High porosity PEG-based hydrogel foams with self-tuning moisture balance as chronic wound dressings.

A major challenge in chronic wound treatment is maintaining an appropriate wound moisture balance throughout the healing process. Wound dehydration hinders wound healing due to impeded molecule transport and cell migration with associated tissue necrosis. In contrast, wounds that produce excess fluid contain high levels of reactive oxygen species and matrix metalloproteases that impede cell recruitment, extracellular matrix reconstruction, and angiogenesis.

Review of Integrin-Targeting Biomaterials in Tissue Engineering.

The ability to direct cell behavior has been central to the success of numerous therapeutics to regenerate tissue or facilitate device integration. Biomaterial scientists are challenged to understand and modulate the interactions of biomaterials with biological systems in order to achieve effective tissue repair. One key area of research investigates the use of extracellular matrix-derived ligands to target specific integrin interactions and induce cellular responses, such as increased cell migration, proliferation, and differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells.