Cytocompatible carbon nanotube reinforced polyethylene glycol composite hydrogels for tissue engineering

Overview of research on additive manufacturing of hydrogel-assisted lab-on-chip platforms for cell engineering applications in photodynamic therapy research

Lab-on-chips supported by hydrogel matrices are excellent solutions for cell culture; thus, this literature review presents examples of scientific research in this area. Several works are presenting the properties of biocompatible hydrogels that mimic the cellular environment published recently. Hydrogels can also be treated as cell transporters or as a structural component of microfluidic devices. The rapidly growing scientific sector of hydrogel additive manufacturing is also described herein, with attention paid to the appropriate mechanical and biological properties of the inks used to extrude the material, specifically for biomedical purposes. The paper focuses on protocols employed for additive manufacturing, e.g., 3D printing parameters, calibration, ink preparation, crosslinking processes, etc. The authors also mention potential problems concerning manufacturing processes and offer example solutions. As the novel trend for hydrogels enriched with several biocompatible additives has recently risen, the article presents examples of the use of high-quality carbon nanotubes in hydrogel research enhancing biocompatibility, mechanical stability, and cell viability. Moving forward, the article points out the high applicability of the hydrogel-assisted microfluidic platforms used for cancer research, especially for photodynamic therapy (PDT). This innovative treatment strategy can be investigated directly on the chip, which was first proposed by Jędrych E. et al. in 2011. Summarizing, this literature review highlights recent developments in the additive manufacturing of microfluidic devices supported by hydrogels, toward reliable cell culture experiments with a view to PDT research. This paper gathers the current knowledge in these intriguing and fast-growing research paths.

Bioactive and electrically conductive GelMA-BG-MWCNT nanocomposite hydrogel bone biomaterials

Natural bone is a complex organic-inorganic composite tissue that possesses endogenous electrically conductive properties in response to mechanical forces. Mimicking these unique properties collectively in a single synthetic biomaterial has so far remained a formidable task. In this study, we report a synthesis strategy that comprised gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA), sol-gel derived tertiary bioactive glass (BG), and uniformly dispersed multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) to create nanocomposite hydrogels that mimic the organic-inorganic composition of bone. Using this strategy, biomaterials that are electrically conductive and possess electro-mechanical properties similar to endogenous bone were prepared without affecting their biocompatibility. Nanocomposite hydrogel biomaterials were biodegradable and promoted biomineralization, and supported multipotent mesenchymal progenitor cell (10T1/2) cell interactions and differentiation into an osteogenic lineage. To the best of our knowledge, this work presents the first study to functionally characterize suitable electro-mechanical responses in nanocomposite hydrogels, a key process that occurs in the natural bone to drive its repair and regeneration. Overall, the results demonstrated GelMA-BG-MWCNT nanocomposite hydrogels have the potential to become promising bioactive biomaterials for use in bone repair and regeneration.

Conductive and Thermo-Responsive Composite Hydrogels with Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) and Carbon Nanotubes Fabricated by Two-Step Photopolymerization

Biocompatible and conductive polymer hydrogels are the subject of intensive research in the bioengineering field because of their use in bioelectronic devices and for the fabrication of electro-responsive tissues and drug delivery systems. In this study, we report the synthesis of conductive composite hydrogels consisting of a poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) matrix embedding carboxyl-functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT-COOH) using a two-step photopolymerization method. Thermo-responsive hydrogels with controlled hydrophilicity and conductivity were prepared by varying the carbon nanotube concentration in the range 0.5-3 wt%. The thermal response of the PNIPAM-based composite hydrogels was measured by differential scanning calorimetry with both ultrapure water and PBS solution as swelling liquid. Results show that the endothermic peak associated with the temperature-induced volume phase transition (VPT) shifts to higher temperatures upon increasing the concentration of the nanotubes, indicating that more energy is required to dissociate the hydrogen bonds of the polymer/filler network. In PBS solution, the swelling ratios and the VPT temperatures of the composite hydrogels are reduced because of salt-induced screening of the oppositely charged polymer/filler assembly, and the electrical resistivity decreases by a factor of 10 with respect to the water-swollen hydrogels.

