Plasmid DNA hydrogels for biomedical applications

In the last few years, our research group has focused on the design and development of plasmid DNA (pDNA) based systems as devices to be used therapeutically in the biomedical field. Biocompatible macro and micro plasmid DNA gels were prepared by a cross-linking reaction. For the first time, the pDNA gels have been investigated with respect to their swelling in aqueous solution containing different additives. Furthermore, we clarified the fundamental and basic aspects of the solute release mechanism from pDNA hydrogels and the significance of this information is enormous as a basic tool for the formulation of pDNA carriers for drug/gene delivery applications. The co-delivery of a specific gene and anticancer drugs, combining chemical and gene therapies in the treatment of cancer was the main challenge of our research. Significant progresses have been made with a new p53 encoding pDNA microgel that is suitable for the loading and release of pDNA and doxorubicin. This represents a strong valuable finding in the strategic development of systems to improve cancer cure through the synergetic effect of chemical and gene therapy.     

The design,mechanism and biomedical application of self-healing hydrogels

Current advances made in self-healing hydrogels relating to the design strategies, self-healing mechanism, testing methods and biomedical application in vivo were extensively reviewed in this article.     

Smart poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate/itaconic acid) hydrogels for biomedical application

pH- and temperature-sensitive hydrogels, based on 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) and itaconic acid (IA) copolymers, were prepared by γ-irradiation and characterized in order to examine their potential use in biomedical applications. The influence of comonomer ratio in these smart copolymers on their morphology, mechanical and thermal properties, biocompatibility and microbe penetration capability was investigated. The mechanical properties of copolymers were investigated using the dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), while their thermal properties and morphology were examined by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The morphology, mechanical and thermal properties of these hydrogels were found to be suitable for most requirements of biomedical applications. The in vitro study of P(HEMA/IA) biocompatibility showed no evidence of cell toxicity nor any considerable hemolytic activity. Furthermore, the microbe penetration test showed that neither Staphylococcus aureus nor Escherichia coli passed through the hydogel dressing; thus the P(HEMA/IA) dressing could be considered a good barrier against microbes. All results indicate that stimuli-responsive P(HEMA/IA) hydrogels have great potential for biomedical applications, especially for skin treatment and wound dressings.     

Advances in nitric oxide-releasing hydrogels for biomedical applications

Hydrogels provide a plethora of advantages to biomedical treatments due to their highly hydrophilic nature and tissue-like mechanical properties. Additionally, the numerous and widespread endogenous roles of nitric oxide have led to an eruption in research developing biomimetic solutions to the many challenges the biomedical world faces. Though many design factors and fabrication details must be considered, utilizing hydrogels as nitric oxide delivery vehicles provides promising materials in several applications. Such applications include cardiovascular therapy, vasodilation and angiogenesis, antimicrobial treatments, wound dressings, and stem cell research. Herein, a recent update on the progress of NO-releasing hydrogels is presented in depth. In addition, considerations for the design and fabrication of hydrogels and specific biomedical applications of nitric oxide-releasing hydrogels are discussed.     

Injectable hydrogels as unique biomedical materials

A concentrated fish soup could be gelled in the winter and re-solled upon heating. In contrast, some synthetic copolymers exhibit an inverse sol-gel transition with spontaneous physical gelation upon heating instead of cooling. If the transition in water takes place below the body temperature and the chemicals are biocompatible and biodegradable, such gelling behavior makes the associated physical gels injectable biomaterials with unique applications in drug delivery and tissue engineering etc. Various therapeutic agents or cells can be entrapped in situ and form a depot merely by a syringe injection of their aqueous solutions at target sites with minimal invasiveness and pain. This tutorial review summarizes and comments on this soft matter, especially thermogelling poly(ethylene glycol)-(biodegradable polyester) block copolymers. The main types of injectable hydrogels are also briefly introduced, including both physical gels and chemical gels.     

