Nat Commun.  2020 Mar 18;11(1):1435.   doi: 10.1038/s41467-020-14887-9. Fiber reinforced GelMA hydrogel to induce the regeneration of corneal stroma Bin Kong, Yun Chen, Rui Liu, Xi Liu, Changyong Liu, Zengwu Shao, Liming Xiong, Xianning Liu, Wei Sun, Shengli Mi Abstract Regeneration of corneal stroma has always been a challenge due to its sophisticated structure and keratocyte-fibroblast transformation.   In this study, we fabricate grid poly (ε-caprolactone)-poly (ethylene glycol) microfibrous scaffold and infuse the scaffold with gelatin methacrylate (GelMA) hydrogel to obtain a 3 D fiber hydrogel construct;   the fiber spacing is adjusted to fabricate optimal construct that simulates the stromal structure with properties most similar to the native cornea.   The topological structure (3 D fiber hydrogel, 3 D GelMA hydrogel, and 2 D culture dish) and chemical factors (serum, ascorbic acid, insulin, and β-FGF) are examined to study their effects on the differentiation of limbal stromal stem cells to keratocytes or fibroblasts and the phenotype maintenance, in vitro and in vivo tissue regeneration.   The results demonstrate that fiber hydrogel and serum-free media synergize to provide an optimal environment for the maintenance of keratocyte phenotype and the regeneration of damaged corneal stroma. Related products Abbreviation: 4-arm-PEG For more product information, please contact us at: US Tel: 1-844-782-5734 US Tel: 1-844-QUAL-PEG CHN Tel: 400-918-9898 Email: sales@sinopeg.com

DOI https://doi.org/10.1039/C4TA05736H Citation J. Mater.    Chem.    A, 2015,3, 1158-1163 Facile functionalization of a tetrahedron-like PEG macromonomer-based fluorescent hydrogel with high strength and its heavy metal ion detection Abstract A tetrahedron-like PEG macromonomer-based fluorescent hydrogel was fabricated by a facile method.    The functional hydrogel shows comparable high strength, up to megapascals, and sensitivity to heavy metal ions, such as Cu2+, Zn2+, Pb2+, Co2+, Hg2+ and Ni2+, which allow a potentially rapid visual response, trace analysis and one-step recyclable sensing for metal ion detection. Related products Abbreviation: 4-arm-PEG For more product information, please contact us at: US Tel: 1-844-782-5734 US Tel: 1-844-QUAL-PEG CHN Tel: 400-918-9898 Email: sales@sinopeg.com

Chemical Engineering Journal Volume 413, 1 June 2021, 127429 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2020.127429 Engineering poly(ionic liquid) semi-IPN hydrogels with fast antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties for wound healing Abstract The development of treatment of wound healing cannot meet clinical requirements owing to the complex bacteria-infection and inflammatory reaction. It is necessary to develop wound dressings that are fast antibacterial property, anti-inflammation and promoting cell migration and proliferation for shortening wound healing period. In this work, we first synthesized two poly(ionic liquids) (PILs): poly(1-ethyl-3-vinylimidazolium furan-2-carboxylate) (PEIF) and poly(1-butyl-3-vinylimidazolium furan-2-carboxylate) (PBIF). The PILs were then mixed with 5 wt% montmorillonite (MMT) clay and 2-furfurylamine-modified hyaluronic acid (HAF), and chemically crosslinked with four-arm maleimide-polyethylene glycol (Mal4PEG) to form degradable semi-inter penetrate network (semi-IPN) hydrogels. In vitro assays demonstrated that the synthesized semi-IPN hydrogels exhibited high antibacterial activities against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus due to the high antibacterial activity of PILs. Furthermore, the semi-IPN hydrogel could be quickly degraded, and the PILs exhibited high anti-inflammatory activities when they were released from degraded hydrogels. The degradation solutions of hydrogels contained glycosaminoglycan, which was beneficial to cell proliferation and migration. The in vivo anti-infection results further demonstrated that the semi-IPN hydrogels could kill S. aureus and accelerate the healing of infected wounds. Related products Abbreviation: 4-arm-PEG For more product information, please contact us at: US Tel: 1-844-782-5734 US Tel: 1-844-QUAL-PEG CHN Tel: 400-918-9898 Email: sales@sinopeg.com

