Shear-Thinning Hydrogels

Background:

While hydrogels hold great promise in applications such as drug delivery and tissue engineering, their fast gelation kinetics restrict their use in injectable applications such as the delivery of cells (i.e. cell therapy).  Their lack of shear-thinning properties results in high shear forces that leads to cell death due to mechanical disruption of the cell membrane.  Further, hydrogels derived from photo-reactive polymers often require the use of photoinitiators and doses of UV radiation, both of which are toxic to cells.

Technology Overview

The injectable hydrogels of this invention possess desirable shear-thinning properties.  Specifically, they comprise dynamic host-guest linkages that dissipate forces to protect cells during injection and then reform said linkages once stresses are relieved.  Further, these hydrogels are both highly tunable and suitable for use as scaffolds for 3D bioprinting.  The chemistry also enables incorporation of cues (i.e. biological signals) to promote desirable cell function(s) (e.g. infiltration, attachment, survival, proliferation, migration, and/or differentiation).  In one example, these hydrogels were used to deliver myelin-forming cells (i.e. oligodendrocytes, neural crest derived Schwann cells) to the brain of shiverer mice to promote myelation.

Advantages:

• Biocompatible
• Do not require use of cytotoxic agents or conditions
• Highly tunable mechanical properties (i.e. stiffness)
• Shear-thinning
• Self-healing

Applications:

• Cell therapy (various, including treatment of central and peripheral nerve injuries)
• 3D printing of tissue constructs

Intellectual Property Summary:

PCT Patent Application WO2023034299 filed August 30, 2022; US Patent Application 18/687,947 filed February 29, 2024

Stage of Development:

Preclinical

Licensing Status:

Available for licensing or collaboration.