Abstract:
Humans are constantly exposed to exogenous chemicals throughout their life, which can lead to a multitude of negative health impacts. Advanced materials can play a key role in preventing or mitigating these impacts through a wide variety of applications. The tunable properties of hydrogels and hydrogel nanocomposites (e.g., swelling behavior, biocompatibility, stimuli responsiveness, functionality, etc.) have deemed them ideal platforms for removal of environmental contaminants, detoxification, and reduction of body burden from exogenous chemical exposures for prevention of disease initiation, and advanced treatment of chronic diseases, including cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. In this review, three main junctures where the use of hydrogel and hydrogel nanocomposite materials can intervene to positively impact human health are highlighted: 1) preventing exposures to environmental contaminants, 2) prophylactic treatments to prevent chronic disease initiation, and 3) treating chronic diseases after they have developed.
Biography:
Post-Dr. Rukiye Öztekin is currently working as a researcher at Dokuz Eylül University, Department of Environmental Engineering. Post-Dr. Rukiye Öztekin studied her master education at Dokuz Eylül University Department of Environmental Engineering on “Color removal from textile wastewater in sequencing batch reactor”. Post-Dr. Rukiye Öztekin completed her doctorate education at Dokuz Eylül University Department of Environmental Engineering on “Effect of sonication on the treatment of toxic and refractory industrial wastewaters”. Post-Dr. Rukiye Öztekin completed her post-doctorate education at TÜBİTAK with a scholarship on “The production of methane gas from carbon dioxide”. She has many international publications.