Cite this: Langmuir 2015, 31, 51, 13834–13841 Publication Date:December 3, 2015 https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.langmuir.5b03823 Effect of Topological Structures on the Self-Assembly Behavior of Supramolecular Amphiphiles Juan Wang, Xing Wang, Fei Yang, Hong Shen, Yezi You, and Decheng Wu Abstract Three types of azobenzene-based telechelic guest polymers, PEG-azo, azo-PEG-azo, and PEG-azo4, were synthesized by a facile method.  Subsequently, a series supramolecular amphiphiles with three distinct topological structures (hemitelechelic, ditelechelic, and quadritelechelic) were constructed through coupling with host polymer β-cyclodextrin-poly(l-lactide) (β-CD-PLLA) by combined host–guest complexation.  Research on the self-assembly behavior of these amphiphiles demonstrated that the variation in self-assembly was tuned by the synergistic interaction of hydrophilicity and the curvature of the polymer chains, and very importantly, the topological structure of amphiphiles demonstrated effective control of the self-assembly behavior. Related products Abbreviation: 4-arm-PEG For more product information, please contact us at: US Tel: 1-844-782-5734 US Tel: 1-844-QUAL-PEG CHN Tel: 400-918-9898 Email: sales@sinopeg.com

Int J Nanomedicine. 2015 Aug 20:10:5219-35. doi: 10.2147/IJN.S82847. eCollection 2015. D-α-tocopherol polyethylene glycol succinate-based derivative nanoparticles as a novel carrier for paclitaxel delivery Yupei Wu, Qian Chu, Songwei Tan, Xiangting Zhuang, Yuling Bao, Tingting Wu, Zhiping Zhang Abstract Paclitaxel (PTX) is one of the most effective antineoplastic drugs. Its current clinical administration Taxol(®) is formulated in Cremophor EL, which causes serious side effects. Nanoparticles (NP) with lower systemic toxicity and enhanced therapeutic efficiency may be an alternative formulation of the Cremophor EL-based vehicle for PTX delivery. In this study, novel amphipathic 4-arm-PEG-TPGS derivatives, the conjugation of D-α-tocopherol polyethylene glycol succinate (TPGS) and 4-arm-polyethylene glycol (4-arm-PEG) with different molecular weights, have been successfully synthesized and used as carriers for the delivery of PTX. These 4-arm-PEG-TPGS derivatives were able to self-assemble to form uniform NP with PTX encapsulation. Among them, 4-arm-PEG(5K)-TPGS NP exhibited the smallest particle size, highest drug-loading efficiency, negligible hemolysis rate, and high physiologic stability. Therefore, it was chosen for further in vitro and in vivo investigations. Facilitated by the effective uptake of the NP, the PTX-loaded 4-arm-PEG(5K)-TPGS NP showed greater cytotoxicity compared with free PTX against human ovarian cancer (A2780), non-small cell lung cancer (A549), and breast adenocarcinoma cancer (MCF-7) cells, as well as a higher apoptotic rate and a more significant cell cycle arrest effect at the G2/M phase in A2780 cells. More importantly, PTX-loaded 4-arm-PEG(5K)-TPGS NP resulted in a significantly improved tumor growth inhibitory effect in comparison to Taxol(®) in S180 sarcoma-bearing mice models. This study suggested that 4-arm-PEG(5K)-TPGS NP may have the potential as an anticancer drug delivery system. Keywords: 4-arm-PEG; TPGS; antitumor; nanoparticles; paclitaxel. Related products Abbreviation: 4-arm-PEG For more product information, please contact us at: US Tel: 1-844-782-5734 US Tel: 1-844-QUAL-PEG CHN Tel: 400-918-9898 Email: sales@sinopeg.com

