Houda Senhadji

Visiting Master´s student, (Osnabrück University)

Development of bioactive nanoparticle-containing hydrogels for local therapeutic delivery

Supervisors: Andrada-Ioana Damian-Buda, Prof. Aldo R. Boccaccini

Combining hydrogels with mesoporous bioactive glass nanoparticles (MBGNs) offers a promising approach to developing biomaterials for local therapeutic delivery and tissue regeneration. Hydrogels provide a hydrated polymer network, while MBGNs offer a high surface area and porous structure that can support the incorporation of therapeutic molecules and the release of biologically active ions.

This project focuses on the synthesis and characterization of SiO₂–CaO-based MBGNs incorporating zinc or copper, followed by their integration into alginate-based hydrogels. The initial work will investigate nanoparticle morphology, size, surface charge, and porosity to understand how their composition influences their physicochemical properties.

The subsequent stage is planned to explore the preparation of nanoparticle-containing hydrogels and evaluate how nanoparticle incorporation affects their structure, swelling, degradation, and therapeutic release behaviour. Depending on the final experimental design, delivery may involve therapeutic ions released from the nanoparticles, incorporated drug molecules, or a combination of both. The overall aim is to understand the relationship between material composition and performance and assess the potential of these composite hydrogels for biomedical applications.