Solid emulsion gel as a vehicle for delivery of polyunsaturated fatty acids: implications for tissue repair, dermal angiogenesis and wound healing.

The paper describes preparation and biological characterization of the solid hybrid biomaterial that was designed for cell-targeted lipid delivery in healing tissues. The material referred to as 'solid emulsion gel' combines a protein-stabilized lipid emulsion and a hydrogel structure in a single compartment. The potential of the omega-3 (n-3)-fatty acids rich solid emulsion gel for tissue repair applications was investigated at the macro-, micro-, molecular and gene expression levels, using human fibroblasts and endothelial cells and a porcine model of full-thickness wounds.

Mechanical and microstructural properties of hybrid poly(ethylene glycol)-soy protein hydrogels for wound dressing applications.

Biomimetic hydrogel made of poly(ethylene glycol) and soy protein with a water content of 96% has been developed for moist wound dressing applications. In this study, such hybrid hydrogels were investigated by both tensile and unconfined compression measurements in order to understand the relationships between structural parameters of the network, its mechanical properties and protein absorption in vitro. Elastic moduli were found to vary from 1 to 17 kPa depending on the composition, while the Poisson's ratio (approximately 0.

Inflammatory inert poly(ethylene glycol)--protein wound dressing improves healing responses in partial- and full-thickness wounds.

In this study, a novel soft hydrogel system based on the poly(ethylene glycol)-protein conjugates was evaluated as an occlusive wound dressing material. The hydrogel material, referred by the name of BioAquacare, contains up to 96% of the liquid and is formulated with phosphate-buffered saline and safe preservative to control bacterial load in the open wounds. Performance of the BioAquacare as a wound dressing material was assessed in partial- and full-thickness wounds in pigs.

Structure-property relationships in poly(ethylene glycol)-protein hydrogel systems made from various proteins.

A series of poly(ethylene glycol)-protein hydrogels were synthesized with different proteins, and the resultant structures were characterized in terms of swelling behavior and mechanical, optical, and drug release properties. Irrespectively of the protein involved in polymerization with poly(ethylene glycol), all studied systems were found to be loosely cross-linked networks, where both polymer and protein are completely solvated, enabling as high as 96% water content. Changes in the apparent transparency of the hydrogels synthesized with different proteins were attributed to the ability of the protein component to self-associate via hydrophobic interactions.