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A Biocompatible Therapeutic Catheter‐Deliverable Hydrogel for In Situ Tissue Engineering
Author(s) -
Steele Amanda N.,
Stapleton Lyndsay M.,
Farry Justin M.,
Lucian Haley J.,
Paulsen Michael J.,
Eskandari Anahita,
Hironaka Camille E.,
Thakore Akshara D.,
Wang Hanjay,
Yu Anthony C.,
Chan Doreen,
Appel Eric A.,
Woo Yiping Joseph
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
advanced healthcare materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.288
H-Index - 90
eISSN - 2192-2659
pISSN - 2192-2640
DOI - 10.1002/adhm.201801147
Subject(s) - self healing hydrogels , materials science , drug delivery , biocompatible material , biocompatibility , biomedical engineering , nanotechnology , hyaluronic acid , tissue engineering , medicine , polymer chemistry , metallurgy , anatomy
Hydrogels have emerged as a diverse class of biomaterials offering a broad range of biomedical applications. Specifically, injectable hydrogels are advantageous for minimally invasive delivery of various therapeutics and have great potential to treat a number of diseases. However, most current injectable hydrogels are limited by difficult and time‐consuming fabrication techniques and are unable to be delivered through long, narrow catheters, preventing extensive clinical translation. Here, the development of an easily‐scaled, catheter‐injectable hydrogel utilizing a polymer–nanoparticle crosslinking mechanism is reported, which exhibits notable shear‐thinning and self‐healing behavior. Gelation of the hydrogel occurs immediately upon mixing the biochemically modified hyaluronic acid polymer with biodegradable nanoparticles and can be easily injected through a high‐gauge syringe due to the dynamic nature of the strong, yet reversible crosslinks. Furthermore, the ability to deliver this novel hydrogel through a long, narrow, physiologically‐relevant catheter affixed with a 28‐G needle is highlighted, with hydrogel mechanics unchanged after delivery. Due to the composition of the gel, it is demonstrated that therapeutics can be differentially released with distinct elution profiles, allowing precise control over drug delivery. Finally, the cell‐signaling and biocompatibility properties of this innovative hydrogel are demonstrated, revealing its wide range of therapeutic applications.