Polymeric gels and hydrogels for biomedical and pharmaceutical applications

Hydrogels are formed when a three‐dimensional polymeric network is loosely crosslinked. They are swollen by water but not dissolved in it. Hydrogels may display reversible sol–gel transitions, induced by changes in the environmental conditions such as temperature, pH, ionic strength, phase separation, wave length of light, crystallinity, etc. Hydrogel is described as smart or intelligent when sharp transition is induced by small change in such conditions. For the shape‐memory hydrogels, reversible change in shape may also be induced by such stimuli. The preparation and applications of the molecularly imprinted polymeric hydrogels (MIPs) are illustrated by a few examples. The use of shape sensitive hydrogels in microfluidic is mentioned. Application of hydrogels for chronobiology and chronotherapy is outlined. The conversion of hydrogels into aerogels and their respective properties is discussed. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Photocrosslinkable chitosan hydrogels and their biomedical applications

Chitosan is a bioactive macromolecule with a wide variety of applications due to its excellent biological properties such as biodegradability, biocompatibility, and antibacterial activity, and so forth. This highlight focuses on the preparation of photoactive chitosans, the formation of photocrosslinkable chitosan hydrogels, and the related photopolymerization mechanisms. Moreover, the great potential applications of photocrosslinkable chitosan hydrogels for human tissues are also discussed. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2019, 57, 1862–1871     

Functional and highly porous scaffolds for biomedical applications

Highly porous functional scaffolds were obtained from linear and cross-linked multifunctional poly(ε-caprolactone) and poly(L-lactide). The polymers were synthesized by ring-opening polymerization of ε-caprolactone and L-lactide using poly(but-2-ene-1,4-diyl malonate) (PBM) as macroinitiator and stannous 2-ethylhexanoate. The presence of a double bond in each repeating unit of PBM enabled cross-linking of both scaffolds and films. Soft and flexible scaffolds were created from cross-linked PBM. The mechanical properties of scaffolds and films were evaluated under cyclic conditions, with a focus on the compositions and molecular weights. It was obvious that PBM in the polymers and its cross-linking ability resulted in tunable material characteristics, including an increased ability to recover after repeated loading.     

DNA-based supramolecular hydrogels: From construction strategies to biomedical applications

DNA-based supramolecular hydrogels are important and promising biomaterials for various applications due to their inherent biocompatibility and tunable physicochemical properties. The three-dimensional supramolecular matrix of DNA formed by non-covalently dynamic cross-linking provides exceptional adaptability, self-healing, injectable and responsive properties for hydrogels. In addition, DNA hydrogels are also ideal bio-scaffold materials owing to their tissue-like mechanics and intrinsic biological functions. Technically, DNA can assemble into supramolecular networks by pure complementary base pairing; it can also be combined with other building blocks to construct hybrid hydrogels. This review focuses on the development and construction strategies of DNA hydrogels. Assembly and synthesis methods, diverse responsiveness and biomedical applications are summarized. Finally, the challenges and prospects of DNA-based supramolecular hydrogels are discussed.     

PEO coated magnetic nanoparticles for biomedical application

This paper reports on the preparation, characterization and stealthiness of superparamagnetic nanoparticles (magnetite Fe₃O₄) with a 5 nm diameter and stabilized in water (pH ? 6.5) by a shell of water-soluble poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) chains. Two types of diblock copolymers, i.e., poly(acrylic acid)-b-poly(ethylene oxide), PAA-PEO, and poly(acrylic acid)-b-poly(acrylate methoxy poly(ethyleneoxide)), PAA-PAMPEO, were prepared as stabilizers with different compositions and molecular weights. At pH ? 6.5, the negatively ionized PAA block interacts strongly with the positively-charged nanoparticles, thus playing the role of an anchoring block. Aggregates of coated nanoparticles were actually observed by dynamic light scattering (DLS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The hydrodynamic diameter was in the 50-100 nm range and the aggregation number (number of nanoparticles per aggregate) was lying between several tens and hundred. Moreover, the stealthiness of these aggregates was assessed “in vitro” by the hemolytic CH50 test. No response of the complement system was observed, such that biomedical applications can be envisioned for these magnetic nanoparticles. Preliminary experiments of magnetic heating (10 kA/m; 108 kHz) were performed and specific absorption rate varied from 2 to 13 W/g_(Fe).     

The review of Lab-on-PCB for biomedical application

Prevention of infectious diseases, diagnosis of diseases, and determination of treatment options all rely on biosensors to detect and analyze biomarkers, which are usually divided into four parts: cell analysis, biochemical analysis, immunoassay, and molecular diagnosis. However, traditional biosensing devices are expensive, bulky, and require a lot of time to detect, which also limited its application in resource-limited areas. In recent years, Lab-on-PCB, which combines biosensing technology and PCB technology, has been widely used in biomedical applications due to its high integration, personalized design, and easy mass production. Among these Lab-on-PCB sensing devices, the PCB circuit plays an important role. It can be directly used as a resistance sensor to count cells, and also used as a control device to automatically control the detection device. Flexible PCBs can be used to make wearable medical biosensors. In addition, due to the high degree of integration of the PCB circuit, Lab-on-PCB can perform multiple inspections on the same platform, which reduces the inspection time equivalently. Therefore, in this review paper, we discuss the application of Lab-on-PCB in four analysis methods of cell analysis, biochemical analysis, immunoassay, and molecular diagnosis, and give some suggestions for improvement and future development trends at the end.     

Injectable and biodegradable hydrogels: gelation, biodegradation and biomedical applications

Injectable hydrogels with biodegradability have in situ formability which in vitro/in vivo allows an effective and homogeneous encapsulation of drugs/cells, and convenient in vivo surgical operation in a minimally invasive way, causing smaller scar size and less pain for patients. Therefore, they have found a variety of biomedical applications, such as drug delivery, cell encapsulation, and tissue engineering. This critical review systematically summarizes the recent progresses on biodegradable and injectable hydrogels fabricated from natural polymers (chitosan, hyaluronic acid, alginates, gelatin, heparin, chondroitin sulfate, etc.) and biodegradable synthetic polymers (polypeptides, polyesters, polyphosphazenes, etc.). The review includes the novel naturally based hydrogels with high potential for biomedical applications developed in the past five years which integrate the excellent biocompatibility of natural polymers/synthetic polypeptides with structural controllability via chemical modification. The gelation and biodegradation which are two key factors to affect the cell fate or drug delivery are highlighted. A brief outlook on the future of injectable and biodegradable hydrogels is also presented (326 references).     

Ta-containing oxide coatings on titanium for biomedical application

Bioinert, biocompatible, chemical-resistant oxide coatings containing Ta₂O₅, which are promising to be applied to titanium implants, were produced on titanium by plasma electrolytic oxidation in an aqueous electrolyte. An effect of formation conditions on the elemental and phase composition, thickness, and roughness of the coatings was researched. It was found that an addition of polyethylene glycol to electrolyte without affecting the elemental composition and the thickness causes a change in the porosity and an increase in the roughness of the formed oxide layer. Changing the surface arrangement may allow affecting an adhesion of biotissues to titanium implants with coatings and accumulating drugs by the coatings.     

Rheological and transport properties of sulfonated polyacrylamide hydrogels for water shutoff in porous media

In this research, an optimal hydrogel, based on sulfonated polyacrylamide, was synthesized by statistical design of experiments using central composite method. This new hydrogel composed of sulfonated polyacrylamide (AN125VLM) and chromium triacetate as copolymer and crosslinker, respectively. The bottle and rheological tests were conducted to investigate the gelation time, thermal stability, gel strength and also ultimate elastic modulus, complex modulus, and yield stress. It was found that copolymer concentration had the main effect in both rheological and transport properties of hydrogels. The sample prepared at optimum condition, i.e. copolymer concentration of 26,340 ppm and crosslinker/copolymer ratio of 0.12, had an ultimate elastic modulus of 29.9 kPa, yield stress of 800 Pa, and complex modulus of 32 kPa. A coreflooding test through fracture was carried out to examine the optimum gel performance in a porous media. A value of 483 for the residual resistance factor ratio of water to oil confirmed the high ability of the hydrogel in reducing the relative permeability of water to oil in fractured media. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Three-dimensional porous metal-radical frameworks based on triphenylmethyl radicals

