Work

Hydrogels: From soft contact lenses and implants to self‐assembled nanomaterials

Year: 2009

Type: article

Abstract: Hydrogels were the first biomaterials designed for clinical use. Their discovery and applications as soft contact lenses and implants are presented. This early hydrogel research served as a foundation for the expansion of biomedical polymers research into new directions: design of stimuli sensitive hydrogels that abruptly change their properties upon application of an external stimulus (pH, temperature, solvent, electrical field, biorecognition) and hydrogels as carriers for the delivery of drugs, peptides, and proteins. Finally, pathways to self-assembly of block and graft copolymers into hydrogels of precise 3D structures are introduced.

Source: Journal of Polymer Science Part A Polymer Chemistry

DOI: 10.1002/pola.23607

Author: Jindrich Kopecek

Institution: University of Utah

Language: English

Topic: Hydrogels: synthesis, properties, applications

Subfield: Molecular Medicine

Field: Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Domain: Life Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funders: National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering

Awards: DEGRADABLE HYDROGELS FOR ORAL DELIVERY OF CALCITONIN, G8029352245, G9000031192