{"title":"Liposome-mediated anticancer drug delivery strategies for advancing brain tumor therapy","authors":"Mohsen Rahmanian , Fatemeh Oroojalian , Prashant Kesharwani , Amirhossein Sahebkar","doi":"10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2025.114001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2025.114001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The treatment of brain tumors remains a formidable challenge due to the complexity of tumor biology and the restrictive nature of the blood–brain barrier (BBB). Current research emphasizes the development of advanced diagnostic tools and innovative therapeutic strategies. Recent findings highlight the intricate role of glia-neuron interactions in glioma progression and neuronal survival. Among emerging therapies, liposome-mediated anticancer drug delivery offers a promising approach, addressing critical hurdles like BBB permeability and the tumor microenvironment. This review discusses key advancements, including ligand-targeted liposomes, stimuli-responsive formulations, and integration with gene therapy, which collectively improve the specificity and efficacy of treatment for gliomas and other brain tumors. While these strategies show great potential, further research and interdisciplinary collaboration are essential to translate these innovations into clinical practice, paving the way for better therapeutic outcomes in brain tumor management.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":315,"journal":{"name":"European Polymer Journal","volume":"233 ","pages":"Article 114001"},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143918479","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Laurine Eleonora Anne-Catherine Yoe, Xiangyu Zhu, Ana Laura Ruiz Deance, Daniël Hagedoorn, Frederik R. Wurm, Hubert Gojzewski
{"title":"Towards sustainable 3D Printing: A biodegradable hybrid resin from avocado oil and lignin","authors":"Laurine Eleonora Anne-Catherine Yoe, Xiangyu Zhu, Ana Laura Ruiz Deance, Daniël Hagedoorn, Frederik R. Wurm, Hubert Gojzewski","doi":"10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2025.114006","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2025.114006","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Driven by the urgent need to reduce reliance on petroleum-based plastics and mitigate environmental impact, this research explores the development of highly biobased, 3D printable resins. This study investigates the fabrication of sustainable 3D printed objects using a novel hybrid resin comprising acrylated avocado oil and lignin-based nanocontainers. Avocado oil, a renewable resource, was successfully acrylated via a one-step reaction, achieving a high grafting rate of 72 %. Lignin-based nanocontainers, synthesized via miniemulsion polymerization, were incorporated into the acrylated avocado oil at 1 and 3 wt% loadings. These hybrid resins demonstrated excellent 3D printability using LCD-SLA technology. Characterization techniques, including FT-IR, 1H NMR, TGA, DSC, OM, and AFM, confirmed the successful acrylation and incorporation of nanocontainers. Notably, the 3D printed objects exhibited good thermal stability and showed promising biodegradability in a compost. This research represents a significant step towards the development of biobased, environmentally friendly 3D printing materials for a wide range of applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":315,"journal":{"name":"European Polymer Journal","volume":"234 ","pages":"Article 114006"},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143947675","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Next-generation vitrimer composites for future mobility: Balancing sustainability and functionality – A perspective","authors":"Jinhyeok Kang , Changwoo Nam","doi":"10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2025.113967","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2025.113967","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Vitrimer composites have been identified as a class of promising materials for future mobility applications, offering a unique balance between sustainability and functionality. These materials incorporate dynamic covalent bonds (DCBs), which enable recyclability, self-healing, and reprocessability while preserving the intrinsic mechanical, thermal and chemical properties of conventional thermosets. This review provides a systematic analysis of vitrimer composites, with a particular focus on their structural design, the influence of fillers on DCB dynamics, and their impact on key functional properties. Specifically, the study examines how network architecture, including cross-linking density and polymer-filler interactions, governs the viscoelastic behavior and reprocessability of vitrimer composites. Furthermore, the discussion addresses the role of epoxy, polyurethane, polyimide, and polybenzoxazine matrix in vitrimer composites, highlighting their mechanical strength, heat resistance, and electromagnetic interference shielding, all of which are critical for next-generation mobility technologies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":315,"journal":{"name":"European Polymer Journal","volume":"233 ","pages":"Article 113967"},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143906416","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Guanyu Sheng , Yonghui Wang , Xiaoqiang Dai , Qinyan Zhu , Ming Jin
