From Supramolecular Hydrogels to Multifunctional Carriers for Biologically Active Substances

Abstract

Supramolecular hydrogels are 3D, elastic, water-swelled materials that are held together by reversible, non-covalent interactions, such as hydrogen bonds, hydrophobic, ionic, host–guest interactions, and metal–ligand coordination. These interactions determine the hydrogels’ unique properties: mechanical strength; stretchability; injectability; ability to self-heal; shear-thinning; and sensitivity to stimuli, e.g., pH, temperature, the presence of ions, and other chemical substances. For this reason, supramolecular hydrogels have attracted considerable attention as carriers for active substance delivery systems. In this paper, we focused on the various types of non-covalent interactions. The hydrogen bonds, hydrophobic, ionic, coordination, and host–guest interactions between hydrogel components have been described. We also provided an overview of the recent studies on supramolecular hydrogel applications, such as cancer therapy, anti-inflammatory gels, antimicrobial activity, controlled gene drug delivery, and tissue engineering.

Supramolecular Hydrogels: Design Strategies and Contemporary Biomedical Applications

“…[190] Copyright 2020, Elsevier B.V. cells and highly porous biomaterial scaffolds to restore, maintain and enhance the function of damaged tissues. [191,24] For the reasons stated in the introduction, supramolecular hydrogels are attractive materials to fabricate tissue constructs or scaffolds to encapsulate drugs and biomolecules, allow cells to infiltrate the site of action and regulate routine cellular functions. [9,192] Recent successes within the field include the restoration of retinal tissue and vitreous humour [193] and the reestablishment of blood flow to the heart following myocardial infarction.…”

Smart Nucleic Acid Hydrogels with High Stimuli-Responsiveness in Biomedical Fields

“…With the continuous progress of synthesis technology and the continuous exploration of the nature of FNAs. NAHs are widely used in biosensors, drug loading, targeted delivery, and tissue engineering (Table 1) [3,68].…”

“…Hydrogel is a macromolecular material with a three-dimensional network structure, which is known for its ability to remain an elastic gel while absorbing fluids [3]. Since 1960, when Wichelrle and Lim firstly developed poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) hydrogels and used them to prepare the first contact lenses, the research and application of hydrogels have been on the fast track of development [4].…”

Silk Sericin Enrichment through Electrodeposition and Carbonous Materials for the Removal of Methylene Blue from Aqueous Solution

“…Although electrodeposition is commonly used for alloy and composite coatings fabrication [9][10][11], such technique has received considerable attention in biopolymeric hydrogel preparation [12,13]. In comparison with other gelation techniques, including chemical and physical crosslinking strategies, electrodeposition offers several benefits such as (i) does not require the presence of a chemical crosslinker and is, therefore, favorable for biocompatible hydrogel preparation, (ii) controllable design and flexibility for hydrogel preparation [14][15][16][17][18].…”