First Published in 1986, this book offers a full, comprehensive guide to the application of hydrogels in medicine. Carefully compiled and filled with a vast repertoire of notes, diagrams, and references this book serves as a useful reference for students of medicine and other practitioners in their respective fields.

Hydrogels are crosslinked, macromolecular polymeric materials arranged in a three-dimensional network, which can absorb and retain large amounts of water. Hydrogels are commonly used in clinical practice and experimental medicine for a wide range of applications, including drug delivery, tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, diagnostics, cellular immobilization, separation of biomolecules or cells, and barrier materials to regulate biological adhesions. This book elucidates the underlying concepts and emerging applications of hydrogels and will provide key case studies and critical analysis of the existing research.

First Published in 1986, this book offers a full, comprehensive guide to the application of hydrogels in medicine. Carefully compiled and filled with a vast repertoire of notes, diagrams, and references this book serves as a useful reference for students of medicine and other practitioners in their respective fields.

Plant and Algal Hydrogels for Drug Delivery and Regenerative Medicine offers a materials-focused and systematic overview of biopolymeric hydrogels utilized for biomedical applications. The book details the synthesis and characterization of plant and algal-based hydrogels, with each chapter addressing a separate polysaccharide hydrogel type. Specific applications in drug delivery and regenerative medicine are also discussed, highlighting the efficacy, biocompatibility, benefits and challenges for each polysaccharide hydrogel subtype. There is increasing demand for biomaterials which reduce/prevent the host response, inflammation and rejection, hence this book provides a timely resource. Biopolymeric hydrogels have skyrocketed because of their necessity in in vivo applications. They create an environment similar to living tissue, which is both biocompatible and biodegradable. Plant and algal polysaccharides in particular are well-equipped with functional groups that are easily modified for beneficial results. - Systematically covers each plant and algal polysaccharide hydrogel subtype, from starch-based hydrogels to pectin and alginate-based hydrogels - Provides an end-to-end description of the synthesis, characterization and application of biopolymeric hydrogels for drug delivery and regenerative medicine - Appeals to a diverse readership, including those in biomedicine, pharmacy, polymer chemistry, biochemistry, materials science, biomedical engineering, and other biotechnology related disciplines

First Published in 1986, this book offers a full, comprehensive guide to the application of hydrogels in medicine. Carefully compiled and filled with a vast repertoire of notes, diagrams, and references this book serves as a useful reference for students of medicine and other practitioners in their respective fields.

This first book on nanocellulose and nanohydrogels for biomedical applications is unique in discussing recent advancements in the field, resulting in a comprehensive, well-structured overview of nanocellulose and nanohydrogel materials based nanocomposites. The book covers different types of nanocellulose materials and their recent developments in the drug delivery and nanomedicine sector, along with synthesis, characterization, as well as applications in the biotechnological and biomedical fields. The book also covers the current status and future perspectives of bacterial cellulose and polyester hydrogel matrices, their preparation, characterization, and tissue engineering applications of water soluble hydrogel matrices obtained from biodegradable sources. In addition, the chitosan-based hydrogel and nanogel matrices, their involvement in the current biofabrication technologies, and influencing factors towards the biomedical sector of biosensors, biopharmaceuticals, tissue engineering appliances, implant materials, diagnostic probes and surgical aids are very well documented. Further, the history of cellulose-based and conducting polymer-based nanohydrogels, their classification, synthesis methods and applicability to different sectors, the challenges associated with their use, recent advances on the inhibitors of apoptosis proteins are also included. The recent developments and applications in the drug delivery sector gives an overview of facts about the nanofibrillated cellulose and copoly(amino acid) hydrogel matrices in the biotechnology and biomedicine field. This book serves as an essential reference for researchers and academics in chemistry, pharmacy, microbiology, materials science and biomedical engineering.

Hydrogels, as three-dimensional polymer networks, are able to retain a large amount of water in their swollen state. The biomedical application of hydrogels was initially hampered by the toxicity of cross-linking agents and the limitations of hydrogel formation under physiological conditions. However, emerging knowledge in polymer chemistry and an increased understanding of biological processes have resulted in the design of versatile materials and minimally invasive therapies.The novel but challenging properties of hydrogels are attracting the attention of researchers in the biological, medical, and pharmaceutical fields. In the last few years, new methods have been developed for the preparation of hydrophilic polymers and hydrogels, which may be used in future biomedical and drug delivery applications. Such efforts include the synthesis of self-organized nanostructures based on triblock copolymers with applications in controlled drug delivery. These hydrogels could be used as carriers for drug delivery when combined with the techniques of drug imprinting and subsequent release. Engineered protein hydrogels have many potential advantages. They are excellent biomaterials and biodegradables. Furthermore, they could encapsulate drugs and be used in injectable forms to replace surgery, to repair damaged cartilage, in regenerative medicine, or in tissue engineering. Also, they have potential applications in gene therapy, although this field is relatively new.

This second edition of Biomaterials Science leads the field by providing a balanced, insightful view of biomaterials. Contributions from pre-eminent researchers and practitioners from diverse academic and professional backgrounds have been integrated into a cohesive curriculum which includes pertinent principles of cell biology, immunology and pathology focusing on the clinical uses of biomaterials as components of implants, devices, and artificial organs, and their uses in biotechnology. The materials science and engineering of synthetic and natural biomaterials and the characterization of their physical, chemical, biochemical and surface properties, and mechanisms and evaluation of interactions with tissue, are also addressed in detail. Book jacket.