CeO2 Nanoparticle-Containing Polymers for Biomedical Applications: A Review

Abstract

The development of advanced composite biomaterials combining the versatility and biodegradability of polymers and the unique characteristics of metal oxide nanoparticles unveils new horizons in emerging biomedical applications, including tissue regeneration, drug delivery and gene therapy, theranostics and medical imaging. Nanocrystalline cerium(IV) oxide, or nanoceria, stands out from a crowd of other metal oxides as being a truly unique material, showing great potential in biomedicine due to its low systemic toxicity and numerous beneficial effects on living systems. The combination of nanoceria with new generations of biomedical polymers, such as PolyHEMA (poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate)-based hydrogels, electrospun nanofibrous polycaprolactone or natural-based chitosan or cellulose, helps to expand the prospective area of applications by facilitating their bioavailability and averting potential negative effects. This review describes recent advances in biomedical polymeric material practices, highlights up-to-the-minute cerium oxide nanoparticle applications, as well as polymer-nanoceria composites, and aims to address the question: how can nanoceria enhance the biomedical potential of modern polymeric materials?

Bacterial Cellulose-Based Nanocomposites Containing Ceria and Their Use in the Process of Stem Cell Proliferation

“…Cerium oxide (ceria) nanoparticles are promising for use as an active nanofiller in polymer composites [ 15 ]. They have been shown to solve the following problems in polymer science: the screening of electromagnetic irradiation, fabrication of catalysts, modification of the acoustic properties of a polymer matrix, etc.…”

Poly (Ethylene Glycol) Methyl Ether Methacrylate-Based Hydrogel and Cerium(IV) Oxide Nanoparticles as Ophthalmic Lens Material

“…Benzophenone substances are generally used as UV absorbents for hydrogel lenses, but their use is limited, as they change the physical properties of the lenses and affect their water content and refractive index. CeNPs, due to their high transparency in the visible light range of spectra, as well as their antioxidant, therapeutic, antibacterial and UV-shielding properties, could be a good candidate as a filling material for contact lenses [ 33 ]. As the monomer formula used in this study enhances the optical functionality without changing the physical properties of the lens, it has potential as a useful additive for contact lens materials.…”

PLLA–gelatin composite fiber membranes incorporated with functionalized CeNPs as a sustainable wound dressing substitute promoting skin regeneration and scar remodeling

“…33 In addition, in recent years, nano-metal oxides such as zinc oxide (ZnO), copper oxide (CuO), iron oxide (Fe 2 O 3 ) and more recently cerium oxide (CeO 2 ) nanoparticles have attracted increasing interest in biomedical applications. [34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44] Among them, CeO 2 nanoparticles (nanoceria or CeNPs or CNPs as mentioned in published literature) are the critical rare earth metal oxides that have gained considerable attention in biological research due to their anti-oxidant and regenerative properties. 45 The unique ability of Ce to switch the oxidation states between (+3) and (+4) depending on the environment enables it to be applied in several key areas such as medicine, gene delivery, and tissue engineering and endows it with various activities such as antioxidant, anti-bacterial, anti-cancer, and anti-diabetic.…”