Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 26, 2026

Injectable Supramolecular Polymer-Nanoparticle Hydrogels for Cell and Drug Delivery Applications
Published on: February 7, 2021
A novel crosslinked hyaluronic acid nanogel for drug delivery
Sílvia Santos Pedrosa1, Catarina Gonçalves, Laurent David
1Institute for Biotechnology and Bioengineering (IBB), Centre for Biological Engineering, Campus de Gualtar University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.
Abstract:
An amphiphilic hyaluronic acid conjugate is successfully developed based on grafting a thiolated hydrophobic molecule to the polysaccharide backbone. The engineered conjugate is capable of assembling into nanostructures once dispersed in water, with average diameter of 80.2 ± 0.4 nm (n = 5), stable up to 6 months. The thiolated HyA conjugate is reticulated by dissulfide bond with a homofunctional crosslinker-1,4-Bis(3-[2-pyridyldithio]propionamido)butane (DPDPB). The drug loading efficiency of the reticulated and non-reticulated nanogel is accessed with two hydrophobic drugs, curcumin and simvastatin. Results suggest that crosslinked nanogel exhibit higher stability upon dilution and drug loading efficiency and proves to be a redox sensitive material. The nanogels hold great potential as stealth carriers of lipophilic drugs.
Related Concept Videos
Site-Targeted Drug Delivery Systems: Polymeric Carriers
Modified-Release Drug Delivery Systems: Site-Targeted
Modified-Release Drug Delivery Systems: Stimuli-Activated
Ophthalmic Drug Delivery Systems

