Biomaterials. 2020 May;240:119841. doi: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2020.119841. Epub 2020 Feb 6. A well defect-suitable and high-strength biomimetic squid type II gelatin hydrogel promoted in situ costal cartilage regeneration via dynamic immunomodulation and direct induction manners Meilu Dai, Baiyan Sui, Yujie Hua, Yiqing Zhang, Bingkun Bao, Qiuning Lin, Xin Liu, Linyong Zhu, Jiao Sun Abstract Reconstructing segmental costal cartilage defects resulting from autologous cartilage grafts in plastic surgery remains a challenge. The present study focused on a biomimetic strategy for in situ costal cartilage regeneration that did not rely on an autogenous/xenogenous tissue graft. A multifunctional biomimetic SGII/HA-DN hydrogel based on a "chemical-curing, shaping, and light-curing" gelation system was developed and evaluated for its mechanical properties, clinical applications and biological functions. This hydrogel showed good suitability to repair defects and a high mechanical support strength (11 MPa, which is close to the natural strength of costal cartilage). Biologically, the hydrogel exhibited dual-immunomodulatory effects on the pro-inflammatory/anti-inflammatory phenotypes of neutrophils and M1/M2 macrophage polarization and subsequently promoted the chondrogenesis of cartilage stem/progenitor cells through both direct induction and indirect stimulation by the M2 macrophage-mediated TGF-β/Smad pathway. Furthermore, this SGII/HA-DN hydrogel could regulate the local microenvironment, inducing new costal cartilage regeneration in vivo. Our findings demonstrate that the newly developed multifunctional SGII/HA-DN hydrogel provides a strategy with high prospect for the biomimetic repair of segmental costal cartilage defects in clinical practice. Keywords: Costal cartilage regeneration; Double network hydrogel; Dynamic immunomodulation; Macrophage; Neutrophil; Squid type II gelatin. Related products Abbreviation: 4-arm PEG-SS Name: 4-arm Poly(ethylene glycol) succinimidyl succinate For more product information, please contact us at: US Tel: 1-844-782-5734 US Tel: 1-844-QUAL-PEG CHN Tel: 400-918-9898 Email: sales@sinopeg.com

Polymer Chemistry. Volume 11, Issue 17, 7 May 2020. https://doi.org/10.1039/c9py01503e Two-stage thiol-based click reactions for the preparation and adhesion of hydrogels Wen Jing Yang, Wenya Xu, Xi Tao, Wen Wang, Yaqin Hu, Xue Li, En-Tang Kang, Lianhui Wang Abstract The fabrication of adhesive hydrogel systems is quite important for biological applications. Herein, two-stage thiol-based click reactions have been employed for the preparation and adhesion of hydrogels. In the first stage, two self-adhesive hydrogels (HG-1 and HG-2) were constructed via the thiol-based click reactions and thiol–thiol coupling reaction under different stimuli, employing the same functional copolymer poly(propargyl methacrylate-co-N-(3,4-dihydroxyphenethyl) methacrylamide-co-poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate) (poly(PMA-co-DMA-co-PEGMA), polyPDP) and a 4-arm thiol-PEG cross-linker. Subsequently, the two prepared hydrogels achieved responsive self-adhesion properties via the second stage of thiol-based click reactions between the preserved functional groups under different stimuli. Moreover, the self-adhered hydrogels exhibited increased mechanical strength after adhesion. The present strategy thus provides a facile approach for the fabrication of hydrogel systems with on-demand self-adhesive properties. Related products Abbreviation: 4-arm PEG-SH Name: 4-arm Poly(ethylene glycol) thiol For more product information, please contact us at: US Tel: 1-844-782-5734 US Tel: 1-844-QUAL-PEG CHN Tel: 400-918-9898 Email: sales@sinopeg.com