Stretchable, conductive, breathable and moisture-sensitive e-skin based on CNTs/graphene/GelMA mat for wound monitoring

Deep skin wound needs a long wound healing process, in which external force on skin around wound can result in a sharp pain, wound re-damage and interstitial fluid flowing out, increasing the risk of deterioration and even amputation. While the conventional wound dressings cannot provide timely feedback of abnormal wound status and lose best time for wound treatment, real-time monitoring wound status is thus urgently needed for wound management. In this work, a breathable and stretchable electronic skin (i.e., e-skin) named CNTs/graphene/GelMA mat has been developed through electrospinning, ice-templating and in-situ loading method for evaluating wound status. The obtained porosity, swelling ratio and vapor transmission rate of the CNTs/graphene/GelMA mat are 55 %, 180 % and 3378.2 h^-1 day^-1, respectively. And owing to the good porous, nanofibrous architecture and excellent breathability of the mat, L929 cells grow and well spread on the CNTs/graphene/GelMA mat. In addition, the gauge factors of the prepared conductive CNTs/graphene/GelMA mat as a strain sensor are 15.4 and 72.9 in the strain ranges of 0-70 % and 70-85 %, respectively, matching the mechanical performance of human skin. The sensitivity coefficient of the mat for moisture sensing is 12.05, indicating its high efficiency for monitoring and warning interstitial fluid outflow from wound. Furthermore, the integration of CNTs/graphene/GelMA mat with a portable device is feasible to monitor strain and moisture on a rat model with abdominal wound. The healing process of the wounds treated with CNTs/graphene/GelMA mat is similar to that of GelMA mat, indicating that the dosage of CNTs and graphene in the CNTs/graphene/GelMA mat has negligible effect on the mat histocompatibility. The CNTs/graphene/GelMA mat demonstrates the application potential in wound management, home medical diagnosis and human-machine interactions.

Bioelectricity-coupling patches for repairing impaired myocardium

Cardiac abnormalities, which account for extensive burdens on public health and economy, drive necessary attempts to revolutionize the traditional therapeutic system. Advances in cardiac tissue engineering have expanded a highly efficacious platform to address cardiovascular events, especially cardiac infarction. Current efforts to overcome biocompatible limitations highlight the constructs of a conductive cardiac patch to accelerate the industrial and clinical landscape that is amenable for patient-accurate therapy, regenerative medicine, disease modeling, and drug delivery. With the notion that cardiac tissue synchronically contracts triggered by electrical pulses, the cardiac patches based on conductive materials are developed and treated on the dysfunctional heart. In this review, we systematically summarize distinct conductive materials serving as the most promising alternatives (conductive nanomaterials, conductive polymers, piezoelectric polymers, and ionic electrolytes) to achieve electric signal transmission and engineered cardiac tissues. Existing applications are discussed considering how these patches containing conductive candidates are fabricated into diverse forms with major strategies. Ultimately, we try to define a new concept as a bioelectricity-coupling patch that provides a favorable cardiac micro-environment for cardiac functional activities. Underlying challenges and prospects are presented regarding industrial processing and cardiovascular treatment of conductive patch progress. This article is categorized under: Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Nanomedicine for Cardiovascular Disease.

Self-regeneration hybrid hydrogel for bisphenol a adsorption in water

Hybrid hydrogel was synthesized by immobilizing TiO₂ in polyethylene glycol diacrylate (TiO₂@PEGDA) as an efficient adsorbent with photocatalysis property for bisphenol A (BPA) elimination. TiO₂@PEGDA exhibited spherical and rough structure with limited crystallinity and abundant functional groups. The contact angle increased to 61.96° (TiO₂@PEGDA) from 46.73° (pristine PEGDA), indicating that hydrogel hydrophilicity decreased due to the presence of TiO₂. The swelling capacity of TiO₂@PEGDA (9.0%) was decreased compared with pristine PEGDA (15.6%). Adsorption results demonstrated that the maximum adsorption capacity of TiO₂@PEGDA (101.4 mg/g) for BPA was slightly higher than that of pristine PEGDA (97.68 mg/g). The adsorption capacity was independent with pH below 8 and decreased obviously when the value of pH was higher than 8. The adsorption behavior was fitted well with the pseudo-second-order kinetic and the Langmuir isotherm model. Both ΔG₀ and ΔH₀ were negative, indicating that BPA adsorbed on TiO₂@PEGDA was an exothermic and spontaneous process. Regeneration study was performed by photocatalysis, and the adsorption capacity was 85.6% compared with the initial capacity after four-cycle use, indicating that TiO₂@PEGDA could be recycled without significant adsorption capacity loss. Consequently, TiO₂@PEGDA can serve as an eco-friendly and promising material for efficiently adsorbing BPA with self-clean property.