{"title":"Effects of allyloxy substitution on photochemical properties of thioxanthones and their application in Visible-LED photopolymerization","authors":"Guanyu Sheng , Yonghui Wang , Xiaoqiang Dai , Qinyan Zhu , Ming Jin","doi":"10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2025.114005","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2025.114005","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Photoinitiators are essential for advanced photopolymerization technologies. Thioxanthones, particularly ITX, serve as important Type II photoinitiators due to their efficient radical generation via hydrogen abstraction. However, ITX faces critical limitations: mutagenicity, short absorption wavelength (<400 nm), and high migration. Although 1,4-dimethoxy substitution red-shifts absorption to 425 nm, it reduces photolytic efficiency. To overcome these issues, here we designed and synthesized thioxanthone derivatives featuring strategically substituted allyl and propyl groups at the 1,4-positions of the thioxanthone core. Our results reveal that the 1-position allyloxy group enhances electron delocalization, modifying excited-state dynamics to boost photolysis rates and polymerization efficiency. This design simultaneously achieves strong visible-light absorption (ε<sub>425nm</sub> > 800 M<sup>−1</sup>cm<sup>−1</sup>) and a 90 % reduction in migration compared to ITX. The work demonstrates a rational strategy to develop high-performance, low-migration photoinitiators for visible LEDs curing systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":315,"journal":{"name":"European Polymer Journal","volume":"233 ","pages":"Article 114005"},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143906417","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Liangliang Chen , Siyuan Chen , Zhanbo Yi , Xianjiang Wu , Shuwen Zhong , Leiqiang Mao , Zesheng Wang , Qi Shuai , Xin Li
{"title":"Oligosaccharide and alkyl chain-modified polyethyleneimines for efficient siRNA delivery","authors":"Liangliang Chen , Siyuan Chen , Zhanbo Yi , Xianjiang Wu , Shuwen Zhong , Leiqiang Mao , Zesheng Wang , Qi Shuai , Xin Li","doi":"10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2025.113988","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2025.113988","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Cationic polymers like polyethyleneimine (PEI) are widely used for siRNA delivery, but their high positive charge density often compromises biocompatibility and <em>in vivo</em> stability. Balancing effective siRNA binding with reduced cytotoxicity remains a critical challenge for clinical translation. Here, we report a dual-functional modification strategy for PEI using oligosaccharides (maltose/maltotriose) and hydrophobic n-octanal to mitigate excessive cationic charge, enhance stability, and improve delivery efficiency. By synthesizing oligosaccharide-modified PEIs (OM-PEIs) and hydrophobically modified OM-PEIs (H-OM-PEIs), we identified PEI<sub>25k</sub>-based derivatives (HC4 and HD4) as top performers, achieving complete siRNA loading at a low polymer:siRNA mass ratio (4:1, wt/wt) while exhibiting 50 % reduced protein adsorption and superior siRNA protection compared to unmodified PEI<sub>25k</sub>. The hydrophobic modification enabled H-OM-PEIs to form compact nanoparticles with enhanced cellular uptake, leading to robust luciferase silencing in HeLa cells (2.5-fold improvement over PEI<sub>25k</sub>). Notably, <em>in vivo</em> studies revealed significant liver accumulation alongside detectable tumor delivery. This study demonstrated that combining oligosaccharide and alkyl modifications of PEI can reduce surface charge and protein adsorption while maintain high siRNA delivery efficiency, thereby mitigating the inherent toxicity of PEI and enhancing nanoparticle stability, which contributes to the advancement of PEI-based delivery systems in practical applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":315,"journal":{"name":"European Polymer Journal","volume":"233 ","pages":"Article 113988"},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143918478","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Anna Pierrard , Sofia F. Melo , Cécile Oury , Christophe Detrembleur , Christine Jérôme
