Injectable Hyaluronic Acid Hydrogels Crosslinked by Structure-engineered Aldehyde-functionalized β-Cyclodextrin...

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Drug Delivery Systems
• Ophthalmology

Background:

• Long-term controlled drug release from injectable hydrogels for ocular diseases remains a significant challenge.
• Existing treatments often require frequent injections, impacting patient compliance and therapeutic outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and characterize novel injectable hyaluronic acid (HA)-based hydrogels for sustained ocular drug delivery.
• To investigate the influence of different aldehyde-functionalized β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) derivatives on hydrogel properties and drug release kinetics.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of injectable HA-based hydrogels via Schiff base reaction between amino-functionalized HA (NHA) and three aldehyde-functionalized β-CD derivatives (ACD, ALCD, ABCD).
• Characterization of hydrogel composition, structure, and properties using FTIR, SEM, and dynamic rheometry.
• Evaluation of drug release profiles (Voriconazole) and cellular compatibility of the developed hydrogels.

Main Results:

• The synthesized hydrogels exhibited suitable microstructural and rheological properties for injection, with pore sizes of 50-250 μm and gelation times of 60-300 s.
• The hydrogels achieved long-term controlled release of Voriconazole for over 60 days with quasi-zero-order kinetics in the later stage.
• Excellent cellular compatibility was observed, particularly for NHA/ACD and NHA/ABCD hydrogel formulations.

Conclusions:

• Injectable HA-based hydrogels functionalized with aldehyde-β-CD derivatives show significant potential for long-term controlled drug delivery in treating chronic ocular diseases.
• The study provides valuable insights into the structure-property relationships of β-CD derivatives for designing advanced injectable drug delivery systems.
• These hydrogels offer a promising platform for sustained therapy, potentially reducing the need for frequent ocular injections.