Nanoscale. 2015 Mar 12;7(12):5249-61. doi: 10.1039/c4nr07591a. Core-shell hybrid upconversion nanoparticles carrying stable nitroxide radicals as potential multifunctional nanoprobes for upconversion luminescence and magnetic resonance dual-modality imaging Chuan Chen 1, Ning Kang, Ting Xu, Dong Wang, Lei Ren, Xiangqun Guo Abstract Nitroxide radicals, such as 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine 1-oxyl (TEMPO) and its derivatives, have recently been used as contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and electron paramagnetic resonance imaging (EPRI). However, their rapid one-electron bioreduction to diamagnetic N-hydroxy species when administered intravenously has limited their use in in vivo applications. In this article, a new approach of silica coating for carrying stable radicals was proposed. A 4-carboxyl-TEMPO nitroxide radical was covalently linked with 3-aminopropyl-trimethoxysilane to produce a silanizing TEMPO radical. Utilizing a facile reaction based on the copolymerization of silanizing TEMPO radicals with tetraethyl orthosilicate in reverse microemulsion, a TEMPO radicals doped SiO2 nanostructure was synthesized and coated on the surface of NaYF4:Yb,Er/NaYF4 upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) to generate a novel multifunctional nanoprobe, PEGylated UCNP@TEMPO@SiO2 for upconversion luminescence (UCL) and magnetic resonance dual-modality imaging. The electron spin resonance (ESR) signals generated by the TEMPO@SiO2 show an enhanced reduction resistance property for a period of time of up to 1 h, even in the presence of 5 mM ascorbic acid. The longitudinal relaxivity of PEGylated UCNPs@TEMPO@SiO2 nanocomposites is about 10 times stronger than that for free TEMPO radicals. The core-shell NaYF4:Yb,Er/NaYF4 UCNPs synthesized by this modified user-friendly one-pot solvothermal strategy show a significant enhancement of UCL emission of up to 60 times more than the core NaYF4:Yb,Er. Furthermore, the PEGylated UCNP@TEMPO@SiO2 nanocomposites were further used as multifunctional nanoprobes to explore their performance in the UCL imaging of living cells and T1-weighted MRI in vitro and in vivo. Related products Abbreviation: mPEG-NHS For more product information, please contact us at: US Tel: 1-844-782-5734 US Tel: 1-844-QUAL-PEG CHN Tel: 400-918-9898 Email: sales@sinopeg.com

ACS Appl Mater Interfaces. 2017 Jan 25;9(3):2205-2212.  doi: 10.1021/acsami.6b15364.  Epub 2017 Jan 10. Construction of Tough, in Situ Forming Double-Network Hydrogels with Good Biocompatibility Yazhong Bu 1 2, Hong Shen 1, Fei Yang 1 2, Yanyu Yang 1 2, Xing Wang 1, Decheng Wu 1 2 Abstract Hydrogels are required to have high mechanical properties, biocompatibility, and an easy fabrication process for biomedical applications.  Double-network hydrogels, although strong, are limited because of the complicated preparation steps and toxic materials involved.  In this study, we report a simple method to prepare tough, in situ forming polyethylene glycol (PEG)-agarose double-network (PEG-agarose DN) hydrogels with good biocompatibility.  The hydrogels display excellent mechanical strength.  Because of the easily in situ forming method, the resulting hydrogels can be molded into any form as needed.  In vitro and in vivo experiments illustrate that the hydrogels exhibit satisfactory biocompatibility, and cells can attach and spread on the hydrogels.  Furthermore, the residual amino groups in the network can also be functionalized for various biomedical applications in tissue engineering and cell research. Keywords: PEG;  agarose;  biocompatible;  double network;  hydrogels. Related products Abbreviation: 4-arm-PEG-NHS Abbreviation: 4-arm-PEG-NH2 For more product information, please contact us at: US Tel: 1-844-782-5734 US Tel: 1-844-QUAL-PEG CHN Tel: 400-918-9898 Email: sales@sinopeg.com

Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces. 2018 May 1:165:144-149. doi: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2018.02.032. Epub 2018 Feb 15. Branched polyrotaxane hydrogels consisting of alpha-cyclodextrin and low-molecular-weight four-arm polyethylene glycol and the utility of their thixotropic property for controlled drug release Juan Wang 1, Geoffrey S Williamson 2, Hu Yang 3 Abstract In this work, we developed a new class of branched polyrotaxane hydrogel made of 4-arm polyethylene glycol (4-PEG) and α-cyclodextrin (α-CD) using supramolecular host-guest interactions as a cross-linking strategy. Because of the dynamic nature of the non-covalent host-guest cross-linking, the resulting supramolecular α-CD/4-PEG hydrogels show thixotropic behavior and undergo a reversible gel-sol transition in response to shear stress change. We loaded the antiglaucoma drug brimonidine into the α-CD/4-PEG gel and found the drug release kinetics was controlled by shear stress. This thixotropic shear thinning property makes the supramolecular hydrogels highly attractive in drug delivery applications and suitable for preparation of injectable drug formulations. Keywords: Branched PEG; Glaucoma; Host-guest interaction; Supramolecular; Thixotropic. Related products Abbreviation: 4-PEG For more product information, please contact us at: US Tel: 1-844-782-5734 US Tel: 1-844-QUAL-PEG CHN Tel: 400-918-9898 Email: sales@sinopeg.com