Hydrogels, crosslinked polymeric networks capable of holding large amounts of water, are excellent homing materials for cells, drugs, biomolecules (antibodies, growth factors, etc.). As well as being an excellent career for live cells and drugs, injectable hydrogels also have the ability to be injected into intricate wound defects with the help of a needle avoiding the need of creating implants with perfect dimensional fitness. Although enormous progress has been made on the development, testing, and efficacy of injectable hydrogel scaffolds over the past two decades, challenges around mechanical integrity, biodegradability, and biocompatibility, and manufacturing still persists and must be overcome before such materials can be deployed in clinical settings at large scale. Undoubtedly, challenges are huge but so is the potential.
Modern theranostics demands carefully crafted materials that can talk and listen to the body and take appropriate action as required. This means the material would be able to host biological reagents (e.g. live cells, growth factors), possess appropriate mechanical, structural, and fabrication properties. It would also be capable of hosting therapeutic cargos and imaging agents without compromising their efficacy. Furthermore, it also allows the release of the payload in the right amount, at the right time and place as required by the patient to avoid the side effects of repeated invasive monitoring. Building such homing system is highly desirable in clinical settings. This collection targets submissions focusing on building platforms based on injectable hydrogels to repair tissues, deliver drugs and/or imaging agents, and provide a homing material where live cells can thrive. This includes materials development, characterization, in-vivo potential, clinical applications, and insightful perspectives.
The scope of this Research Topic covers the development and application of polymeric injectable hydrogels and scaffolds for tissue repair, drug delivery, and bioimaging. Authors are requested to stay within the following themes:
• Development, characterization, and applications of biodegradable injectable hydrogels
• Stimuli-responsive hydrogels for on-demand triggered drug delivery
• Cell growth, cell viability, extracellular matrix evaluation, and tissue development
• Hydrogel mechanical, biological, and physical properties evaluation
• Targeted drug delivery using trackable drug cargos
• In-vivo and clinical feasibility of hydrogels for soft and hard tissue repair
• 3D-scaffolds manufacturing
• Surface engineering of hydrogel scaffolds for enhanced bioactivity and biocompatibility
Hydrogels, crosslinked polymeric networks capable of holding large amounts of water, are excellent homing materials for cells, drugs, biomolecules (antibodies, growth factors, etc.). As well as being an excellent career for live cells and drugs, injectable hydrogels also have the ability to be injected into intricate wound defects with the help of a needle avoiding the need of creating implants with perfect dimensional fitness. Although enormous progress has been made on the development, testing, and efficacy of injectable hydrogel scaffolds over the past two decades, challenges around mechanical integrity, biodegradability, and biocompatibility, and manufacturing still persists and must be overcome before such materials can be deployed in clinical settings at large scale. Undoubtedly, challenges are huge but so is the potential.
Modern theranostics demands carefully crafted materials that can talk and listen to the body and take appropriate action as required. This means the material would be able to host biological reagents (e.g. live cells, growth factors), possess appropriate mechanical, structural, and fabrication properties. It would also be capable of hosting therapeutic cargos and imaging agents without compromising their efficacy. Furthermore, it also allows the release of the payload in the right amount, at the right time and place as required by the patient to avoid the side effects of repeated invasive monitoring. Building such homing system is highly desirable in clinical settings. This collection targets submissions focusing on building platforms based on injectable hydrogels to repair tissues, deliver drugs and/or imaging agents, and provide a homing material where live cells can thrive. This includes materials development, characterization, in-vivo potential, clinical applications, and insightful perspectives.
The scope of this Research Topic covers the development and application of polymeric injectable hydrogels and scaffolds for tissue repair, drug delivery, and bioimaging. Authors are requested to stay within the following themes:
• Development, characterization, and applications of biodegradable injectable hydrogels
• Stimuli-responsive hydrogels for on-demand triggered drug delivery
• Cell growth, cell viability, extracellular matrix evaluation, and tissue development
• Hydrogel mechanical, biological, and physical properties evaluation
• Targeted drug delivery using trackable drug cargos
• In-vivo and clinical feasibility of hydrogels for soft and hard tissue repair
• 3D-scaffolds manufacturing
• Surface engineering of hydrogel scaffolds for enhanced bioactivity and biocompatibility
