An Injectable and Antifouling Supramolecular Polymer Hydrogel with Microenvironment-Regulatory Function to Prevent
Kuan Wang1, Danyang Chen1, Zhuoya Wang1
1School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Composite and Functional Materials, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300350, China.
Macromolecular Bioscience
|June 15, 2023
Summary
This study developed a novel hydrogel to prevent tendon adhesions by balancing healing processes. The functional barrier reduces inflammation and promotes tenocyte activity for effective tendon repair.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Regenerative Medicine
- Orthopedic Surgery
Background:
- Peritendinous adhesions, caused by imbalanced tendon healing, significantly impair recovery.
- Current treatments lack efficacy in preventing these adhesions and promoting optimal tendon repair.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop an injectable supramolecular hydrogel as a physical barrier to prevent peritendinous adhesions.
- To enhance tendon healing by modulating inflammatory and fibrotic pathways.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of a poly(N-(2-hydroxypropyl) acrylamide) (PHPAm) hydrogel via hydrogen-bonding crosslinks.
- Loading the hydrogel with Prussian blue (PB) nanoparticles and platelet lysate (PL).
- Evaluating the hydrogel's efficacy in resisting adhesion, reducing inflammation, and promoting tenocyte activity in vitro and in vivo.
Main Results:
- The PHPAm hydrogel demonstrated antifouling and self-healing properties.
- The PB and PL-loaded hydrogel significantly resisted fibrin and fibroblast adhesion.
- The hydrogel attenuated local inflammation by inhibiting NF-κB and TGF-β1/Smad3 pathways, promoting tenocyte activity and improving tendon repair.
Conclusions:
- The developed functional hydrogel serves as an effective physical barrier against peritendinous adhesions.
- This strategy offers a promising approach for enhancing tendon repair by balancing extrinsic and intrinsic healing mechanisms.
