Electroresponsive Thiol-Yne Click-Hydrogels for Insulin Smart Delivery: Tackling Sustained Release and Leakage...

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Drug Delivery Systems

Background:

• Diabetes mellitus is a global health concern necessitating improved insulin therapy.
• Current insulin administration methods face challenges in precise dosage and release control.
• Soft biointerfaces offer promising platforms for advanced therapeutic delivery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an electroactive soft biointerface for controlled insulin delivery.
• To utilize a thiol-yne poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) click-hydrogel system.
• To incorporate poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) nanoparticles (PEDOT NPs) for electroactivity.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a PEG-based click-hydrogel incorporating PEDOT NPs.
• Optimization of PEG precursor and PEDOT NP concentration.
• Density functional theory (DFT) calculations to study PEDOT-PEG interactions.
• Electrochemical stimulation (ES) for controlled insulin release.
• In vitro verification of insulin release using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).

Main Results:

• A functional electroactive hydrogel biointerface was successfully created.
• DFT calculations identified 4-arm PEG precursors as optimal cross-linkers.
• Optimized PEDOT NP concentration ensured gelation and enhanced properties.
• Electrochemical stimulation enabled precise, extended insulin release in vitro.
• The system demonstrated good cytocompatibility and mechanical properties.

Conclusions:

• The developed hydrogel-based device provides a novel method for controlled insulin delivery.
• The incorporation of PEDOT NPs renders the hydrogel electroactive for precise release management.
• This technology holds potential for translation into advanced bioelectronic applications for diabetes management.