Polymeric Colloidal Materials for Biomedical Applications II

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Polymer Networks".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 February 2022) | Viewed by 23086

Special Issue Editors

1. Department of Biomedical Engineering, Chung Yuan Christian University, Taoyuan 32023, Taiwan
2. Center for Minimally-Invasive Medical Devices and Technologies, Chung Yuan Christian University, Taoyuan 32023, Taiwan
Interests: biomedical polymer; polymeric micelles; polymeric nanoparticles; cartilage regeneration; near infrared medical imagings; polyermic membranes for drug delivery
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Department of Chemical Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
Interests: costumed-design of Biomaterials; surface modification of biomaterials to enhance cell and extracellular matrix interaction; antibody and peptides conjugated nanoparticles as biosensors and drug delivery vehicles for cancer therapy; Stem Cell and Tissue engineering; cell encapsulation and 3D culture; biological microbubbles for cardiac and stem cells
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, National Central University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
Interests: plasmonic biosensors; functional biointerfaces; antifouling materials; zwitterionic materials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Further to the success of the Special Issue of Polymers “Polymeric Colloidal Materials for Biomedical Applications”, we are delighted to reopen the Special Issue, now entitled “Polymeric Colloidal Materials for Biomedical Applications II”.

Colloids is generally known as the dispersion of microscopic particles in a liquid, gas, and condensed phase. Because of the tunable molecular structures, polymeric colloids can be tailor-made to show a superlattice architecture. In recent decades, emerging technologies have enabled the fabrication of polymeric colloids in a nanoscopic scale. Classically, polymeric colloids are produced via the self-assembly of polymer chains in solution. Scientists have gained experience in engineering the architectures of colloids from naturally-occurring polymers, e.g., biomimetic approaches. Alternatively, synthetic polymers are also employed for the self-assembly of colloids. With modern technologies, high-throughput synthesis of polymeric colloids is realized by microfluidics and photolithography.

In addition to the synthesis of polymeric colloids, the physicochemical properties and featured properties, such as biological or optoelectronic behaviors, are crucial for biomedical applications. These properties should be comprehensively characterized with advanced instrumentations.

Polymeric colloids are widely applied for therapy and diagnosis, as well. For example, the nanosized liposome of doxorubicine has been used clinically for cancer therapy. With regard to advanced functionality, nanodrugs combined with diagnostic agents have been discovered and termed as theranostics. It is expected that more and more biomedical applications of polymeric colloids will be introduced in the near future.

The aim of this Special Issue is to highlight the progress and fundamental aspects for the synthesis, characterization, properties, and biomedical application of colloids made of synthetic polymers and biologically-relevant macromolecules, as well as their copolymers and nanocomposites.

Dr. Ming-Fa Hsieh
Prof. Jiashing Yu
Dr. Chun-Jen Huang
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

  • Polymeric colloids
  • biomedical
  • nanoparticles
  • polymeric micelles
  • liposomes
  • solid lipid nanoparticles
  • theranostics

Published Papers (8 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

18 pages, 3181 KiB  
Article
Experimental Design and Optimization of Nano-Transfersomal Gel to Enhance the Hypoglycemic Activity of Silymarin
by Marwa H. Abdallah, Amr S. Abu Lila, Seham Mohammed Shawky, Khaled Almansour, Farhan Alshammari, El-Sayed Khafagy and Tarek Saad Makram
Polymers 2022, 14(3), 508; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym14030508 - 27 Jan 2022
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 2476
Abstract
Current advancements in the research investigations focused at using natural products to generate novel dosage forms with a potential therapeutic impact. Silymarin is a natural product obtained from the herb Silybum marianum that has been shown to have remarkable hypoglycemic activity. Owing to [...] Read more.
Current advancements in the research investigations focused at using natural products to generate novel dosage forms with a potential therapeutic impact. Silymarin is a natural product obtained from the herb Silybum marianum that has been shown to have remarkable hypoglycemic activity. Owing to the low enteral absorption, instability in stomach secretion, and poor solubility of Silymarin, it was better to be produced as a topical dosage form. A three-factor, three-level Box Behnken (33 BB) design was constructed to develop 15 formulations using three independent variables (phospholipid concentration, surfactant concentration, and sonication time) and two dependent variables (encapsulation efficiency and in vitro drug release). The optimized formula was added to HPMC gel and the resulting transfersomal gel was investigated for its characteristics, in vitro, ex vivo and hypoglycemic behaviors. The pH of the Silymarin-loaded transfersomal gel was 7.05, the spreadability was 55.35 mm, and the viscosity was 6.27 Pa. Furthermore, Silymarin loaded transfersomal gel had the greatest transdermal flux (92.41 µg/cm2·h), which was much greater than all other formulations. In vivo observations revealed that Silymarin loaded transfersomal gel significantly reduced blood glucose levels, compared to either Silymarin gel or oral Silymarin suspension. The findings show that the developed transfersomal gel could be an effective carrier for Silymarin transdermal delivery. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymeric Colloidal Materials for Biomedical Applications II)
Show Figures

