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Injectable Supramolecular Polymer-Nanoparticle Hydrogels for Cell and Drug Delivery Applications
Published on: February 7, 2021
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Injectable biocompatible hydrogels with tunable strength based on crosslinked supramolecular polymer nanofibers
Hans F Ulrich1,2, Ceren C Pihlamagi1,2, Tobias Klein1,2
1Laboratory of Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry (IOMC), Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Humboldtstr. 10, 07743 Jena, Germany. johannes.brendel@uni-jena.de.
Journal of Materials Chemistry. B
|January 8, 2025
Summary
This study developed injectable hydrogels from supramolecular assemblies for biomedical uses. The benzenetrispeptide-C6 (BTP-C6) hydrogels show tunable strength and biocompatibility, making them promising for tissue engineering and drug delivery.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Biomedical Engineering
- Polymer Chemistry
Background:
- Supramolecular hydrogels offer unique properties like injectability and tunable combinations.
- Benzenetrispeptides (BTP) form supramolecular fibers, which can be combined with polyethylene oxide (PEO) for biomedical applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the properties of hydrogels formed by combining benzenetrispeptides (BTP) with polyethylene oxide (PEO).
- To evaluate the mechanical properties, injectability, and biocompatibility of these novel hydrogel systems.
- To compare the performance of hydrogels with different hydrophobic spacer lengths (BTP-C6 vs. BTP-C12).
Main Methods:
- Hydrogel formation using benzenetrispeptides (BTP) with varying hydrophobic spacers (C6 and C12) and polyethylene oxide (PEO), crosslinked with a bifunctional crosslinker.
- Rheological studies including step-strain measurements and shear rate-dependent viscosity measurements.
- Biocompatibility assessment using L929 mouse fibroblasts and in vivo injection into chicken breast tissue.
Main Results:
- Hydrogels with shorter n-hexyl spacers (BTP-C6) exhibited significantly stronger mechanical properties (tunable shear storage modulus up to 8 kPa) compared to those with n-dodecyl chains (BTP-C12).
- All hydrogels demonstrated rapid recovery after deformation (<5 s) and exhibited shear thinning behavior, confirming their injectability through thin cannulae.
- BTP-C6 hydrogels prevented fibroblast adherence while maintaining high cell metabolic activity (>87%), indicating good biocompatibility.
Conclusions:
- The benzenetrispeptide-C6 (BTP-C6) hydrogel system demonstrates tunable mechanical strength and excellent injectability.
- These BTP-C6 hydrogels exhibit promising biocompatibility, preventing cell adhesion while preserving cell viability.
- The BTP-C6 hydrogel system presents significant potential for applications in tissue engineering and as an injectable, biocompatible drug depot.
