Preparation of sodium alginate/poly(vinyl alcohol) blend microspheres for controlled release applications

Poly (vinyl alcohol)-alginate as potential matrix for various applications: A focused review

Advances in polymers have made significant contribution in diverse application oriented fields. Multidisciplinary applicability of polymers generates a range of strategies, which is pertinent in a wide range of fields. Blends of natural and synthetic polymers have spawned a different class of materials with synergistic effects. Specifically, poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and alginate (AG) blends (PVAG) have demonstrated some promising results in almost every segment, ranging from biomedical to industrial sector. Combination of PVAG with other materials, immobilization with specific moieties and physical and chemical crosslinking could result in amendments in the structure and properties of the PVAG matrices. Here, we provide an overview of the recent developments in designing PVAG based matrix and complexes with their structural and functional properties. The article also provides a comprehensive outline on the applicability of PVAG matrix in wastewater treatment, biomedical, photocatalysis, food packaging, and fuel cells and sheds light on the challenges that need to be addressed. Finally, the review elaborates the future prospective of PVAG matrices in other unexplored fields like aircraft industry, nuclear science and space exploration.

A temperature-cured dissolvable gelatin microsphere-based cell carrier for chondrocyte delivery in a hydrogel scaffolding system

In this study, a novel therapeutic cell delivery methodology in the form of hydrogel encapsulating cell-laden microspheres was developed and investigated. As a model cell for cartilage tissue engineering, chondrocytes were successfully encapsulated in gelatin-based microspheres (mostly of diameter 50-100 μm, centred at 75-100 μm) with high cell viability during the formation of microspheres via a water-in-oil single emulsion process under a low temperature without any chemical treatment. These cell-laden microspheres were then encapsulated in alginate-based hydrogel constructs. By elevating the temperature to 37°C, the cell-laden microspheres were completely dissolved within 2 days, resulting in the same number of same-sized spherical cavities in hydrogel bulk, along with which the encapsulated cells were released from the microspheres and suspended inside the cavities to be cultivated for further development. In this cell delivery system, the microspheres played a dual role as both removable cell vehicles and porogens for creation of the intra-hydrogel cavities, in which the delivered cells were provided with both free living spaces and a better permeable environment. This temperature-cured dissolvable gelatin microsphere-based cell carrier (tDGMC) associating with cell-laden hydrogel scaffold was attempted and evaluated through WST-1, quantitative polymerase chain reaction, biochemical assays and various immunohistochemistry and histology stains. The results indicate that tDGMC technology can facilitate the delivery of chondrocytes, as a non-anchorage-dependent therapeutic cell, with significantly greater efficiency.