Recently a number of hydrogel-based microand nanoscale drug carriers have been reported including top down fabricated, highly monodisperse nanoparticles of specific sizes and shapes. One critical question on such approaches is whether in vivo swelling of the nanoparticles could considerably alter their geometry to a point where the potential benefit of controlling size or shape could not be rea...

We previously reported a synthetic Laponite® crosslinked pNIPAM-co-DMAc (L-pNIPAM-co-DMAc) hydrogel which promotes differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to nucleus pulposus (NP) cells without additional growth factors. The clinical success of this hydrogel is dependent on: integration with surrounding tissue; the capacity to restore mechanical function; as well as supporting the viab...

The outcome of scaffold-based stem cell transplantation remains unsatisfied due to the poor survival of transplanted cells. One of the major hurdles associated with the stem cell survival is the immune rejection, which can be effectively reduced by the use of immunosuppressant. However, ideal localized and sustained release of immunosuppressant is difficult to be realized, because it is arduous...

Objective(s): One of the main constraints of collagen hydrogel scaffolds for using in tissue engineering is mechanical weakness. Plastic compression (PC) is a physical method to overcome the mechanical limitation of collagen hydrogel. Materials and Methods: In this study, the effects of pH on mechanical and biological properties of PC hydrogels were investigated. Collagen hydrogels were fabrica...

A descriptive study of isothermal kinetics of diclofenac release from chitosan-g-acrylic acid (Chit-AA) hydrogel and chitosan-g-(acrylic acid-co-[2-(acryloyloxy)ethyl]trimethylammonium chloride) (Chit-AA-AETM) hydrogel was carried out. Isothermal kinetic curves for diclofenac release from both hydrogels in distilled water at various temperatures of 20-42°C were studie...

Organic-inorganic hybrid hydrogel electrolytes were prepared by mixing hydrotalcite, cross-linked potassium poly(acrylate) and 6 M KOH solution. The organicinorganic hybrid hydrogel electrolytes had high ionic conductivity (0.456–0.540 S cm) at 30 °C. Moreover, the mechanical strength of the hydrogel electrolytes was high enough to form a 2–3 mm thick freestanding membrane because of the reinfo...

We report that stiffness gradients facilitate infiltration of cells through otherwise cell-impermeable hydrogel interfaces. By enabling the separation of hydrogel manufacturing and cell seeding, and by improving cell colonization of additively manufactured hydrogel elements, interfacial density gradients present a promising strategy to progress in the creation of 3D tissue models.

PURPOSE To evaluate the influence of surface treatment of silicone-hydrogel CL on lens hydrophobicity, protein adsorption and microbial colonisation by studying several silicone hydrogel contact lenses (CL) with and without surface treatment. The lenses used in this study were Balafilcon A, Lotrafilcon A, Lotrafilcon B and Galyfilcon A. A conventional hydrogel CL (Etafilcon A) was also tested. ...

We report on characterization of an optical fiber-based multi-parameter sensor concept combining localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) signal and interferometric sensing using a double-clad optical fiber. The sensor consists of a micro-Fabry-Perot in the form of a hemispherical stimuli-responsive hydrogel with immobilized gold nanorods on the facet of a cleaved double-clad optical fiber. T...