Figure 1

18 pages, 3475 KiB  
Article
An Environmental Friendly Tapioca Starch-Alginate Cultured Scaffold as Biomimetic Muscle Tissue
by Che-Wei Lin, Po-Ting Wu, Kuan-Ting Liu, Yu-Jui Fan and Jiashing Yu
Polymers 2021, 13(17), 2882; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym13172882 - 27 Aug 2021
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3345
Abstract
Natural porous scaffolds have been studied and developed for decades in biomedical science in order to support cells with a simulated extracellular matrix in natural tissue as an ideal environment. Such three-dimensional scaffolds provide many degrees of freedom to modulate cell activity, such [...] Read more.
Natural porous scaffolds have been studied and developed for decades in biomedical science in order to support cells with a simulated extracellular matrix in natural tissue as an ideal environment. Such three-dimensional scaffolds provide many degrees of freedom to modulate cell activity, such as porosity, pore size, mechanical strength, biodegradability, and biocompatibility. In this study, a porous, three-dimensional material of alginate incorporating tapioca starch was fabricated. A particular freeze-gelation method was applied to homogenously mix starch in the alginate, and the concentration was controllable. This pure natural composite porous scaffold was characterized physically and biologically. The synergistic functions, including biocompatibility, biodegradability, cell adhesion, and cell proliferation, were also investigated. A myogenic differentiation model further verified that the composite porous scaffold provided a suitable environment, supporting the differentiation effect in the myogenic process. The positive results demonstrated that this novel material has the potential to serve as a biomedical or clean meat appliance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymeric Colloidal Materials for Biomedical Applications II)
Show Figures

Figure 1

8 pages, 1481 KiB  
Communication
Effect of Size and Loading of Retinoic Acid in Polyvinyl Butyrate Nanoparticles on Amelioration of Colitis
by Jinting Li, Yunmei Mu, Yiwei Liu, Akihiro Kishimura, Takeshi Mori and Yoshiki Katayama
Polymers 2021, 13(9), 1472; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym13091472 - 02 May 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1807
Abstract
Butyrate has been used in the treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). However, the controlled release of butyrate has been indicated to be necessary in order to avoid the side effects verified at high concentrations. We previously developed nanoparticles (NPs) of polyvinyl butyrate [...] Read more.
Butyrate has been used in the treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). However, the controlled release of butyrate has been indicated to be necessary in order to avoid the side effects verified at high concentrations. We previously developed nanoparticles (NPs) of polyvinyl butyrate (PVBu) as an oral butyrate donor for the controlled release of butyrate for the treatment of colitis. To examine the effect of the size of NPs on the therapeutic effect of colitis, here we prepared PVBu NPs with different sizes (100 nm and 200 nm). Both sizes of PVBu NPs significantly suppressed the inflammatory response in macrophages in vitro. PVBu NPs with 200 nm showed better effects on the amelioration of colitis compared with the 100 nm-NPs. We found unexpectedly that 200 nm-NP incorporated with all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) showed a much better therapeutic effect than those with unloaded 200 nm-NPs, although ATRA alone was reported to worsen the inflammation. The synergistic effect of ATRA with butyrate shows evidence of being a promising approach for IBD treatment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymeric Colloidal Materials for Biomedical Applications II)
Show Figures

