Injectable nanocomposite hydrogels with co-delivery of oxygen and anticancer drugs for higher cell viability of healthy cells than cancer cells under normoxic and hypoxic conditions.

Injectable nanocomposite hydrogels (NC hydrogels) have the potential to be used for minimally invasive local drug delivery. In particular, pH-sensitive injectable NC hydrogels can be used in cancer treatment to deliver high doses of anticancer drugs to the target site in cancer tissue without damaging healthy tissue. Recent studies have shown that in addition to stimuli-responsive delivery of anticancer drugs to cancer cells, oxygen delivery to the hypoxic environment of cancer tissue can lead to advanced effects, as hypoxia and an acidic pH are common characteristics of cancer tissue.

The Effect of Co-Delivery of Oxygen and Anticancer Drugs on the Viability of Healthy and Cancer Cells under Normoxic and Hypoxic Conditions.

Hypoxia, cancer, tissue damage, and acidic pH conditions are interrelated, as chronic hypoxic conditions enhance the malignant phenotype of cancer cells, causing more aggressive tissue destruction, and hypoxic cells rely on anaerobic glycolysis, leading to the accumulation of lactic acid. Therefore, the administration of oxygen is necessary to support the functions of healthy cells until the formation of new blood vessels and to increase the oxygen supply to cancerous tissues to improve the efficacy of antitumor drugs on tumor cells. In addition to O supply, pH-dependent delivery of anticancer drugs is desired to target cancer cells and reduce drug side effects on healthy cells.

Roadmap on multifunctional materials for drug delivery.

This Roadmap on drug delivery aims to cover some of the most recent advances in the field of materials for drug delivery systems (DDSs) and emphasizes the role that multifunctional materials play in advancing the performance of modern DDS in the context of the most current challenges presented. The Roadmap is comprised of multiple sections, each of which introduces the status of the field, the current and future challenges faced, and a perspective of the required advances necessary for biomaterial science to tackle these challenges. It is our hope that this collective vision will contribute to the initiation of conversation and collaboration across all areas of multifunctional materials for DDSs.

Oxygen Delivery Biomaterials in Wound Healing Applications.

Oxygen (O ) delivery biomaterials have attracted great interest in the treatment of chronic wounds due to their potential applications in local and continuous O generation and delivery, improving cell viability until vascularization occurs, promoting structural growth of new blood vessels, simulating collagen synthesis, killing bacteria and reducing hypoxia-induced tissue damage. Therefore, different types of O delivery biomaterials including thin polymer films, fibers, hydrogels, or nanocomposite hydrogels have been developed to provide controlled, sufficient and long-lasting O to prevent hypoxia and maintain cell viability until the engineered tissue is vascularized by the host system. These biomaterials are made by various approaches, such as encapsulating O releasing molecules into hydrogels, polymer microspheres and 3D printed hydrogel scaffolds and adsorbing O carrying reagents into polymer films of fibers.