Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Joseph Bruns, Terrance Egan, Philippe Mercier, Silviya P. Zustiak
Summary: Glioblastoma (GBM) spheroid models encapsulated in hydrogels with different stiffness were used to investigate the influence of microenvironment stiffness on drug responsiveness. The results showed higher infiltration ability of spheroids in soft hydrogels, and similar drug response of U87 spheroids in soft and stiff hydrogels, but higher cell viability in the spheroid periphery of stiff hydrogels. Displacement experiments on the stiffness-affected interface further explored the drug responsiveness of the spheroid models.
ACTA BIOMATERIALIA
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Analytical
Kwang-Ho Lee, Tae-Hyung Kim
Summary: The article discusses the widespread use of multicellular tumor spheroids (MCTs) in the biomedical field and their connection to drug screening, emphasizing the importance of mimicking the tumor microenvironment for understanding cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ekkachai Martwong, Yvette Tran
Summary: The study reports on the synthesis and temperature-responsive properties of poly(PEGMA) hydrogel thin films. Surface-attached poly(PEGMA) hydrogel films were synthesized using a simple, versatile, and well-controlled thiol-ene click reaction method, with the transition temperature finely tunable by adjusting the number of PEG units. The LCST properties of the hydrogel films are not sensitive to salt, holding promise for applications in biology such as injectable hydrogels, drug delivery systems, microfluidic valves, and flow switches for biotechnologies.
Article
Polymer Science
Huafen Wang, Huanhuan He, Jiaxiang Zhang, Juntao Liu, Yuwei Zhuang, Yuanyuan Yin, Zhiyong Ren, Yang Fu, Suqin He
Summary: Novel monomethoxy poly(ethylene glycol) modified hydroxylated tung oil (mPEG-HTO-mPEG) was synthesized as a drug delivery system. The properties of mPEG-HTO-mPEG were affected by the length of the mPEG chain. The drug loading and release behaviors of mPEG-HTO-mPEG with prednisone acetate as a model drug were investigated, and the results showed effective loading and sustained release.
Article
Oncology
Elodie Jouberton, Aurelien Voissiere, Frederique Penault-Llorca, Florent Cachin, Elisabeth Miot-Noirault
Summary: An increasing number of studies suggest that the interaction between tumor cells and their microenvironment plays a predominant role in the development of solid cancers. In order to mimic microtumors, researchers have designed artificial in vitro 3D culture models, such as spheroids. This project aimed to develop and characterize a multicellular tumor spheroid (MCTS) model of human prostate cancer cells for drug screening. The results showed that this model successfully mimicked a microtumor and was suitable for validating new therapeutic approaches targeting proliferation and the microenvironment.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CANCER RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Elaheh Dalir Abdolahinia, Ghasem Barati, Zahra Ranjbar-Navazi, Jamileh Kadkhoda, Maryam Islami, Nastaran Hashemzadeh, Solmaz Maleki Dizaj, Simin Sharifi
Summary: Nanogels have emerged as promising drug delivery systems, offering site-specific and time-controlled release of therapeutic agents. They possess key advantages such as high stability, efficient drug loading, and responsiveness to external stimuli, making them highly versatile. Nanogels have shown great potential in various applications including gene delivery, chemotherapy, monitoring, and organ targeting. The use of spheroid tumor models allows for efficient screening of drug-loaded nanogels against cancer cells, reducing costs, time, and ethical concerns before clinical practice.
JOURNAL OF DRUG DELIVERY SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Irina M. Le-Deygen, Oxana E. Musatova, Victor N. Orlov, Nikolay S. Melik-Nubarov, Irina D. Grozdova
Summary: This study provides the first evidence of the interaction between PEG and HA in aqueous solutions. The binding of PEG to HA requires multiple free primary hydroxyls regularly distributed along the polysaccharide chain. Additionally, PEG-induced compaction of HA may be related to changes in plasma membrane properties and resealing of mechanical injuries.
Article
Polymer Science
Sang Ik Lee, Yoon Young Choi, Seong Goo Kang, Tae Hyeon Kim, Ji Wook Choi, Young Jae Kim, Tae-Hyung Kim, Taewook Kang, Bong Geun Chung
Summary: A microfluidic-based droplet system was developed to generate uniform 3D tumor spheroids for drug screening applications. The system allowed high-throughput generation of spheroids with various cellular ratios, providing a potentially powerful tool for anti-cancer drug analysis.
Article
Polymer Science
Graham Hayes, Ben Drain, C. Remzi Becer
Summary: Poly(2-oxazoline)s are promising for biomedical applications, but limited synthetic approaches exist for star-shaped polymers. A novel bis-oxazoline cross-linker was developed via a fast thiol click reaction, allowing the preparation of well-controlled core cross-linked star polymers. The synthesized star-shaped polymers were characterized extensively and showed potential for encapsulation of dihydroxyanthroquinone.
Article
Polymer Science
Lukas P. Sadowski, Andrew Singh, Daniel H. Luo, Michael J. Majcher, Ivan Urosev, Meghan Rothenbroker, Vitaliy Kapishon, Niels M. B. Smeets, Todd Hoare
Summary: In this study, brush co-polymer analogues were synthesized via atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) and used to fabricate nanoparticles for drug delivery applications. These analogues exhibited high colloidal stability, favorable in vitro cytocompatibility, and effective drug loading. The functionalization of the hydrophobic block allowed for controlled release of the nanoparticles.
EUROPEAN POLYMER JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Polymer Science
Moein Zarei, Miroslawa El Fray
Summary: Polymeric materials have a wide range of applications due to their controllable properties. In this study, a series of PBS-DLS-PEG copolymers were synthesized with different molecular weights of PEG to investigate their surface and thermal properties. The incorporation of higher molecular weight PEG improved the surface wettability of the materials while maintaining their thermal properties.
Article
Materials Science, Biomaterials
Fei Xu, Chloe Dawson, Todd Hoare
Summary: A reactive cell electrospinning approach is introduced to create nanofibrous hydrogel scaffolds with controllable local cell gradients. This method utilizes hydrazide and aldehyde-functionalized polymers and a sequential all-aqueous process, without the need for additives or external energy. The cells can be encapsulated directly during the fabrication process, allowing for localized segregation of different cell types within the structure while maintaining their proliferative capacity. This approach shows promise in generating coculture fibrous hydrogel networks with controlled nanoscale architecture and cell distribution, essential for recreating complex tissues.
Article
Polymer Science
Wenju Hu, Haozhi Sun, Lixia Pan, Chaoqun Zhang, Xin Shen, Feng Su, Jie Song
Summary: The encapsulation and release of hydrophobic drugs from PTMC-PEG micelles were studied to enhance drug delivery. By adjusting the hydrophilic/hydrophobic segment length, high drug loading and sustained release were achieved. The PTMC-PEG micelles showed good biocompatibility.
POLYMERS FOR ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Qiuquan Cai, Jiahong Jiang, Hongjie Zhang, Pengfei Ge, Liu Yang, Weipu Zhu
Summary: A PTX-loaded nanodrug was prepared through self-assembly of PTX and an amphiphilic PEG derivative, showing good biocompatibility and selective drug release under intratumor reducing conditions. This nanodrug has potential for delivering hydrophobic drugs to treat malignant tumors with prolonged circulation time and excellent antitumor efficacy in vivo.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2021)
Article
Polymer Science
Yasuhiro Nakagawa, Kotaro Ushidome, Keita Masuda, Kazunori Igarashi, Yu Matsumoto, Tatsuya Yamasoba, Yasutaka Anraku, Madoka Takai, Horacio Cabral
Summary: Multi-arm star-shaped block copolymers consisting of poly(furfuryl glycidol) (PFG) and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) were developed for drug delivery. The block copolymers showed controlled sizes and effectively loaded and released model drugs. When injected intravenously, they exhibited prolonged blood circulation, indicating their potential as long-circulating nanocarriers.