Graphical abstract

12 pages, 2891 KiB  
Article
Nanosized Particles Assembled by a Recombinant Virus Protein Are Able to Encapsulate Negatively Charged Molecules and Structured RNA
by Hemalatha Mani, Yi-Cheng Chen, Yen-Kai Chen, Wei-Lin Liu, Shih-Yen Lo, Shu-Hsuan Lin and Je-Wen Liou
Polymers 2021, 13(6), 858; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym13060858 - 11 Mar 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1706
Abstract
RNA-based molecules have recently become hot candidates to be developed into therapeutic agents. However, successful applications of RNA-based therapeutics might require suitable carriers to protect the RNA from enzymatic degradation by ubiquitous RNases in vivo. Because of their better biocompatibility and biodegradability, protein-based [...] Read more.
RNA-based molecules have recently become hot candidates to be developed into therapeutic agents. However, successful applications of RNA-based therapeutics might require suitable carriers to protect the RNA from enzymatic degradation by ubiquitous RNases in vivo. Because of their better biocompatibility and biodegradability, protein-based nanoparticles are considered to be alternatives to their synthetic polymer-based counterparts for drug delivery. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) core protein has been suggested to be able to self-assemble into nucleocapsid-like particles in vitro. In this study, the genomic RNA-binding domain of HCV core protein consisting of 116 amino acids (p116) was overexpressed with E. coli for investigation. The recombinant p116 was able to assemble into particles with an average diameter of approximately 27 nm, as visualized by electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. Measurements with fluorescence spectroscopy, flow cytometry, and fluorescence quenching indicated that the p116-assembled nanoparticles were able to encapsulate small anionic molecules and structured RNA. This study demonstrates methods that exploit the self-assembly nature of a virus-derived protein for nanoparticle production. This study also suggests that the virus-derived protein-assembled particles could possibly be developed into potential carriers for anionic molecular drugs and structured RNA-based therapeutics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymeric Colloidal Materials for Biomedical Applications II)
Show Figures

Graphical abstract

11 pages, 24411 KiB  
Article
Vapor Sublimation and Deposition to Fabricate a Porous Methyl Propiolate-Functionalized Poly-p-xylylene Material for Copper-Free Click Chemistry
by Chin-Yun Lee, Shu-Man Hu, Jia-Qi Xiao, Yu-Ming Chang, Tatsuya Kusanagi, Ting-Ying Wu, Ya-Ru Chiu, Yen-Ching Yang, Chao-Wei Huang and Hsien-Yeh Chen
Polymers 2021, 13(5), 786; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym13050786 - 04 Mar 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2696
Abstract
Conventional porous materials are mostly synthesized in solution-based methods involving solvents and initiators, and the functionalization of these porous materials usually requires additional and complex steps. In the current study, a methyl propiolate-functionalized porous poly-p-xylylene material was fabricated based on a [...] Read more.
Conventional porous materials are mostly synthesized in solution-based methods involving solvents and initiators, and the functionalization of these porous materials usually requires additional and complex steps. In the current study, a methyl propiolate-functionalized porous poly-p-xylylene material was fabricated based on a unique vapor sublimation and deposition process. The process used a water solution and ice as the template with a customizable shape and dimensions, and the conventional chemical vapor deposition (CVD) polymerization of poly-p-xylylene on such an ice template formed a three-dimensional, porous poly-p-xylylene material with interconnected porous structures. More importantly, the functionality of methyl propiolate was well preserved by using methyl propiolate-substituted [2,2]-paracyclophane during the vapor deposition polymerization process and was installed in one step on the final porous poly-p-xylylene products. This functionality exhibited an intact structure and reactivity during the proposed vapor sublimation and deposition process and was proven to have no decomposition or side products after further characterization and conjugation experiments. The electron-withdrawing methyl propiolate group readily provided efficient alkynes as click azide-terminated molecules under copper-free and mild conditions at room temperature and in environmentally friendly solvents, such as water. The resulting methyl propiolate-functionalized porous poly-p-xylylene exhibited interface properties with clickable specific covalent attachment toward azide-terminated target molecules, which are widely available for drugs and biomolecules. The fabricated functional porous materials represent an advanced material featuring porous structures, a straightforward synthetic approach, and precise and controlled interface click chemistry, rendering long-term stability and efficacy to conjugate target functionalities that are expected to attract a variety of new applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymeric Colloidal Materials for Biomedical Applications II)
Show Figures

