Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) play a central role in the breakdown of the extracellular matrix and are typically upregulated in cancer cells. The goal of the present study is to develop microwells suitable for capture of cells and detection of cell-secreted proteases. Hydrogel microwells comprised of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) were photopatterned on glass and modified with ligands to promot...

Hydrogels have found wide application in tissue engineering and cell mechanobiology research due to their tunable, and often biomimetic, biochemical and biomechanical properties. Although it has been known for more than a decade that hydrogels can be designed to exhibit shape memory functionality–—the ability to change from one defined shape to another when triggered by a defined stimulus–— sha...

Objectives: The SMART study is a three-year, longitudinal, multicenter evaluation comparing corneal reshaping contact lenses (CRCL) influence on the progression of myopia in children (age 8 to 14 at enrollment) to the wearing of soft silicone hydrogel contact lenses (SCL) worn on a daily wear basis with monthly replacement. This study represents one of the largest patient enrollment with ten in...

Because the boronic acid moiety reversibly binds to sugar molecules and has low cytotoxicity, boronic acid-containing hydrogels are being used in a variety of implantable glucose sensors under development, including sensors based on optical, fluorescence, and swelling pressure measurements. However, some method of glucose selectivity enhancement is often necessary, because isolated boronic acid...

Hydrogels that change volume in response to specific molecular stimuli can serve as platforms for sensors, actuators and drug delivery devices. There is great interest in designing intelligent hydrogels for tissue engineering, drug delivery, and microfluidics that utilize protein binding specificities and conformational changes. Protein conformational change induced by ligand binding can cause ...

An important feature of biological systems is their response to external stimuli with subsequent changes in properties and function. The ability to ‘‘engineer’’ adaptiveness into next-generation materials is becoming a key requirement and challenge in chemistry, materials science and engineering. Recently we have described new hybrid nano/microstructures capable of dynamic actuation by a hydrog...

Synthetic materials that are capable of autonomous healing upon damage are being developed at a rapid pace because of their many potential applications. Despite these advancements, achieving self-healing in permanently cross-linked hydrogels has remained elusive because of the presence of water and irreversible cross-links. Here, we demonstrate that permanently cross-linked hydrogels can be eng...

BACKGROUND Hydrogels alone and in combination with microsphere drug delivery systems are being considered as biocompatible coatings for implantable glucose biosensors to prevent/minimize the foreign body response. Previously, our group has demonstrated that continuous release of dexamethasone from poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) microsphere/poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) hydrogel composites can...

Topical administration of drugs and growth factors in a controlled fashion can improve the healing process during skin disorders and chronic wounds. To achieve this goal, a dermal patch is engineered that utilizes thermoresponsive drug microcarriers encapsulated within a hydrogel layer attached to a flexible heater with integrated electronic heater control circuitry. The engineered patch confor...

In nature, some creatures can change their body shapes and surface colors simultaneously to respond the external environments, which greatly inspired researchers in development of color-tunable soft actuators. this work, we present a facile method prepare smart hydrogel actuator that bend bidirectionally color simultaneously, just like an octopus. The is fabricated by elastomer/hydrogel bilayer...