Using Graphene-Based Materials for Stiff and Strong Poly(ethylene glycol) Hydrogels

Blood-contacting devices are increasingly important for the management of cardiovascular diseases. Poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) hydrogels represent one of the most explored hydrogels to date. However, they are mechanically weak, which prevents their use in load-bearing biomedical applications (e.g., vascular grafts, cardiac valves). Graphene and its derivatives, which have outstanding mechanical properties, a very high specific surface area, and good compatibility with many polymer matrices, are promising candidates to solve this challenge. In this work, we propose the use of graphene-based materials as nanofillers for mechanical reinforcement of PEG hydrogels, and we obtain composites that are stiffer and stronger than, and as anti-adhesive as, neat PEG hydrogels. Results show that single-layer and few-layer graphene oxide can strengthen PEG hydrogels, increasing their stiffness up to 6-fold and their strength 14-fold upon incorporation of 4% w/v (40 mg/mL) graphene oxide. The composites are cytocompatible and remain anti-adhesive towards endothelial cells, human platelets and Staphylococcus aureus, similar to neat hydrogels. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work to report such an increase of the tensile properties of PEG hydrogels using graphene-based materials as fillers. This work paves the way for the exploitation of PEG hydrogels as a backbone material for load-bearing applications.

Electrical and thermal stimulus-responsive nanocarbon-based 3D hydrogel sponge for switchable drug delivery

Smart hydrogels that are responsive to various external (e.g. electrical and/or thermal) stimulation have become increasingly popular in recent years for simple, rapid, and precise drug delivery that can be controlled and turned on or off with external stimuli. For such a switchable drug delivery material, highly homogeneous dispersion and distribution of the hydrophobic, electrically conductive nanomaterials throughout a hydrophilic three-dimensional (3D) hydrogel network remains a challenge and is essential for achieving well-connected electrical and thermal conducting paths. Herein we developed electrical and thermal stimulus-responsive 3D hydrogels based on (i) carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as the core unit and an electrical/thermal conductor, (ii) chitosan (Chit) as the shell unit and a hydrophilic dispersant, and (iii) poly(NIPAAm-co-BBVIm) (pNIBBIm) as the drug carrier and a temperature-responsive copolymer. By formulating the CNT-core and Chit-shell units and constructing a CNT sponge framework, uniform distribution and 3D connectivity of the CNTs were improved. The 3D hydrogel based on the CNT sponge, namely the 3D frame CNT-Chit/pNIBBIm hydrogel, delivered approximately 37% of a drug, ketoprofen used for the treatment of musculoskeletal pain, during about 30% shrinkage after electrical and thermal switches on/off and exhibited the best potential for future use in a smart transdermal drug delivery system. The physicochemical, mechanical, electrical, thermal, and biocompatible characteristics of this nanocarbon-based 3D frame hydrogel led to remarkable electrical and thermal stimulus-responsive properties capable of developing an excellent controllable and switchable drug delivery platform for biomedical engineering and medicine applications.

Biocompatible chitosan/polyethylene glycol/multi-walled carbon nanotube composite scaffolds for neural tissue engineering

Carbon nanotube (CNT) composite materials are very attractive for use in neural tissue engineering and biosensor coatings. CNT scaffolds are excellent mimics of extracellular matrix due to their hydrophilicity, viscosity, and biocompatibility. CNTs can also impart conductivity to other insulating materials, improve mechanical stability, guide neuronal cell behavior, and trigger axon regeneration. The performance of chitosan (CS)/polyethylene glycol (PEG) composite scaffolds could be optimized by introducing multi-walled CNTs (MWCNTs). CS/PEG/CNT composite scaffolds with CNT content of 1%, 3%, and 5% (1%=0.01 g/mL) were prepared by freeze-drying. Their physical and chemical properties and biocompatibility were evaluated. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that the composite scaffolds had a highly connected porous structure. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) and Raman spectroscopy proved that the CNTs were well dispersed in the CS/PEG matrix and combined with the CS/PEG nanofiber bundles. MWCNTs enhanced the elastic modulus of the scaffold. The porosity of the scaffolds ranged from 83% to 96%. They reached a stable water swelling state within 24 h, and swelling decreased with increasing MWCNT concentration. The electrical conductivity and cell adhesion rate of the scaffolds increased with increasing MWCNT content. Immunofluorescence showed that rat pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells grown in the scaffolds had characteristics similar to nerve cells. We measured changes in the expression of nerve cell markers by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), and found that PC12 cells cultured in the scaffolds expressed growth-associated protein 43 (GAP43), nerve growth factor receptor (NGFR), and class III β‍-tubulin (TUBB3) proteins. Preliminary research showed that the prepared CS/PEG/CNT scaffold has good biocompatibility and can be further applied to neural tissue engineering research.