Lanthanide coordination polymers {[Ln(PTMTC)(EtOH)₂H₂O] ? x H₂O, y EtOH} [Ln=Tb ( 1 ), Gd ( 2 ), and Eu ( 3 )] and {[Ln(αH? PTMTC)(EtOH)₂H₂O] ? x H₂O, y EtOH} [Ln=Tb ( 1′ ), Gd ( 2′ ), and Eu ( 3′ )] have been prepared by reacting Ln^III ions with tricarboxylate‐perchlorotriphenylmethyl/methane ligands that have a radical (PTMTC^3?) or closed‐shell (αH? PTMTC^3?) character, respectively. X‐ray diffraction analyses reveal 3D architectures that combine helical 1D channels and a fairly rare (6,3) connectivity described with the (4².8)?(4⁴.6².8⁵.10⁴) Schäfli symbol. Such 3D architectures make these polymers porous solids upon departure of the non‐coordinated guest‐solvent molecules as confirmed by the XRD structure of the guest‐free [Tb(PTMTC)(EtOH)₂H₂O] and [Tb(αH? PTMTC)(EtOH)₂H₂O] materials. Accessible voids represent 40 % of the cell volume. Metal‐centered luminescence was observed in Tb^III and Eu^III coordination polymers 1′ and 3′ , although the Ln^III‐ion luminescence was quenched when radical ligands were involved. The magnetic properties of all these compounds were investigated, and the nature of the {Ln–radical} (in 1 and 2 ) and the {radical–radical} exchange interactions (in 3 ) were assessed by comparing the behaviors for the radical‐based coordination polymers 1 – 3 with those of the compounds with the diamagnetic ligand set. Whilst antiferromagnetic {radical–radical} interactions were found in 3 , ferromagnetic {Ln–radical} interactions propagated in the 3D architectures of 1 and 2 .     

3‐D Interdigitated electrodes for uniform stimulation of electro‐responsive hydrogels for biomedical applications

Stimuli‐responsive hydrogels are continuing to increase in demand in biomedical applications. Occluding a blood vessel is one possible application which is ideal for a hydrogel because of their ability to expand in a fluid environment. However, typically stimuli‐responsive hydrogels focus on bending instead of radial uniform expansion, which is required for an occlusion application. This article focuses on using an interdigitated electrode device to stimulate an electro‐responsive hydrogel in order to demonstrate a uniform swelling/deswelling of the hydrogel. A Pluronic‐bismethacrylate (PF127‐BMA) hydrogel modified with hydrolyzed methacrylic acid, in order to make it electrically responsive, is used in this article. An interdigitated electrode device was manufactured containing Platinum electrodes. The results in this paper show that the electrically biased hydrogels deswelled 230% more than the non‐biased samples on average. The hydrogels deswelled uniformly and showed no visual deformations due to the electrical bias. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2013 , 51, 1523–1528     

Design of target-specific polymer conjugates and complexes for biomedical application

The new effective method of synthesis of protein-protein and protein-water soluble linear polymer conjugates based on using of hydrated reversed micelle systems is described. Such conjugates are of a great potential importance in particular for biomedical applications. One example represents a new family of receptor specific screened immunotoxins (respecrins) whose toxic effect develops only with respect to the target but not to the other cells. Respecrin is a toxin covalently bound to a target-equivalent macromolecule then complexed with an antitarget antibody. Another example relates to artificial immunogenes which are conjugates of antigens or haptenes with non-natural linear polyelectrolytes. The general mechanism of a search and recognition of target immune cells by such conjugates in vivo was confirmed in model experiments using cell-mimetic particles. It is also shown that complexing of the DNA plasmide with the carbochain polycation results in formation of membrane active polycomplex much more active in transformation of competent cells than pure plasmide.     

