
Abstract
Polysaccharide/silica hybrid microcapsules were prepared using ionic gelation followed by spray-drying. Chitosan and alginate were used as biopolymer matrices, and in situ prepared silica was used as a structuring additive. The prepared microparticles were used in two very different applications: the encapsulation of [...] Read more.
Polysaccharide/silica hybrid microcapsules were prepared using ionic gelation followed by spray-drying. Chitosan and alginate were used as biopolymer matrices, and in situ prepared silica was used as a structuring additive. The prepared microparticles were used in two very different applications: the encapsulation of hydrophilic molecules, and as a support for palladium nanoparticles used as catalysts for a model organic reaction, namely the reduction of p-nitrophenol by sodium borhydride. In the first application, erioglaucine disodium salt, taken as a model hydrophilic substance, was encapsulated in situ during the preparation of the microparticles. The results indicate that the presence of silica nanostructures, integrated within the polymer matrix, affect the morphology and the stability of the particles, retarding the release of the encapsulated substance. In the second application, chloropalladate was complexed on the surface of chitosan microparticles, and palladium(II) was subsequently reduced to palladium(0) to obtain heterogeneous catalysts with an excellent performance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biopolymers and Composites for Biomedical Applications)
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13 pages, 3656 KiB  
Article
Peripheral Nerve Regeneration at 1 Year: Biodegradable Polybutylene Succinate Artificial Scaffold vs. Conventional Epineurial Sutures
by Luca Cicero, Roberto Puleio, Giovanni Cassata, Roberta Cirincione, Lawrence Camarda, Dario Caracappa, Lorenzo D’Itri, Mariano Licciardi and Giulio Edoardo Vigni
Polymers 2023, 15(16), 3398; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15163398 - 14 Aug 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1416
Abstract
The utilization of a planar poly(1,4-butylene succinate) (PBS) scaffold has been demonstrated as an effective approach for preserving nerve continuity and facilitating nerve regeneration. In this study, we assessed the characteristics of a microfibrous tubular scaffold specifically designed and fabricated through electrospinning, utilizing [...] Read more.
The utilization of a planar poly(1,4-butylene succinate) (PBS) scaffold has been demonstrated as an effective approach for preserving nerve continuity and facilitating nerve regeneration. In this study, we assessed the characteristics of a microfibrous tubular scaffold specifically designed and fabricated through electrospinning, utilizing PBS as a biocompatible and biodegradable material. These scaffolds were evaluated as nerve guide conduits in a rat model of sciatic nerve neurotmesis, demonstrating both their biodegradability and efficacy in enhancing the reconstruction process over a long-term period (1-year follow-up). Histological assay and electrophysiological evaluation were performed to compare the long-term outcomes following sutureless repair with the microfibrillar wrap to outcomes obtained using traditional suture repair. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biopolymers and Composites for Biomedical Applications)
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