Carbon nanotubes in biomedical applications: current status, promises, and challenges

In the past decade, there has been phenomenal progress in the field of nanomaterials, especially in the area of carbon nanotubes (CNTs). In this review, we have elucidated a contemporary synopsis of properties, synthesis, functionalization, toxicity, and several potential biomedical applications of CNTs. Researchers have reported remarkable mechanical, electronic, and physical properties of CNTs which makes their applications so versatile. Functionalization of CNTs has been valuable in modifying their properties, expanding their applications, and reducing their toxicity. In recent years, the use of CNTs in biomedical applications has grown exponentially as they are utilized in the field of drug delivery, tissue engineering, biosensors, bioimaging, and cancer treatment. CNTs can increase the lifespan of drugs in humans and facilitate their delivery directly to the targeted cells; they are also highly efficient biocompatible biosensors and bioimaging agents. CNTs have also shown great results in detecting the SARS COVID-19 virus and in the field of cancer treatment and tissue engineering which is substantially required looking at the present conditions. The concerns about CNTs include cytotoxicity faced in in vivo biomedical applications and its high manufacturing cost are discussed in the review.

Injectable nanocomposite hydrogels as an emerging platform for biomedical applications: A review

Hydrogels have attracted much attention for biomedical and pharmaceutical applications due to the similarity of their biomimetic structure to the extracellular matrix of natural living tissues, tunable soft porous microarchitecture, superb biomechanical properties, proper biocompatibility, etc. Injectable hydrogels are an exciting type of hydrogels that can be easily injected into the target sites using needles or catheters in a minimally invasive manner. The more comfortable use, less pain, faster recovery period, lower costs, and fewer side effects make injectable hydrogels more attractive to both patients and clinicians in comparison to non-injectable hydrogels. However, it is difficult to achieve an ideal injectable hydrogel using just a single material (i.e., polymer). This challenge can be overcome by incorporating nanofillers into the polymeric matrix to engineer injectable nanocomposite hydrogels with combined or synergistic properties gained from the constituents. This work aims to critically review injectable nanocomposite hydrogels, their preparation methods, properties, functionalities, and versatile biomedical and pharmaceutical applications such as tissue engineering, drug delivery, and cancer labeling and therapy. The most common natural and synthetic polymers as matrices together with the most popular nanomaterials as reinforcements, including nanoceramics, carbon-based nanostructures, metallic nanomaterials, and various nanosized polymeric materials, are highlighted in this review.

3D bioprinting of molecularly engineered PEG-based hydrogels utilizing gelatin fragments

Three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting is an additive manufacturing process in which the combination of biomaterials and living cells, referred to as a bioink, is deposited layer-by-layer to form biologically active 3D tissue constructs. Recent advancements in the field show that the success of this technology requires the development of novel biomaterials or the improvement of existing bioinks. Polyethylene glycol (PEG) is one of the well-known synthetic biomaterials and has been commonly used as a photocrosslinkable bioink for bioprinting; however, other types of cell-friendly crosslinking mechanisms to form PEG hydrogels need to be explored for bioprinting and tissue engineering. In this work, we proposed micro-capillary based bioprinting of a novel molecularly engineered PEG-based bioink that transiently incorporates low molecular weight gelatin (LMWG) fragments. The rheological properties and release profile of the LMWG fragments were characterized, and their presence during hydrogel formation had no effect on the swelling ratio or sol fraction when compared to PEG hydrogels formed without the LMWG fragments. For bioprinting, PEG was first functionalized with cell-adhesive RGD ligands and was then crosslinked using protease-sensitive peptides via a Michael-type addition reaction inside the micro-capillary. The printability was assessed by the analysis of extrudability, shape fidelity, and printing accuracy of the hydrogel filaments after the optimization of the gelation conditions of the PEG-based bioink. The LMWG fragments supplemented into the bioink allowed the extrusion of smooth and uniform cylindrical strands of the hydrogel and improved shape fidelity and printing accuracy. Encapsulated cells in both bioprinted and non-bioprinted PEG-based hydrogels showed high viability and continued to proliferate over time in culture with a well-defined cell morphology depending on the presence of the cell adhesive peptide RGD. The presented micro-capillary based bioprinting process for a novel PEG-based bioink can be promising to construct complex 3D structures with micro-scale range and spatiotemporal variations without using any cytotoxic photoinitiator, UV light, or polymer support.

