Inside Front Cover: Tailoring Cell Adhesion Using Surface‐Grafted Polymer Gradient Assemblies (Adv. Mater. 23/2005)

A three‐step approach to tailor cell adhesion via surface‐grafted polymer gradients is shown in this image from the work of Genzer and co‐workers on p. 2802. Surface‐anchored polymer assemblies with gradients in polymer molecular weight and/or grafting density are first employed to tailor adsorption of the protein, which in turn governs the number density as well as the extent of spreading of osteoblastic cells. Increasing the surface coverage of the polymer results in a decrease in the amount of protein adsorbed, which causes a decrease in the number of cells adhered and a change in cell morphology.     

Hydrogels in Biology and Medicine: From Molecular Principles to Bionanotechnology

Hydrophilic polymers are the center of research emphasis in nanotechnology because of their perceived “intelligence”. They can be used as thin films, scaffolds, or nanoparticles in a wide range of biomedical and biological applications. Here we highlight recent developments in engineering uncrosslinked and crosslinked hydrophilic polymers for these applications. Natural, biohybrid, and synthetic hydrophilic polymers and hydrogels are analyzed and their thermodynamic responses are discussed. In addition, examples of the use of hydrogels for various therapeutic applications are given. We show how such systems' intelligent behavior can be used in sensors, microarrays, and imaging. Finally, we outline challenges for the future in integrating hydrogels into biomedical applications.