Article
Chemistry, Physical
Seyithan Kansiz, Yasar Murat Elcin
Summary: Liposomes and polymersomes are self-assembled vesicles that can encapsulate hydrophilic and hydrophobic therapeutics, making them important in drug delivery research. They have versatile designs for different drug delivery applications. This review article discusses the physical and biological barriers to efficient drug delivery and explores the design approaches, properties, targeting strategies, and stimuli response of liposomes and polymersomes. The challenges, recent clinical developments, and future perspectives are also addressed.
ADVANCES IN COLLOID AND INTERFACE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Adam Kasinski, Agata Swierczek, Monika Zielinska-Pisklak, Sebastian Kowalczyk, Andrzej Plichta, Anna Zgadzaj, Ewa Oledzka, Marcin Sobczak
Summary: The aim of this study was to develop a dual-stimuli-responsive smart hydrogel local drug delivery system (LDDS) that can be used for simultaneous chemotherapy and magnetic hyperthermia (MHT) antitumor treatment. The hydrogels were made from a biocompatible and biodegradable copolymer and characterized for their gel-forming and rheological properties. Magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (MIONs) were created using the coprecipitation method and showed superparamagnetic properties when subjected to an alternating magnetic field (AMF). The MIONs/hydrogel matrices displayed controlled and prolonged release of paclitaxel (PTX), making them promising for combined chemotherapy and hyperthermia treatment.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Maria M. Coronel, Karen E. Martin, Michael D. Hunckler, Pranav Kalelkar, Rahul M. Shah, Andres J. Garcia
Summary: This study demonstrates a facile method to synthesize microgels crosslinked with ester-containing junctions and investigates the effect of microgel degradability on in vivo tissue responses. The injectable microgels show time-dependent degradation in vivo and have the potential to modulate host tissue immune responses.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Hao Cai, Ping Tan, Xiaoting Chen, Michal Kopytynski, Dayi Pan, Xiuli Zheng, Lei Gu, Qiyong Gong, Xiaohe Tian, Zhongwei Gu, Hu Zhang, Rongjun Chen, Kui Luo
Summary: This study presents a smart drug-delivery system, LD-DOX/Ce6, based on LDBCs. LD-DOX/Ce6 can specifically release DOX and Ce6 in the tumor microenvironment, resulting in a synergistic chemo-photodynamic antitumor efficacy.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Minami Nakamitsu, Keigo Oyama, Hiroaki Imai, Syuji Fujii, Yuya Oaki
Summary: This research successfully visualizes and measures weak compression stresses through the use of stimuli-responsive materials, demonstrating the importance for healthcare monitoring and biomedical applications.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Laura Vasilica Arsenie, Franziska Hausig, Carolin Kellner, Johannes C. Brendel, Patrick Lacroix-Desmazes, Vincent Ladmiral, Sylvain Catrouillet
Summary: Thermo-responsive hydrophilic polymers, including those showing tuneable lower critical solution temperature (LCST), have great potential in nanomedicine. The development of dual LCST/pH-responsive hydrophilic polymers is attractive in polymer science due to biological pH changes.
Article
Mechanics
Dmitry I. Kopelevich, Shujun He, Ryan J. Montes, Jason E. Butler
Summary: Two mean-field models were developed and compared for polyelectrolytes under simultaneous electric field and pressure-driven flow field. The models predict migration perpendicular to the anti-parallel or parallel fields, with electrohydrodynamic interactions causing concentration of polyelectrolytes in the center of a microfluidic channel. Further model development is needed due to quantitative disagreement with experimental data.