Biomater Sci. 2017 Oct 24;5(11):2337-2346. doi: 10.1039/c7bm00693d. The immobilization of antibiotic-loaded polymeric coatings on osteoarticular Ti implants for the prevention of bone infections Dan Li, Pengfei Lv, Linfeng Fan, Yaoyi Huang, Fei Yang, Xifan Mei, Decheng Wu Abstract Implant-associated infections in orthopaedic surgeries are very critical as they may hinder bone healing, cause implant failure and even progress to osteomyelitis. Drug-eluting implants for local delivery of antibiotics at surgical sites are thought to be promising in preventing infections. Herein, the antibiotic vancomycin was encapsulated in a poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-based hydrogel film that was covalently bound to Ti implants and subsequently covered by a PEG-poly(lactic-co-caprolactone) (PEG-PLC) membrane. Additionally, crosslinked starch (CSt) was mixed with the hydrogel because its porous microstructure is able to inhibit hydrogel swelling and thus slow down drug release. The release behavior could be regulated by the drug loading and the coating thickness. The vancomycin-loaded Ti implants showed no initial burst release, offering a sustained drug release for nearly 3 weeks in vitro and more than 4 weeks in vivo. In a rabbit model of S. aureus infection, the implants with a 4 mg vancomycin loading significantly reduced the inflammatory reaction and exhibited a good antimicrobial capability. The immobilization of the antibiotic-loaded polymeric coatings on orthopaedic implants can offer a sustainable drug release with no initial burst release and maintain an effective concentration for a longer time, so it is expected to be an effective strategy to treat and prevent local bone infections. Related products Abbreviation: 4-arm PEG-SH Name: 4-arm Poly(ethylene glycol) thiol For more product information, please contact us at: US Tel: 1-844-782-5734 US Tel: 1-844-QUAL-PEG CHN Tel: 400-918-9898 Email: sales@sinopeg.com

Adv Healthc Mater. 2020 Oct;9(20):e2001032. doi: 10.1002/adhm.202001032. Epub 2020 Sep 9. Injectable and Self-Healing Hydrogel with Anti-Bacterial and Anti-Inflammatory Properties for Acute Bacterial Rhinosinusitis with Micro Invasive Treatment Zhengming Chen, Zhengwei Cai, Chengjing Zhu, Xianmin Song, Yanghua Qin, Minhui Zhu, Tao Zhang, Wenguo Cui, Haihong Tang, Hongliang Zheng Abstract Systemic antibiotic therapy is the main treatment for acute bacterial rhinosinusitis (ABRS). However, this treatment often causes side effects of dizziness, diarrhea, and drug resistance. In this study, a new polyethylene glycol hydrogel (PEG-H) treatment model is developed to achieve sustained release of drugs at the locality while avoiding those adverse effects. The PEG-H is composed of 4-arm-PEG-SH and silver ions through a high affinity and dynamic reversible coordination bond between the thiol and silver ion. In the initial test, PEG-H is loaded with Clarithromycin (CAM-Lips@Hydrogel) or Clarithromycin and Budesonide liposomes (CAM+BUD-Lips@Hydrogel). The results show that PEG-H maintains the characteristics of self-healing, biodegradability, moderate swelling rate, injectibility and sustained drug release. In in vivo studies, the hydrogel is injected into the maxillary sinus of ABRS rabbit models. In both a single or combined load, the hydrogel not only plays an effective role as an anti-bacterial, but also inhibits inflammatory response of local sinus mucosa. In addition, no other side effects are observed in the ABRS rabbit model through behavioral observation and drug sensitivity tests. Therefore, the injectable self-healing hydrogel with anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties provides a new micro invasive therapeutic method for the clinical treatment of ABRS. Keywords: acute bacterial rhinosinusitis; anti-bacterial properties; anti-inflammation properties; micro-invasive drug delivery; self-healing hydrogels. Related products Abbreviation: 4-arm PEG-SH Name: 4-arm Poly(ethylene glycol) thiol For more product information, please contact us at: US Tel: 1-844-782-5734 US Tel: 1-844-QUAL-PEG CHN Tel: 400-918-9898 Email: sales@sinopeg.com

