Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the roles of alginate composition and gelling cations on bead swelling, which affects its durability.
Method: Using a 2-channel droplet generator, microspheres were generated with 1.5% solutions of low viscosity high-mannuronic acid (LVM), medium viscosity high-mannuronic acid (MVM), low viscosity high-guluronic acid (LVG) and medium viscosity high-guluronic acid (MVG) alginate. They were gelled by cross-linking with 1.1% solution of either BaCl2 or CaCl2. The diameters of the microbeads were measured and recorded on day 0. The microbeads were subsequently washed and incubated in saline at 37 degrees C for 2 weeks with size assessment every 2 days. The data were normalized by calculation of the percentage change from control (day 0) for all groups of microbeads.
Results: Diameters of all beads were between 550-700 microns on day 0. Viscosity had no effect on swelling of Ba++- and Ca++-alginate microbeads. Ca++-alginate microbeads were more prone to swelling than the corresponding Ba++-alginate beads. High G-Ba++ beads had only a modest increase in size over time, in contrast to the high M-Ba++.
Conclusion: Alginate composition and the gelling cation have significant effects on bead swelling.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
---|---|
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02652040600687621 | DOI Listing |
Nat Commun
January 2025
Department of Mechanical Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
Biological materials, such as bamboo, are naturally optimized composites with exceptional mechanical properties. Inspired by such natural composites, traditional methods involve extracting nanofibers from natural sources and applying them in composite materials, which, however, often results in less ideal mechanical properties. To address this, this study develops a bottom-up nanofiber assembly strategy to create strong fiber-reinforced composite hydrogels inspired by the hierarchical assembly of bamboo.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Biol Macromol
January 2025
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450000, China. Electronic address:
Intrauterine adhesion (IUA) is an endometrial damage repair disorder that leads to menstrual loss, amenorrhea, and infertility in women; therefore, addressing this dilemma is a critical challenge. In this study, a multifunctional hydrogel, comprising oxidized sodium alginate (OSA), strontium carbonate (SrCO), and betamethasone 21-phosphate sodium (BSP), was formulated to facilitate angiogenesis, reduce fibrosis, and support tissue repair in the treatment of IUA. The composite hydrogels showed significant bioactivity on human endometrial stromal cells (HESCs) and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), promoting the injured HESCs repair, reversing the degree of fibrosis to a certain extent, and enhancing the proliferation and migration of HUVECs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBiomaterials
January 2025
Department of Pharmacy, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University & Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou, 450008, China. Electronic address:
Chronic consequences of diabetes that are most commonly encountered are diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs), driven by microbiota-immune system dyshomeostasis, eventually leading to delayed wound healing. Available therapies, such as systemic or topical administration of anti-inflammatory or antimicrobial agents, are limited due to antibiotic resistance and immune dysfunction. Herein, a hybrid hydrogel dressing is developed as the artificial bioadhesive barrier at wound sites to maintain microbial and immunological homeostasis locally and have potent anti-inflammatory effects.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPLoS One
January 2025
Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Devices, University of Brighton, Brighton, United Kingdom.
Diabetic foot, leg ulcers and decubitus ulcers affect millions of individuals worldwide leading to poor quality of life, pain and in several cases to limb amputations. Despite the global dimension of this clinical problem, limited progress has been made in developing more efficacious wound dressings, the design of which currently focusses on wound protection and control of its exudate volume. The present in vitro study systematically analysed seven types of clinically-available wound dressings made of different biomaterial composition and engineering.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Funct Biomater
January 2025
Department of Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering, University of Ulsan, Ulsan 44610, Republic of Korea.
This research introduced a strategy to fabricate sub-millimeter-diameter artificial liver tissue by extruding a combination of a liver decellularized extracellular matrix (dECM), alginate, endothelial cells, and hepatocytes. Vascularization remains a critical challenge in liver tissue engineering, as replicating the liver's intricate vascular network is essential for sustaining cellular function and viability. Seven scaffold groups were evaluated, incorporating different cell compositions, scaffold materials, and structural configurations.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!