JOURNAL OF FLUID MECHANICS
(2021)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Hadi Rahmaninejad, Andrew J. Parnell, Wei-Liang Chen, Nilay Duzen, Thomas Sexton, Gary Dunderdale, John F. Ankner, Wim Bras, Christopher K. Ober, Anthony J. Ryan, Rana Ashkar
Summary: This study investigates the gating response of nanochannels to variations in solution pH and ionic strength using selective sidewall functionalization with a polyelectrolyte brush. The conformational and structural changes of the brush layer within the channels are characterized using specular and off-specular neutron reflectometry. The results demonstrate that the brush state collapses under basic pH, representing an open gate, and expands upon decreasing pH and salt concentration, representing a partially closed gate.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Xinyi Wang, Yewon L. Jeong, Christopher Love, Holly A. Stretz, Gila E. Stein, Brian K. Long
Summary: This study explored the modification of the service window of unfunctionalized vinyl-addition polynorbornene (VAPNB) through the use of norbornene monomers bearing alkyl, aryl, and aryl ether substituents. The resulting VAPNBs exhibited high T'(g)s and large service windows, comparable to other commercial engineering thermoplastics. The feasibility of melt processing was demonstrated by successfully extruding and molding a functionalized VAPNB material, indicating potential for compatibility with traditional processing techniques and emerging technologies.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Huan Wang, Zhengzai Cheng, Lesly Dasilva Wandji Djouonkep, Chupeng Lan, Linfeng Wang, Shuanpu Cai, Ling Ding, Mario Gauthier
Summary: A series of aliphatic-aromatic polyesters were successfully synthesized in this study, which possess the advantages of being renewable, degradable, and abundant. The properties of the copolyesters can be adjusted by varying the length of the carbon chains of the dicarboxylic acid moieties. Thermal analysis showed that these copolyesters exhibit good thermal stability, mechanical properties, and biodegradability. The investigation of eco-toxicity demonstrated their low toxicity in natural habitats, contributing to carbon neutrality and sustainable development of bio-based plastics.
Article
Polymer Science
Ines Ferreira, Ana Camila Marques, Paulo Cardoso Costa, Maria Helena Amaral
Summary: Hydrogels based on stimuli-responsive polymers can change their characteristics in response to small variations in environmental conditions. This study aimed to investigate the effect of steam sterilization on the properties of hydrogels based on Carbopol((R)) 940, Pluronic((R)) F-127, and sodium alginate. The results showed that steam sterilization is suitable for Carbopol((R)) 940 hydrogels but not for sodium alginate or Pluronic((R)) F-127 hydrogels.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Zi-Yi Feng, Tao-Tao Liu, Zhen-Tao Sang, Zhen-Sheng Lin, Xin Su, Xiao-Ting Sun, Hua-Zhe Yang, Ting Wang, Shu Guo
Summary: By leveraging the phase separation phenomenon in micro-droplets, polymer-lipid Janus particles were synthesized on a microfluidic flow focusing chip. These particles can achieve drug release under various conditions, such as triggering by temperature or pH levels.
FRONTIERS IN BIOENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Polymer Science
Marcin Mackiewicz, Serife Dagdelen, Muhammad Sagir Abubakar, Jan Romanski, Ewelina Waleka-Bargiel, Marcin Karbarz
Summary: Novel hollow hydrogel capsules were synthesized using a precipitation polymerization method, making them stimuli-sensitive and degradable. The capsules were prepared by crosslinking N-isopropylacrylamide with -N,N'-bis(acryloyl)cystine on-C = C-modified sacrificial dimethyldie-thoxysilane emulsion templates, and the silica core was removed to form the capsules. The capsules showed stability and pH sensitivity due to the presence of carboxylic groups from the crosslinking agent. The polymer network of the capsules was susceptible to degradation by the reducing agent glutathione, which allowed for controlled release of the loaded anticancer drug Doxorubicin.
POLYMER DEGRADATION AND STABILITY
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Applied
Herbert Musarurwa, Nikita Tawanda Tavengwa
Summary: Stimuli-responsive polymers, with easily adjustable physicochemical properties, have attracted the attention of researchers due to their potential for recovering from bulk samples after separation processes. pH-responsive, thermo-responsive, and light-responsive polymers have been applied in adsorption studies, aqueous two-phase systems, and membrane systems. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the applications of various types of stimuli-responsive polymers, along with summarizing their advantages and limitations. Furthermore, it explores the challenges and future prospects of stimuli-responsive polymers in detail.
REACTIVE & FUNCTIONAL POLYMERS
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Iuliia Pilipenko, Viktor Korzhikov-Vlakh, Annika Valtari, Yurii Anufrikov, Stanislav Kalinin, Marika Ruponen, Mikhail Krasavin, Arto Urtti, Tatiana Tennikova
Summary: This study investigated two types of nanogels for improving ocular drug delivery, showing that cross-linked nanogels with disulfide linkages and thiol groups have enhanced mucoadhesive properties. In vivo intraocular pressure studies also demonstrated that polymers in solution can affect the ocular absorption of certain drugs, indicating the potential of these copolymers for ocular drug delivery applications.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
(2021)