Acta Biomater. 2019 Mar 1;86:280-290. doi: 10.1016/j.actbio.2019.01.003. Epub 2019 Jan 5. In situ chemically crosslinked injectable hydrogels for the subcutaneous delivery of trastuzumab to treat breast cancer Yu-Wen Lo, Ming-Thau Sheu, Wen-Hsuan Chiang, Ya-Ling Chiu, Chia-Mu Tu, Wen-Yu Wang, Ming-Hsi Wu, Yu-Cheng Wang, Maggie Lu, Hsiu-O Ho Abstract Recently, novel approaches for the delivery of therapeutic antibodies have attracted much attention, especially sustained release formulations. However, sustained release formulations capable of carrying a high antibody load remain a challenge for practical use. In this study, a novel injectable hydrogel composed of maleimide-modified γ-polyglutamic acid (γ-PGA-MA) and thiol end-functionalized 4-arm poly(ethylene glycol) (4-arm PEG-SH) was developed for the subcutaneous delivery of trastuzumab. γ-PGA-MA and 4-arm PEG-SH formed a hydrogel through thiol-maleimide reactions, which had shear-thinning properties and reversible rheological behaviors. Moreover, a high content of trastuzumab (>100 mg/mL) could be loaded into this hydrogel, and trastuzumab demonstrated a sustained release over several weeks through electrostatic attraction. In addition, trastuzumab released from the hydrogel had adequate stability in terms of its structural integrity, binding bioactivity, and antiproliferative effect on BT-474 cells. Pharmacokinetic studies demonstrated that trastuzumab-loaded hydrogel (Her-hydrogel-10, composed of 1.5% γ-PGA-MA, 1.5% 4-arm PEG-SH, and 10 mg/mL trastuzumab) and trastuzumab/Zn-loaded hydrogel (Her/Zn-hydrogel-10, composed of 1.5% γ-PGA-MA, 1.5% 4-arm PEG-SH, 5 mM ZnCl2, and 10 mg/mL trastuzumab) could lower the maximum plasma concentration (Cmax) than the trastuzumab solution. Furthermore, Her/Zn-hydrogel-10 was better able to release trastuzumab in a controlled manner, which was ascribed to electrostatic attraction and formation of trastuzumab/Zn nanocomplexes. In a BT-474 xenograft tumor model, Her-hydrogel-10 had a similar tumor growth-inhibitory effect as that of the trastuzumab solution. By contrast, Her/Zn-hydrogel-10 exhibited a superior tumor growth-inhibitory capability due to the functionality of Zn. This study demonstrated that this hydrogel has potential as a carrier for the local and systemic delivery of proteins and antibodies. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Recently, novel sustained-release formulations of therapeutic antibodies have attracted much attention. However, these formulations should be able to carry a high antibody load owing to the required high dose, and these formulations remain a challenge for practical use. In this study, a novel injectable chemically cross-linked hydrogel was developed for the subcutaneous delivery of trastuzumab. This novel hydrogel possessed ideal characteristics of loading high content of trastuzumab (>100 mg/mL), sustained release of trastuzumab over several weeks, and maintaining adequate stability of trastuzumab. In vivo studies demonstra...

Biomater Sci. 2017 Mar 28;5(4):730-740. doi: 10.1039/c7bm00042a. Dopamine-assisted fixation of drug-loaded polymeric multilayers to osteoarticular implants for tuberculosis therapy Dan Li, Litao Li, Yunlong Ma, Yaping Zhuang, Dawei Li, Hong Shen, Xing Wang, Fei Yang, Yuanzheng Ma, Decheng Wu Abstract Currently, the major issues in the treatment of osteoarticular tuberculosis (TB) after implant placement are low drug concentration at the infected focus and drug resistance resulting from the long-term chemotherapy. The application of drug-loaded polymeric multilayers on implantable devices offers a promising solution to the problems. Herein, a poly(ethylene glycol)-based hydrogel film embedded with isoniazid (INH)-loaded alginate microparticles was fixed to Ti implants via adhesive polydopamine, subsequently capped by poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) membranes for the sustained and localized delivery of the anti-TB drug. The antibacterial efficacy of the released INH was confirmed by a 4.5 ± 0.8 cm inhibition zone formed in the fourth week after inoculation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The INH-loaded Ti implants showed no toxicity to the osteoblast cell and provided a consistent drug release for nearly one week in vitro. The release profile in vivo showed a high local concentration and low systemic exposure. The local INH concentration could be kept higher than its minimum inhibitory concentration over a period of 8 weeks, which proves that it is a promising strategy to improve the severe osteoarticular TB treatment. Related products Abbreviation: 4-arm PEG-OH Name: 4-arm Poly(ethylene glycol) For more product information, please contact us at: US Tel: 1-844-782-5734 US Tel: 1-844-QUAL-PEG CHN Tel: 400-918-9898 Email: sales@sinopeg.com

