Gasotransmitters, gaseous signaling molecules including nitric oxide (NO), carbon monoxide (CO), and hydrogen sulfide (H2S), maintain myriad physiological processes. Low levels of gasotransmitters are often associated with specific problems or diseases, so NO, CO, and H2S hold potential in treating bacterial infections, chronic wounds, myocardial infarction, ischemia, and various other diseases. However, their clinical applications as therapeutic agents are limited due to their gaseous nature, short half‐life, and broad physiological roles. One route toward the greater application of gasotransmitters in medicine is through localized delivery. Hydrogels are attractive biomedical materials for the controlled release of embedded therapeutics as they are typically biocompatible, possess high water content, have tunable mechanical properties, and are injectable in certain cases. Hydrogel‐based gasotransmitter delivery systems began with NO, and hydrogels for CO and H2S have appeared more recently. In this review, the biological importance of gasotransmitters is highlighted, and the fabrication of hydrogel materials is discussed, distinguishing between methods used to physically encapsulate small molecule gasotransmitter donor compounds or chemically tether them to a hydrogel scaffold. The release behavior and potential therapeutic applications of gasotransmitter‐releasing hydrogels are also detailed. Finally, the authors envision the future of this field and describe challenges moving forward.
Gaseous signaling molecules such as nitric oxide (NO), carbon monoxide (CO), and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) have recently been recognized as essential signal mediators that regulate diverse physiological and pathological processes in the human body. With the evolution of gaseous signaling molecule biology, their therapeutic applications have attracted growing attention. One of the challenges in translational research of gaseous signaling molecules is the lack of efficient and safe delivery systems. To tackle this issue, researchers developed a library of gas donors, which are low molecular weight compounds that can release gaseous signaling molecules upon decomposition under physiological conditions. Despite the significant efforts to control gaseous signaling molecule release from gas donors, the therapeutic potential of gaseous signaling molecules cannot be fully explored due to their unfavorable pharmacokinetics and toxic side effects. Recently, the use of nanoparticle‐based gas donors, especially self‐assembled polymeric gas donors, have emerged as a promising approach. In this review, we describe the development of conventional small gas donors and the challenges in their therapeutic applications. We then illustrate the concepts and critical aspects for designing self‐assembled polymeric gas donors and discuss the advantages of this approach in gasotransmistter delivery. We also highlight recent efforts to develop the delivery systems for those molecules based on self‐assembled polymeric nanostructures.
This article is categorized under: Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Emerging Technologies
- NSF-PAR ID:
- 10471936
- Publisher / Repository:
- Wiley Blackwell (John Wiley & Sons)
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- WIREs Nanomedicine and Nanobiotechnology
- Volume:
- 16
- Issue:
- 1
- ISSN:
- 1939-5116
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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