{"title":"Non-isocyanate polyurethanes: perspectives as biomaterials","authors":"Anna Pierrard , Sofia F. Melo , Cécile Oury , Christophe Detrembleur , Christine Jérôme","doi":"10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2025.113985","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2025.113985","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Polyurethanes (PUs) are used in many applications, including in the medical sector (e.g., breast implants, vascular access and cardiac assist devices) due to their remarkable mechanical performances combined with proven <em>in vivo</em> biocompatibility. However, their industrial synthesis from toxic isocyanate precursors poses environmental and health concerns. With regulations increasingly restricting the isocyanate use, exploring greener alternatives has become imperative. Extensive research of health-friendlier synthesis processes triggered the emergence of a new family of PUs called Non-Isocyanate Polyurethanes (NIPUs). Recent developments have shown that NIPUs are already competitive with PUs, for example in the adhesives and coatings field, and new opportunities emerged in biomedical applications. This review highlights recent breakthroughs regarding NIPUs development, emphasizing their appealing properties for biomedical applications as well as their biocompatibility. By shedding light on the close relationship between their peculiar structure and specific properties, we highlight the potential of NIPUs to engineer biomaterials and we position them as unprecedented options for the design of future medical devices.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":315,"journal":{"name":"European Polymer Journal","volume":"233 ","pages":"Article 113985"},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143918476","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Simplified surface-initiated iron-based photoinduced ATRP – A facile route for polymer brush synthesis in microliter volumes","authors":"Anna Kiełbasa , Karol Wolski","doi":"10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2025.113961","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2025.113961","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This report concerns the development of a surface-initiated iron-based photoinduced ATRP (SI-photo-Fe-ATRP) for efficient synthesis of polymer brushes under mild conditions utilizing microliter volumes of reagents. We proposed a simplified reaction setup composed of only initiator decorated substrate, monomer, solvent and FeBr<sub>3</sub> which does not require the use of any additional ligands such as amines like in copper-based SI-photoATRP or halide anions as in previous report concerning SI-photo-Fe-ATRP. This was possible due to the use of solvents that play a dual role, i.e. creating a reaction medium and complexing iron salts. SI-photo-Fe-ATRP was proven to be effective in the synthesis of thick poly(benzyl methacrylate) brushes in a reasonable timeframe under harmless visible light. As a result, the developed methodology complies with the requirements of green chemistry in many aspects e.g. by reducing complexity, minimizing waste production, using less harmful biocompatible catalyst systems and ensuring mild synthetic conditions. SI-photo-Fe-ATRP was investigated in terms of selecting optimal: monomer to catalyst ratio, surface-grafted initiator structure, light intensity, and solvent type. This work also addresses the reproducibility of polymerization and provides tips for dealing with this issue. It was shown that SI-photo-Fe-ATRP can be adopted to produce polymer brushes outdoors under sunlight and without the need to use restrictive synthetic conditions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":315,"journal":{"name":"European Polymer Journal","volume":"233 ","pages":"Article 113961"},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143918477","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Kittisak Yarungsee , Amataporn Jompralak , Montira Sriyai , Jutamas Kongsuk , Kiattikhun Manokruang , Puttinan Meepowpan , Patnarin Worajittiphon , Chawan Manaspon , Brian J. Tighe , Matthew J. Derry , Paul D. Topham , Winita Punyodom
{"title":"Enhancing the Shape-Memory Performance of Biocompatible Scaffolds Based on Chain-Extended Poly(L-Lactide-co-Glycolide-co-Caprolactone) Terpolymers","authors":"Kittisak Yarungsee , Amataporn Jompralak , Montira Sriyai , Jutamas Kongsuk , Kiattikhun Manokruang , Puttinan Meepowpan , Patnarin Worajittiphon , Chawan Manaspon , Brian J. Tighe , Matthew J. Derry , Paul D. Topham , Winita Punyodom","doi":"10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2025.113998","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2025.113998","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Shape-memory polymers have a wide range of uses from biomedical devices and soft robotics to flexible electronics and aerospace engineering. Herein, we report a novel chain-extended poly(L-lactide-<em>co</em>-glycolide-<em>co</em>-caprolactone) terpolymer (PLGC) preparation route using hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) as a coupling agent to extend PLGC chains and improve the shape-memory performance of the material with a rapid macroscopic recovery time of only 30 s. The PLGC scaffolds were synthesized and fabricated using a freeze-drying technique to obtain shape-memory scaffolds. Mechanical testing showed that only 0.0075 mol% of HDI was sufficient to improve the stress at break of PLGC from 8.1 to 18.1 MPa and tensile strength from 10.3 to 18.4 MPa. The findings of our study illustrate the efficacy of the HDI coupling agent in enhancing the strength and recovery ratio up to 99.4 % by strain recovery of PLGC terpolymer scaffolds while ensuring a non-toxic environment conducive to cell viability. Cytotoxicity tests (cell viability and proliferation) of the PLGC with and without HDI, performed using the L929 cell line, showed that the shape-memory materials are non-toxic. The proliferation of the human osteosarcoma cell line (MG-63) demonstrates significantly greater relative cell count (157 %), mineral production (8 times of enhancement in absorbance at 570 nm), and viability when cultured on the PLGC-0.0075 mol%HDI scaffold in comparison to the other scaffolds. We anticipate that our research will serve as an initial step towards the broad utilization of PLGC-HDI scaffolds as shape-memory bone scaffolds for addressing diverse bone defects in reparative procedures.