Chitosan/carbon nanotube hybrids: recent progress and achievements for industrial applications

This review focuses on the state-of-the-art of the recent research development on chitosan/CNT nanomaterials in biomedicine, (bio)sensors, and pollution management.

Electrospun polyurethane/carbon nanotube composites with different amounts of carbon nanotubes and almost the same fiber diameter for biomedical applications

The aim of this study was to investigate the net effect of raw carbon nanotube (CNTs) on the final properties of polyurethane (PU)/CNT composites considering their biomedical applications. So, neat PU and PU/CNT composites containing different amounts of CNTs (0.05%, 0.1%, 0.5%, and 1%) were prepared by electrospinning. Electrospinning parameters optimized to have a bead-free structure with no significant difference between their mean fiber diameter and porosity percentage. The results showed adding CNTs caused an increase in crystallinity percentage, water absorption ratio, young modulus, toughness, conductivity, degradation time in an accelerated medium, clotting time, and human umbilical vein endothelial cells adhesion. But a direct relationship between CNT percentage and the calcium adsorption was not detected. Moreover, no significant cytotoxicity was observed for 7-day extracts of all samples. These nanocomposites have a vast range of properties which make them a good candidate as neural, cardiovascular, osseous biomaterials or tendon, and ligament substitute.

Processing and modification of hydrogel and its application in emerging contaminant adsorption and in catalyst immobilization: a review

Due to the wonderful property of hydrogels, they can provide a platform for a wide range of applications. Recently, there is a growing research interest in the development of potential hydrogel adsorbents in wastewater treatment due to their adsorption ability toward aqueous pollutants. It is important to prepare such a hydrogel that possesses appropriate robustness, adsorption capacity, and adsorption efficiency to meet the need of water treatment. In order to improve the property of hydrogels, much effort has been made by researchers to modify hydrogels, among which incorporating inorganic components into the polymeric networks is the most common method, which can reduce the product cost and simplify the preparation procedure. Not only can hydrogel be applied as adsorbent, but it also can be used as matrix for catalyst immobilization. In this review, the key advancement on the preparation and modification of hydrogels is discussed, with special emphasis on the introduction of inorganic materials into polymeric networks and consequential changes in the properties of mechanical strength, swelling, and adsorption. Besides, hydrogels used as adsorbents for removal of dyes and inorganic pollutants have been widely explored, but their use for adsorbing emerging contaminants from aqueous solution has not received much attention. Thus, this review is mainly focused on hydrogels' application in removing emerging contaminants by adsorption. Furthermore, hydrogels can be also applied in immobilizing catalysts, such as enzyme and photocatalyst, to remove pollutants completely and avoid secondary pollution, so their progress as catalyst matrix is overviewed.

Carbon nanotubes promote cell migration in hydrogels

Injectable hydrogels are increasingly used for in situ tissue regeneration and wound healing. Ideally, an injectable implant should promote the recruitment of cells from the surrounding native tissue and allow cells to migrate freely as they generate a new extracellular matrix network. Nanocomposite hydrogels such as carbon nanotube (CNT)-loaded hydrogels have been hypothesized to promote cell recruitment and cell migration relative to unloaded ones. To investigate this, CNT-glycol chitosan hydrogels were synthesized and studied. Chemoattractant-induced cell migration was studied using a modified Boyden Chamber experiment. Migrated cells were counted using flow cytometry. Cell adhesion was inferred from the morphology of the cells via an image segmentation method. Cell migration and recruitment results confirmed that small concentrations of CNT significantly increase cell migration in hydrogels, thereby accelerating tissue regeneration and wound healing in situations where there is insufficient migration in the unloaded matrix.

Tough, stretchable and compressive alginate-based hydrogels achieved by non-covalent interactions

