title: Insights into low molecular mass organic gelators: a focus on drug delivery and tissue engineering applications.
abstract: In recent years low molecular mass organic gelators (LMOGs) have gained increasing interest as an alternative biomaterial to polymer derived gels, with potential applications in drug delivery and tissue engineering. LMOGs are small organic molecules which self-assemble in water or organic solvents forming a 3D network that entraps the liquid phase resulting in gel formation. In this review, we report the classification of LMOGs into hydrogelators and gelators of organic solvents and we discuss the techniques commonly used to characterise the gels of these gelators with particular reference to specific applications of LMOGs in drug delivery and tissue engineering.
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK. maria.marlow@nottingham.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Kathryn J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Skilling
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Citossi
authors.forename: Tracey D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Bradshaw
authors.forename: Marianne
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ashford
authors.forename: Barrie
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kellam
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marlow
mesh_terms: D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D005782:Gels / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D008970:Molecular Weight; D009930:Organic Chemicals / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry*; D023822:Tissue Engineering
chemical_list: D005782:Gels; D009930:Organic Chemicals