Three-dimensional electron diffraction for porous crystalline materials: structural determination and beyond

Porous crystalline materials such as zeolites, metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) and covalent organic frameworks (COFs) have attracted great interest due to their well-defined pore structures in molecular dimensions. Knowing the atomic structures of porous materials is crucial for understanding their properties and exploring their applications. Many porous materials are synthesized as polycrystalline powders, which are too small for structure determination by X-ray diffraction. Three-dimensional electron diffraction (3DED) has been developed for studying such materials. In this Minireview, we summarize the recent developments of 3DED methods and demonstrate how 3DED revolutionized structural analysis of zeolites, MOFs, and COFs. Zeolites and MOFs whose structures remained unknown for decades could be solved. New approaches for design and targeted synthesis of novel zeolites could be developed. Moreover, we discuss the advances of structural analysis by 3DED in revealing the unique structural features and properties, such as heteroatom distributions, mixed-metal frameworks, structural flexibility, guest–host interactions, and structure transformation.

Three-dimensional electron diffraction is a powerful tool for accurate structure determination of zeolite, MOF, and COF crystals that are too small for X-ray diffraction. By revealing the structural details, the properties of the materials can be understood, and new materials and applications can be designed.     

三维多孔碳纳米管-还原氧化石墨烯复合气凝胶应用于高性能对称超级电容器

以羟基化的碳纳米管(CNT-OH)和自制的氧化石墨烯(GO)为原料,通过氧化还原自组装的水热合成策略制备了碳纳米管-还原氧化石墨烯(CNTs-rGO)三维气凝胶,并探究了水热温度对三维气凝胶的影响,利用扫描电子显微镜(SEM)、X射线衍射(XRD)、拉曼光谱(Raman)和X射线光电子能谱(XPS)对材料的结构、形貌进行了表征,并对其进行电化学性能测试。其中,在140℃下合成的气凝胶CNTs-rGO展示了最佳的电化学性能,在1 A·g^-1电流密度下的比电容高达294.65 F·g^-1,循环伏安曲线在50 mV·s^-1扫速下的形状仍然近似于矩形,展示了良好的可逆性。将其作为正极和负极材料组装的对称超级电容器在功率密度为249.8 W·kg^-1时的最大能量密度为3.744 Wh·kg^-1,在1 A·g^-1下循环10 000次后,其电容保持率和库仑效率均约为100%。优异的电化学性能主要归因于CNTs-rGO复合材料疏松多孔的三维立体结构,这保证了离子的快速运输,同时CNTs和rGO的交联结构提高了电导率,充分发挥了CNTs和rGO的化学和电学性能。     

三维多孔碳纳米管-还原氧化石墨烯复合气凝胶应用于高性能对称超级电容器

以羟基化的碳纳米管(CNT-OH)和自制的氧化石墨烯(GO)为原料,通过氧化还原自组装的水热合成策略制备了碳纳米管-还原氧化石墨烯(CNTs-rGO)三维气凝胶,并探究了水热温度对三维气凝胶的影响,利用扫描电子显微镜(SEM)、X射线衍射(XRD)、拉曼光谱(Raman)和X射线光电子能谱(XPS)对材料的结构、形貌进行了表征,并对其进行电化学性能测试。其中,在140℃下合成的气凝胶CNTs-rGO展示了最佳的电化学性能,在1 A·g^-1电流密度下的比电容高达294.65 F·g^-1,循环伏安曲线在50 mV·s^-1扫速下的形状仍然近似于矩形,展示了良好的可逆性。将其作为正极和负极材料组装的对称超级电容器在功率密度为249.8 W·kg^-1时的最大能量密度为3.744 Wh·kg^-1,在1 A·g^-1下循环10 000次后,其电容保持率和库仑效率均约为100%。优异的电化学性能主要归因于CNTs-rGO复合材料疏松多孔的三维立体结构,这保证了离子的快速运输,同时CNTs和rGO的交联结构提高了电导率,充分发挥了CNTs和rGO的化学和电学性能。