In this study, two alginate-based hydrogels with good mechanical strength, toughness and resilience were synthesized by hydrophobic interaction and coordination bonding. Sodium alginate/poly(acrylamide) semi-interpenetrating network (NaAlg/PAM semi-IPN) hydrogels were first synthesized through the micelle copolymerization of acrylamide and stearyl methacrylate in the presence of sodium alginate, then calcium alginate/poly(acrylamide) double network (CaAlg/PAM DN) hydrogels were prepared by immersing the as-prepared NaAlg/PAM semi-IPN hydrogels in a CaCl₂ solution. FT-IR and XPS results revealed NaAlg/PAM semi-IPN hydrogels and CaAlg/PAM DN hydrogels were successfully synthesized through non-covalent interactions. The tensile strength of CaAlg/PAM DN hydrogels could reach 733.6 kPa, and their compressive strengths at 80% strain are significantly higher than those of the corresponding NaAlg/PAM semi-IPN hydrogels, which is attributed to the alginate network crosslinked by Ca²⁺. The dual physically crosslinked CaAlg/PAM DN hydrogels can achieve fast self-recovery, and good fatigue resistance, which is mainly assigned to energy dissipation through dynamic reversible non-covalent interactions in both networks. The self-healing ability, swelling behavior and morphology of the synthesized alginate-based hydrogels were also evaluated. This study offers a new avenue to design and construct hydrogels with high mechanical strength, high toughness and fast self-recovery properties, which broadens the current research and application of hydrogels.

Alginate-based hydrogels based on non-covalent interactions were synthesized, and exhibited good mechanical strength, toughness and resilience.

Engineered Three-Dimensional Microenvironments with Starch Nanocrystals as Cell-Instructive Materials

Naturally, cells reside in three-dimensional (3D) microenvironments composed of biopolymers that guide cellular behavior via topographical features as well as through mechanical and biochemical cues. However, most studies describing the influence of topography on cells' behavior are performed on rigid and synthetic two-dimensional substrates. To design systems that more closely resemble native microenvironments, herein we develop 3D nanocomposite hydrogels consisting of starch nanocrystals (SNCs) embedded in a gelatin matrix. The incorporation of different concentrations of SNCs (0.05, 0.2, and 0.5 wt %) results in an increase of compressive modulus when compared to hydrogels without SNCs, without affecting the swelling ratio, thus providing a tunable system. Confirming the cytocompatibility of the novel composites, the viability of encapsulated L929 fibroblasts is >90% in all hydrogels. The cellular metabolic activity and DNA content are similar for all formulations and increase over time, indicating that the fibroblasts proliferate within the hydrogels. After 4 d of culture, Live/Dead staining and F-actin/nuclei staining show that the encapsulated fibroblasts develop an elongated morphology in the hydrogels. On the other hand, encapsulated chondrogenic progenitor ATDC5 cells also maintain a viability around 90% but display a round morphology, especially in the hydrogels with SNCs, indicating a potential application of the materials for cartilage tissue engineering. We believe that topographical and mechanical cues within 3D microenvironments can be a powerful tool to instruct cells' behavior and that the developed gelatin/SNC nanocomposite warrants further study.

Manufacturing and Characterization of Functionalized Aliphatic Polyester from Poly(lactic acid) with Halloysite Nanotubes

This work reports the potential of poly(lactic acid)-PLA composites with different halloysite nanotube (HNTs) loading (3, 6 and 9 wt%) for further uses in advanced applications as HNTs could be used as carriers for active compounds for medicine, packaging and other sectors. This work focuses on the effect of HNTs on mechanical, thermal, thermomechanical and degradation of PLA composites with HNTs. These composites can be manufactured by conventional extrusion-compounding followed by injection molding. The obtained results indicate a slight decrease in tensile and flexural strength as well as in elongation at break, both properties related to material cohesion. On the contrary, the stiffness increases with the HNTs content. The tensile strength and modulus change from 64.6 MPa/2.1 GPa (neat PLA) to 57.7/2.3 GPa MPa for the composite with 9 wt% HNTs. The elongation at break decreases from 6.1% (neat PLA) down to a half for composites with 9 wt% HNTs. Regarding flexural properties, the flexural strength and modulus change from 116.1 MPa and 3.6 GPa respectively for neat PLA to values of 107.6 MPa and 3.9 GPa for the composite with 9 wt% HNTs. HNTs do not affect the glass transition temperature with invariable values of about 64 °C, or the melt peak temperature, while they move the cold crystallization process towards lower values, from 112.4 °C for neat PLA down to 105.4 °C for the composite containing 9 wt% HNTs. The water uptake has been assessed to study the influence of HNTs on the water saturation. HNTs contribute to increased hydrophilicity with a change in the asymptotic water uptake from 0.95% (neat PLA) up to 1.67% (PLA with 9 wt % HNTs) and the effect of HNTs on disintegration in controlled compost soil has been carried out to see the influence of HNTs on this process, which is a slight delay on it. These PLA-HNT composites show good balanced properties and could represent an interesting solution to develop active materials.