Figure 1

19 pages, 3273 KiB  
Article
Nanoparticle-Hydrogel Composite Drug Delivery System for Potential Ocular Applications
by Xuan-Ling Hsu, Lien-Chen Wu, Jui-Yang Hsieh and Yi-You Huang
Polymers 2021, 13(4), 642; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym13040642 - 21 Feb 2021
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 3321
Abstract
Intravitreal injections are clinically established procedures in the treatment of posterior eye diseases, such as wet age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD) which requires monthly intravitreal injections of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) protein drugs that can lead to complications due to frequent dosing. [...] Read more.
Intravitreal injections are clinically established procedures in the treatment of posterior eye diseases, such as wet age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD) which requires monthly intravitreal injections of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) protein drugs that can lead to complications due to frequent dosing. In this study, we designed a composite drug delivery system (DDS) consisting of drug-loaded poly (lactide–co–glycolide) (PLGA) nanoparticles and a chemically crosslinked hyaluronan hydrogel to reduce the dosing frequency. The morphology, size, composition, and drug loading efficiency of the prepared nanoparticles were characterized. The properties of the modified hyaluronan polymers used were also examined. The degree of swelling/degradation and controlled release ability of the hyaluronan hydrogel and the composite DDS were identified using bovine serum albumin (BSA) as a model drug. The results show that this system can retain 75% of its wet weight without losing its integrity and release the model drug at the rate of 0.4 μg/day for more than two months under physiological conditions. In addition, the nanoparticulate formulation of the system can further improve bioavailability of the drugs by penetrating deep into the retinal layers. In conclusion, the proposed composite DDS is easily prepared with biocompatible materials and is promising for providing the sustained release of the protein drugs as a better treatment for ocular neovascular diseases like wet AMD. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymeric Colloidal Materials for Biomedical Applications II)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

23 pages, 2824 KiB  
Review
Advances in Polymeric Colloids for Cancer Treatment
by Imran Ali, Sara H. Althakfi, Mohammad Suhail, Marcello Locatelli, Ming-Fa Hsieh, Mosa Alsehli and Ahmed M. Hameed
Polymers 2022, 14(24), 5445; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym14245445 - 13 Dec 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2213
Abstract
Polymer colloids have remarkable features and are gaining importance in many areas of research including medicinal science. Presently, the innovation of cancer drugs is at the top in the world. Polymer colloids have been used as drug delivery and diagnosis agents in cancer [...] Read more.
Polymer colloids have remarkable features and are gaining importance in many areas of research including medicinal science. Presently, the innovation of cancer drugs is at the top in the world. Polymer colloids have been used as drug delivery and diagnosis agents in cancer treatment. The polymer colloids may be of different types such as micelles, liposomes, emulsions, cationic carriers, and hydrogels. The current article describes the state-of-the-art polymer colloids for the treatment of cancer. The contents of this article are about the role of polymeric nanomaterials with special emphasis on the different types of colloidal materials and their applications in targeted cancer therapy including cancer diagnoses. In addition, attempts are made to discuss future perspectives. This article will be useful for academics, researchers, and regulatory authorities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymeric Colloidal Materials for Biomedical Applications II)
Show Figures

Graphical abstract

15 pages, 1683 KiB  
Review
Substitutes and Colloidal System for Vitreous Replacement and Drug Delivery: Recent Progress and Future Prospective
by Minal Thacker, Ching-Li Tseng and Feng-Huei Lin
Polymers 2021, 13(1), 121; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym13010121 - 30 Dec 2020
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 4201
Abstract
Vitreoretinal surgeries for ocular diseases such as complicated retinal detachment, diabetic retinopathy, macular holes and ocular trauma has led to the development of various tamponades over the years in search for an ideal vitreous substitute. Current clinically used tamponade agents such as air, [...] Read more.
Vitreoretinal surgeries for ocular diseases such as complicated retinal detachment, diabetic retinopathy, macular holes and ocular trauma has led to the development of various tamponades over the years in search for an ideal vitreous substitute. Current clinically used tamponade agents such as air, perfluorocarbons, silicone oil and expansile gases serve only as a short-term solution and harbors various disadvantages. However, an ideal long-term substitute is yet to be discovered and recent research emphasizes on the potential of polymeric hydrogels as an ideal vitreous substitute. This review highlights the recent progress in the field of vitreous substitution. Suitability and adverse effects of various tamponade agents in present day clinical use and biomaterials in the experimental phase have been outlined and discussed. In addition, we introduced the anatomy and functions of the native vitreous body and the pathological conditions which require vitreous replacement. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymeric Colloidal Materials for Biomedical Applications II)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop