Tunable Hydrogels

This book reviews the current knowledge on tunable hydrogels, including the range of different materials and applications, as well as the existing challenges and limitations in the field. It covers various aspects of the material design, particularly highlighting biological responsiveness, degradability and responsiveness to external stimuli. In this book, readers will discover original research data and state-of-the-art reviews in the area of hydrogel technology, with a specific focus on biotechnology and medicine. Written by leading experts, the contributions outline strategies for designing tunable hydrogels and offer a detailed evaluation of the physical and synthetic methods currently employed to achieve specific hydrogel properties and responsiveness. This highly informative book provides important theoretical and practical insights for scholars and researchers working with hydrogels for biomedical and biotechnological applications.

This book introduces the reader to important aspects of the nano-hydrogels. It covers the development of hydrogels and their biology, chemistry and properties. Focus is also given to innovative characterization techniques and advances in structural design, with special emphasis on molecular structure, dynamic behavior and structural modifications of hydrogels. This book serves as a consolidated reference work for the diverse aspects of hydrogels, creating a valuable resource for students and researchers in academia and industry.

Sustainable Hydrogels: Synthesis, Properties and Applications highlights the development of sustainable hydrogels from various perspectives and covers a range of topics, including the development and utilization of abundant and/or inexpensive biorenewable monomers to create hydrogels; the mimicry of variable properties inherent to successful commercial hydrogels; and the creation of bio-based hydrogels that are functional equivalents of fossil fuel-derived hydrogels with respect to their properties, yet are capable of benign degradation over much shorter timescales. Some of the challenges facing sustainable polymer chemistry are also discussed. Shifts the focus from theory to practice and demonstrates how the cradle-to-cradle approach support sustainability Includes discussion of life cycle assessments in the production and use of hydrogels Presents various materials for the production of hydrogels

Multifunctional Hydrogels for Biomedical Applications Comprehensive resource presenting a thorough overview of the biomedical applications of hydrogels This book provides an overview of the development and applications of the clinically relevant hydrogels that are used particularly in tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, and drug delivery. Taking a multidisciplinary approach, it goes through the material from chemistry, materials science, biology, medicine, nanotechnology, and bioengineering points of view. Sample topics covered by the three well-qualified editors include: The design, functions, and developments of hydrogels Proteins and polysaccharides that mimic extracellular matrix Generation and applications of supramolecular hydrogels Design and functions of cell encapsulation systems Multifunctional Hydrogels for Biomedical Applications is a useful all-in-one reference work for materials scientists, polymer chemists, and bioengineers which provides a comprehensive, contemporary understanding of hydrogels and their applications targeting a wide variety of pathologies.

This eBook is a collection of articles from a Frontiers Research Topic. Frontiers Research Topics are very popular trademarks of the Frontiers Journals Series: they are collections of at least ten articles, all centered on a particular subject. With their unique mix of varied contributions from Original Research to Review Articles, Frontiers Research Topics unify the most influential researchers, the latest key findings and historical advances in a hot research area! Find out more on how to host your own Frontiers Research Topic or contribute to one as an author by contacting the Frontiers Editorial Office: frontiersin.org/about/contact.

Hydrogels Based on Natural Polymers presents the latest research on natural polymer-based hydrogels, covering fundamentals, preparation methods, synthetic pathways, advanced properties, major application areas, and novel characterization techniques. The advantages and disadvantages of each natural polymer-based hydrogel are also discussed, enabling preparation tactics for specific properties and applications. Sections cover fundamentals, development, characteristics, structures and properties. Additional chapters cover presentation methods and properties based on natural polymers, including physical and chemical properties, stimuli-responsive properties, self-healing properties, and biological properties. The final section presents major applications areas, including the biomedical field, agriculture, water treatments, and the food industry. This is a highly valuable resource for academic researchers, scientists and advanced students working with hydrogels and natural polymers, as well as across the fields of polymer science, polymer chemistry, plastics engineering, biopolymers and biomaterials. The detailed information will also be of great interest to scientists and R&D professionals, product designers, technicians and engineers across industries. Provides systematic coverage of all aspects of hydrogels based on natural polymers, including fundamentals, preparation methods, properties and characterization Offers a balanced assessment of the specific properties and possibilities offered by different natural polymer-based hydrogels, drawing on innovative research Examines cutting-edge applications across biomedicine, agriculture, water treatments, and the food industry

Regenerative engineering, with its ability to foster novel therapeutic techniques and strategies, has emerged as the most versatile and innovative technology of the 21st century. The past few years have seen a significant interest in the development of injectable hydrogels as a delivery system to realize the dream of regenerative engineering. The book will explain synthetic approaches towards developing injectable hydrogels, and the clinical implications and applications of injectable hydrogels for engineering various tissues. Injectable Hydrogels for Regenerative Engineering is the first of its kind to bring together the fields of injectable hydrogels and regenerative engineering to give a perspective of the emerging therapeutic strategies for a wide audience. Contents:Regenerative Engineering: Role of Scaffolds, Cells, and Growth Factors (F Sharmin, C C McDermott, Y M Khan)Injectable Hydrogels for Biomedical Applications (B Balakrishnan, A Jayakrishnan)Injectable Hydrogels by Physical Crosslinking (M J Glassman, B D Olsen)Injectable Hydrogels by Chemical Crosslinking (B Balakrishnan)Injectable Hydrogels by Enzymatic Crosslinking (S V Gohil, C W Hanna, L S Nair)Injectable Hydrogels as Tissue Adhesives (N Oliva, N Artzi)Injectable Hydrogels for Intervertebral Tissue Regeneration (T Karukonda, I L Moss)Injectable Hydrogels for Neural Tissue Regeneration (X Li, D Campbell-Rance, X Liu, N Zhang, X Wen)Injectable Hydrogels for Articular Cartilage Regeneration (B Choi, M Lee)Injectable Hydrogels for Cardiac Tissue Regeneration Post-Myocardial Infarction (G N Grover, K L Christman) Readership: Professionals, undergraduate and graduate students in the field of bioengineering and biological chemistry. Key Features:First book that focuses specifically on injectable hydrogels for regenerative engineering — two fast growing areas that will revolutionize the 21st century therapeutic strategyThe book will cover synthetic approaches to injectable hydrogels and current biomedical applicationsAll chapters are written by experts in the respective fields describing the various facets of injectable hydrogels, their significance and applications. Professionals and students in engineering, science, industry and clinicians will find the book to be an invaluable reference/ textbookKeywords:Hydrogels;Injectable;Regenerative Engineering;Drug Delivery;Cell Delivery;Scaffold

This book is the second of two volumes that together offer a comprehensive account of cutting-edge advances in the development of biomaterials for use within tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. In this volume, which is devoted to biomimetic biomaterials, the opening section discusses bone regeneration by means of duck’s feet-derived collagen scaffold and the use of decellularized extracellular matrices. The role of various novel biomimetic hydrogels in regenerative medicine is then considered in detail. The third section focuses on the control of stem cell fate by biomimetic biomaterials, covering exosome-integrated biomaterials for bone regeneration, cellular responses to materials for biomedical engineering, and the regulation of stem cell functions by micropatterned structures. Finally, the use of nano-intelligent biocomposites in regenerative medicine is addressed, with discussion of, for example, recent advances in biphasic calcium phosphate bioceramics and blood-contacting polymeric biomaterials. The authors are recognized experts in the interdisciplinary field of regenerative medicine and the book will be of value for all with an interest in regenerative medicine based on biomaterials.