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Updated: May 22, 2026

Injectable Supramolecular Polymer-Nanoparticle Hydrogels for Cell and Drug Delivery Applications
Published on: February 7, 2021
Injectable hydrogel for sustained protein release by salt-induced association of hyaluronic acid nanogel
Takashi Nakai1, Tai Hirakura, Yuji Sakurai
1Institute of Biomaterials and Bioengineering, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 2-3-10 Kanda-surugadai, Tokyo, 101-0062, Japan. nakaitks@chugai-pharm.co.jp
Abstract:
A hyaluronic acid-based anionic nanogel formed by self-assembly of cholesteryl-group-bearing HA is designed for protein delivery. The HA nanogel spontaneously binds various types of proteins without denaturation, such as recombinant human growth hormone, erythropoietin, exendin-4, and lysozyme. The HA nanogel shows unique colloidal properties, in particular that an injectable hydrogel is formed by salt-induced association of the HA nanogel. A pharmacokinetic study in rats shows that an in situ gel formulation, prepared by simply mixing rhGH and HA nanogel in phosphate buffer, maintains plasma rhGH levels within a narrow range over one week. Therefore, HA nanogels offer a simple method for easy formulation of therapeutic proteins and are effective for sustained protein release systems.
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