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":315,"journal":{"name":"European Polymer Journal","volume":"234 ","pages":"Article 113998"},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144083997","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Yi Fang Xi , Yong Mei Chen , Yasir Aziz , Meng Liang Bi , He Ming Song , Jian Hui Li , Hao Peng Li , Hong Xu Jin , Hideyuki Miyatake , Yoshihiro Ito , Miklós Zrínyi
{"title":"Rehydration of ready-to-use gel powder to construct self-healing and injectable hydrogel for protein delivery","authors":"Yi Fang Xi , Yong Mei Chen , Yasir Aziz , Meng Liang Bi , He Ming Song , Jian Hui Li , Hao Peng Li , Hong Xu Jin , Hideyuki Miyatake , Yoshihiro Ito , Miklós Zrínyi","doi":"10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2025.113987","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2025.113987","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Storage and transportation of dynamic hydrogel in ambient conditions is challenging. At present, cold-chain management is the most suitable option but it requires substantial infrastructure and energy. Moreover, the raw materials for preparing dynamic hydrogels often require chemical modification and purification, making the process cumbersome and time-consuming. This poses challenges for the practical applications of dynamic hydrogels. Here, we have developed a dynamic micron-sized (DMS) gel powder that can be packed, stored, and transported in a freeze-dried powdered form and can be rehydrated into a dynamic hydrogel. The dynamic hydrogel obtained by rehydrating the DMS gel powder stored under ambient conditions for 7 months can achieve properties similar to the original hydrogel, including stable protein delivery, mechanical properties, injectability, self-healing and remodeling. We propose a novel strategy for preparing a long-term storable DMS gel powder that can maintain properties similar to those of the original hydrogel. Considering the advantages in terms of convenience and commercialization for practical applications in the biomedical fields, this unique ready-to-use DMS gel powder offers a practical, scalable, and simple solution to enable mass production, cold-chain free, and low cost off-the-shelf dynamic hydrogel.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":315,"journal":{"name":"European Polymer Journal","volume":"233 ","pages":"Article 113987"},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2025-04-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143924793","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ze Xu , Dan Shou , Wenrong Cai , Junyao Li , Datong Wu , Tao Jiang , Yong Kong
{"title":"Dynamically self-degradable, injectable and self-healing 6-deoxy-6-arginine grafted chitosan hydrogels for wounds healing","authors":"Ze Xu , Dan Shou , Wenrong Cai , Junyao Li , Datong Wu , Tao Jiang , Yong Kong","doi":"10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2025.113986","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2025.113986","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>6-Deoxy-6-arginine grafted chitosan (DAC) is cross-linked with dibenzaldehyde-functionalized polyethylene glycol (DF-PEG) via the acylhydrazone (–N=CH–) bonds, which can be utilized for the encapsulation of metformin (MET). The resultant injectable DAC/DF-PEG/MET (DDM) hydrogels highlight well-behaved antibacterial and anti-inflammatory activity as well as self-healing capability. More interestingly, the DDM hydrogels exhibit appealing dynamic self-degradability. The electrostatic attraction between DAC and DF-PEG is significantly weakened at slightly alkaline surface (pH 7.0–8.0) that is the characteristic of skin wounds, resulting in the swelling of the hydrogels and the release of MET. As the wounds gradually get healed, the skin tissue turns to be weakly acidic (pH 4.0–6.0), leading to the hydrolysis of the –N=CH– bonds between DAC and DF-PEG. Therefore, the DDM hydrogels can be dynamically self-degraded during the wound healing process. Owing to the injectability and self-healing properties, the DDM hydrogels are suitable for use as the wound dressing for the wounds in any shape. The developed DDM hydrogels also display excellent hemocompatibility and cytocompatibility, indicating that they might be a potential wound dressing for skin wounds.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":315,"journal":{"name":"European Polymer Journal","volume":"233 ","pages":"Article 113986"},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2025-04-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143894629","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}