Intra-abdominal adhesions, also known as postoperative peritoneal adhesions (PPA) remain a challenging issue in the US healthcare system. It is estimated that over 90% of gastrointestinal (GI) surgical procedures result in PPA formation, regardless of the location or surgical technique used. PPAs can also develop in response to tissue damage caused...

There is a rich history of successful drug delivery carriers made of biodegradable biomaterials. Biomaterials may degrade into metabolic by-products, which are capable of modulating the function of immune cells, including alpha-ketoglutarate (aKG), which induces alternative activation (immunosuppressive phenotype) in macrophages through metabolic reprogramming....

­Dermal wound healing is a complex and dynamic process involving the highly regulated coordination of diverse signaling events. Dysregulation during any of the stages of healing can result in scarring and tissue disruption increasing the risk of morbidity and mortality. It is estimated that chronic wounds affect more than 6 million people in the...

Radiotherapy is a common medical procedure, especially for the treatment of cancers such as head and neck, breast prostate, lung and rectum. It is a complex process aimed at maximizing delivery of the planned dose to the tumor sites while minimizing unnecessary radiation to healthy tissues. Today, radiotherapy procedures make use of image guidance and...

Cell culture is a fundamental research tool for countless biological applications from drug discovery to cancer research and regenerative medicine. While two-dimensional (2D) cell culture is ubiquitous in research settings, it fails to adequately consider the natural three-dimensional (3D) microenvironment of cells. As newer and better 3D cell culture...

Wound healing is a complex but organized process involving hemostasis, inflammation, new tissue generation and remodeling. However, when wounds cover a large surface area, become infected, or occur in diabetic or elderly patients, wound healing can be delayed and lead to chronic ulcerations and other complications. Despite the abundance of wound management...

Peripheral nerve injuries can affect sensation, movement and motor functions, significantly impacting a patient’s quality of life. Surgical interventions, such as approximation or attachment, are often required to treat such injuries. However, tissue adhesives and sealants do not provide adequate mechanical support and suffer from low adhesion...

Gene delivery systems include both viral and non-viral carriers. The use of cationic polymers, such as aminoglycosides, as non-viral carriers has seen increased interest mainly due to their ease of synthesis, robust nature and gene delivery efficacies. Unfortunately, cationic polymers are also known for low gene expression and toxicity. Because of their...

Aminoglycoside antibiotics are known to prevent growth of gram-negative bacteria by inhibiting protein synthesis. Aminoglycosides possess biocompatible sugar groups as well as multiple amines in the same molecule. Their tenability and natural affinity towards nucleic acids makes them excellent candidates for generating diverse resins for multiple applications...

3D macroporous gels/polymeric monoliths are finding increased utility in many applications including plasmid DNA binding, tissue engineering, tumor modeling, 3D cell cultures and studies, and so on. However, creating these gels is cumbersome, requires technical skill and is limited to smaller quantities. There is a need to be able to easily create multiple...