This study is led by Prof. Hongbo Zeng (Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta) and Prof. Ning Gu (Nanjing Key Laboratory for Cardiovascular Information and Health Engineering, Medical School, Nanjing University). The repair of physiological barriers after surgery, especially the reconstruction of organ barriers such as the epicardium and gastrointestinal epithelium, is crucial for comprehensive postoperative recovery. Hydrogel adhesives are widely used in clinical surgery for wound repair and device bonding due to their three-dimensional soft network, which closely mimics biological tissue. Just as sutures and staples revolutionized surgery in the past, hydrogel bioadhesives have become one of the most promising technologies in modern surgical practice.
Despite their demonstrated efficacy, current hydrogels used as soft implants are still limited by improper symmetric surface functions, which can lead to postoperative complications and disorders. To address this issue, Janus hydrogel bioadhesives with unique asymmetric surface designs have been proposed as a reliable and biocompatible solution, mimicking the structural characteristics of natural biological barriers. This study first discusses the fundamental concepts of hydrogel surface functionalities and methods for engineering surface chemistry and geometry. These methods are applied to develop Janus hydrogels with distinct surface properties, expanding their utility as bioadhesive interfaces in complex physiological environments across a range of clinical procedures.
See the article:
Engineered Janus Hydrogels: Biomimetic Surface Engineering and Biomedical Applications
https://doi.org/10.1093/nsr/nwae316
National Science Review