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Gel-ly Good: How Hydrogels Are Changing the Game

~By Ruchi Mathad

Hello fellow readers, what if I told you there is a way to stop excessive bleeding in living beings and a way to mitigate urban heat just by using a gel. Yes, you read it right!

Recently I came across a term called 鈥淗ydrogel鈥� at a conference. I was intrigued by the fact that a jelly-like substance can potentially be a valuable tool in a lot of industries. I read about it more and found out some amazing facts about it. Here they are:

Hydrogel is a water-based jelly substance having a soft consistency. A hydrogel acts as an absorber and hence it is very similar to body tissue. It鈥檚 a 3-dimensional polymer network, with physico-chemical properties that allow modifications to meet varied requirements. They are widely used in the medical, drug delivery, roof coatings, and several other biomedical applications.

Hydrogel and Cells: A Molecular Connection

The way cells interact with hydrogels is a fascinating process. This interaction is important for our understanding of how cells and hydrogels work together, especially on a molecular level. Hydrogels are known for their ability to provide physical and chemical signals that cells respond to. These signals are usually inactive, but cells have a special ability to convert them into active biochemical signals. This conversion allows cells to adjust their behaviour and maintain balance, or homeostasis.

Across various research available, I learnt that the cells can sense and respond to changes in their environment, doing so in a controlled way.

When the signals within cells are altered, this can lead to changes in the way cells function and behave. Over time, hydrogels can also break down naturally or be degraded by the cells themselves.

 The study of cell-hydrogel interactions is not just about understanding what happens but also how we can use this knowledge to develop better tools for healthcare. By focusing on how cells adapt to the signals from hydrogels, we can open up new possibilities for treating diseases, healing wounds, and even growing new tissues in the lab. By exploring these interactions, we can improve the development of hydrogels, making them even more effective for future medical applications.

Case Study 1: Stopping excessive haemorrhage

For many years we have seen doctors, emergency responders, close family members and trusted friends making a difference every second by saving lives. They are not only just humans, but people also have trust in them.

With the rapid progress made in the world of technology, our lives have gotten simpler and more productive. Novel ideas to cure diseases and methods have been discovered to address medical issues. The environment in hospitals is that of stress and pressure. Inside those hospitals, patients fighting life-and-death situations due to external and internal injuries which have caused excessive bleeding. In severe conditions, blood donations are required and most of the time it is difficult to arrange a compatible blood donor. Blood loss in traumatic wounds is responsible for more than 35% of all prehospital deaths (Source: National Academy of Sciences).

To resolve this problem, a company named Cresilon has launched a plant-based hydrogel called 鈥淭raumagel鈥� that stops severe bleeding caused due to accidents and wounds. The gel is made by algae and can be directly applied at the wound area, forming a barrier preventing further blood loss.

Cresilon鈥檚 Traumagel can positively impact emergency medical services around the whole world. Recently they have announced plans to make them available in general hospitals and emergency medical services. There is a tremendous potential to treat surgical haemorrhage and save lives more efficiently which in turn might reduce the need for blood donations in certain situations in future. However, it's important for us to know that some blood donations will be necessary for complex medical procedures and that they are not a replacement to all blood products. This is an example of a progressive advancement in the medical and healthcare industries.

Case Study 2 : Cool Coating Materials

Ever since the industrial revolution and increased deforestation, there has been a significant rise in temperatures compared to the rural and countryside areas around the globe. The urban heat island effect term is popularly used to explain the extreme heat areas, which are becoming unbearable for all living beings. Hence, we require a promising alternative to mitigate excessive heating.

Constructing and building a cooling system is very large and energy-intensive. For example, refrigerants in the cooling equipment give rise to environmental concerns such as ozone depletion, indoor air quality, urban heat, and global warming. Hence, there is more of a need to save energy and protect the environment. Tons of effort and hard work are being put into finding safe, efficient energy and innovative cooling technologies.

To overcome the problem of excessive heating, different ways have been discovered, some of which are as follows.

A thin bilayer film of polymer composed of hydrogel and hierarchical pores can be used that can act as an absorbent for residential and commercial rooftops. The bilayer film demonstrates a drop in temperature in daytime and radiative cooling helps regeneration of water at night. This polymer can promote evaporative cooling and provide a sustainable and economical approach.

By utilising hydrogels in the thermal management of power electronics, a sprayable porous hydrogel coating can prevent the loss of water. To avoid losing their cooling function, salt-containing hydrogels are used as the cooling layer; in the daytime water evaporates, which will implement cooling. While at night the salt facilitates water regeneration and harnesses moisture.

By fabricating into a lightweight cooling vest for humans to prevent heat stroke and dehydration outdoors. In real-life day-to-day applications, this can be implemented for building roofs, windows, pavements and maybe a T-shirt. Who knows one day you might be wearing that cool shirt on a hot summer day and have a happy stroll around in the city.

To conclude, hydrogels have shown promising results in various medical fields, tissue engineering, drug testing, and cool coating materials. Understanding how cells respond to the physical and chemical properties of hydrogels helps improve their design, guiding cell behaviour for specific medical applications. Cells can sense their environment, turning external signals into biochemical reactions that influence their survival, gene expression, and development. To enhance our knowledge, researchers study hydrogels' 3D structures, degradability, and dynamic properties, which affect how cells behave and function.

Despite recent progress, there are still challenges in using hydrogels in clinical settings due to potential side effects and complications. Although they have shown great results in labs, their long-term effectiveness in the human body remains uncertain. A deeper understanding of cell-hydrogel interactions is crucial for advancing their use in medicine. By addressing these challenges, scientists can expand hydrogel applications, potentially transforming our future.

References:

1. Cao, H., Duan, L., Zhang, Y. et al. Current hydrogel advances in physicochemical and biological response-driven biomedical application diversity. Sig Transduct Target Ther 6, 426 (2021).
2. Hu, X., Hu, P., Liu, L., Zhao, L., Dou, S., Lv, W., Long, Y., Wang, J., Li, Q., Lightweight and hierarchically porous hydrogels for wearable passive cooling under extreme heat stress, Matter. October 2024.
3. Feng, C., Yang, P., Liu, H., Mao, M., Liu, Y., Xue, T., Fu, J., Cheng, Ti., Hu, X., Fan, H.J., Liu, K., Bilayer porous polymer for efficient passive building cooling. Nano Energy. , July 2021. 105971.
4. Li, Y., Ni, C., Cao, R., Jiang, Y., Xia, L., Ren, H., Chen, Y., Xie, T., Zhao, Q., Sprayable porous hydrogel coating for efficient and sustainable evaporative cooling. Matter. September 2024.
5. Chambers, S., What is hydrogel, and how is it used?. July 2023.
6. Johnson, A., FDA Clears Gel-Based Device That Instantly Stops Severe Bleeding: What To Know About Traumagel. Innovation. Forbes. August (2024).