Small. 2019 Apr;15(16):e1900110. doi: 10.1002/smll.201900110. Epub 2019 Mar 26. A Cut-and-Weld Process to 3D Architectures from Multiresponsive Crosslinked Liquid Crystalline Polymers Xiaoxiong Zheng, Song Guan, Chen Zhang, Ting Qu, Wei Wen, Yongbin Zhao, Aihua Chen Abstract Crosslinked liquid crystalline polymers (CLCPs) have garnered extensive attention in recent years for their significant values in the design of light-driven soft actuators. However, poor processabilities due to the insoluble and infusible crosslinked networks prevent their practical applications severely. In this study, a weldable azobenzene-containing CLCP is designed with photo- and humidity-responsive actuations, which enables a cut-and-weld process to 3D CLCP architectures. The tensile properties and stability are almost unchanged after welding, much better than those of the films pasted by common adhesive tapes. Meanwhile, the mechanisms of the welding process are clarified on the base of surface hydrogen bonding and further crosslinking. By taking advantage of the cut-and-weld process, a 3D "claw" integrated into a robotic arm is realized for grabbing millimeter-scale objects by remote control. This work enhances significantly not only the processability of CLCP films but also the utilization of leftover pieces, which provides an efficient approach to create functional 3D structures from film precursors for the potential application in the smart materials. Keywords: azobenzene; cut-and-weld; humidity-responsive; liquid crystalline polymers; photoresponsive. Related products Abbreviation: 4-arm PEG-OH Name: 4-arm Poly(ethylene glycol) For more product information, please contact us at: US Tel: 1-844-782-5734 US Tel: 1-844-QUAL-PEG CHN Tel: 400-918-9898 Email: sales@sinopeg.com

ACS Appl Bio Mater. 2019 Jun 17;2(6):2444-2452. doi: 10.1021/acsabm.9b00156. Epub 2019 May 15. Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells Encapsulated in a Hydrogel System via Bioorthogonal Chemistry for Liver Regeneration Yajie Zhang, Yue Zan, Hong Chen, Zhili Wang, Tianyu Ni, Min Liu, Renjun Pei Abstract Liver tissue engineering is going to be an effective treatment for end-stage liver disease. In this work, we distributed bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) into a fast-forming hydrogel system to develop a liver-mimicking construct for liver regeneration. The advantage of this hydrogel system was that this BMSC-encapsulating hydrogel could be formed via a bioorthogonal reaction between 2-cyanobenzothiazole and cysteine within several seconds. Thereafter, we explored the morphology, biocompatibility, and expressions of hepatic differentiation markers of this hydrogel system. These results illustrated that this system could provide a suitable niche for BMSC proliferation and differentiation, which could aid in future biomedical research of liver regeneration. Keywords: BMSC-encapsulating; bioorthogonal reaction; fast-forming hydrogel; liver regeneration; tissue engineering. Related products Abbreviation: 4-arm PEG-NH2 Name: 4-arm Poly(ethylene glycol) amine Abbreviation: 4-arm PEG-CM Name: 4-arm Poly(ethylene glycol) carboxylic acid For more product information, please contact us at: US Tel: 1-844-782-5734 US Tel: 1-844-QUAL-PEG CHN Tel: 400-918-9898 Email: sales@sinopeg.com