Glucose-Responsive Trehalose Hydrogel for Insulin Stabilization and Delivery
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Updated: Feb 11, 2026

Glucose Uptake Measurement and Response to Insulin Stimulation in In Vitro Cultured Human Primary Myotubes
Published on: June 25, 2017
Juneyoung Lee1,2, Jeong Hoon Ko1,2, Kathryn M Mansfield1,2
1Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, 607 Charles E. Young Drive East, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-1569, USA.
Abstract:
Effective delivery of therapeutic proteins is important for many biomedical applications. Yet, the stabilization of proteins during delivery and long-term storage remains a significant challenge. Herein, a trehalose-based hydrogel is reported that stabilizes insulin to elevated temperatures prior to glucose-triggered release. The hydrogel is synthesized using a polymer with trehalose side chains and a phenylboronic acid end-functionalized 8-arm poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG). The hydroxyls of the trehalose side chains form boronate ester linkages with the PEG boronic acid cross-linker to yield hydrogels without any further modification of the original trehalose polymer. Dissolution of the hydrogel is triggered upon addition of glucose as a stronger binder to boronic acid (Kb = 2.57 vs 0.48 m-1 for trehalose), allowing the insulin that is entrapped during gelation to be released in a glucose-responsive manner. Moreover, the trehalose hydrogel stabilizes the insulin as determined by immunobinding after heating up to 90 °C. After 30 min heating, 74% of insulin is detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in the presence of the trehalose hydrogel, whereas only 2% is detected without any additives.
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