Sheng Ding,Shaoqin He,Lian Shen,Qingliang Yang,Gensheng Yang
Gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) hydrogels have become a key biomaterial in various biomedical fields, such as tissue regeneration engineering and drug delivery, due to their exceptional biocompatibility and customizable physical and chemical characteristics. The resemblance of GelMA to the extracellular matrix and its ability to be cured with light make it a popular choice for researchers. This research delves into how the material properties of GelMA hydrogels, specifically the density of the molecular network (DMN), impact their performance in different applications. By preparing GelMA hydrogels with different degrees of substitution (DS) and concentrations, and utilizing these attributes as key measurable parameters for determining DMN, we conducted a comprehensive evaluation of properties relevant to biological applications. We also suggest strategies for optimizing these properties. Through the application of the DMN theory, we show that precise control over material properties allows for tailored customization of GelMA hydrogels for specific tissue engineering and drug delivery purposes. This study offers valuable insights into the optimization of GelMA hydrogel properties to advance the field of tissue engineering and improve customization of cellular microenvironments.
A new micellization method was applied to produce the nano octenyl succinic anhydride (OSA) modified starch micelles with controllable size. The underlying mechanism was explored by using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), dynamic light scattering (DLS), zeta-potential, surface tension, fluorescence spectra and transmission electron microscope (TEM). Due to the new starch modification method, the electrostatic repulsion between the deprotonation carboxyl groups prevented the aggregation of starch chains. With the progress of protonation , the weaken electrostatic repulsion and enhanced hydrophobic interaction driven the self-assembly of micelles. The size of micelles increased gradually with the increase of the protonation degree (PD) and concentration of OSA starch. However, a V-shaped trends were observed in the size as the increase of substitution of degree (DS). Curcuma loading test indicated that micelles had good encapsulated capability and the maximum value was 52.2 μg/mg. The understanding of the self-assembly behavior of OSA starch micelles can facilitate and improve the starch-based carrier designs used to synthesis complex and smart micelle delivery system with good biocompatibility.