Molecular design of an ultra-strong tissue adhesive hydrogel with tunable multifunctionality

Yuting Zheng; Avijit Baidya; Nasim Annabi

Bioactive Materials (Nov 2023)

Molecular design of an ultra-strong tissue adhesive hydrogel with tunable multifunctionality

Yuting Zheng,
Avijit Baidya,
Nasim Annabi

Affiliations

Yuting Zheng: Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, United States
Avijit Baidya: Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, United States
Nasim Annabi: Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, United States; Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, United States; Corresponding author. Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, United States.

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 29
pp. 214 – 229

Abstract

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Designing adhesive hydrogels with optimal properties for the treatment of injured tissues is challenging due to the tradeoff between material stiffness and toughness while maintaining adherence to wet tissue surfaces. In most cases, bioadhesives with improved mechanical strength often lack an appropriate elastic compliance, hindering their application for sealing soft, elastic, and dynamic tissues. Here, we present a novel strategy for engineering tissue adhesives in which molecular building blocks are manipulated to allow for precise control and optimization of the various aforementioned properties without any tradeoffs. To introduce tunable mechanical properties and robust tissue adhesion, the hydrogel network presents different modes of covalent and noncovalent interactions using N-hydroxysuccinimide ester (NHS) conjugated alginate (Alg-NHS), poly (ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA), tannic acid (TA), and Fe3+ ions. Through combining and tuning different molecular interactions and a variety of crosslinking mechanisms, we were able to design an extremely elastic (924%) and tough (4697 kJ/m3) multifunctional hydrogel that could quickly adhere to wet tissue surfaces within 5 s of gentle pressing and deform to support physiological tissue function over time under wet conditions. While Alg-NHS provides covalent bonding with the tissue surfaces, the catechol moieties of TA molecules synergistically adopt a mussel-inspired adhesive mechanism to establish robust adherence to the wet tissue. The strong adhesion of the engineered bioadhesive patch is showcased by its application to rabbit conjunctiva and porcine cornea. Meanwhile, the engineered bioadhesive demonstrated painless detachable characteristics and in vitro biocompatibility. Additionally, due to the molecular interactions between TA and Fe3+, antioxidant and antibacterial properties required to support the wound healing pathways were also highlighted. Overall, by tuning various molecular interactions, we were able to develop a single-hydrogel platform with an “all-in-one” multifunctionality that can address current challenges of engineering hydrogel-based bioadhesives for tissue repair and sealing.

Published in Bioactive Materials

ISSN: 2452-199X (Online)
Publisher: KeAi Communications Co., Ltd.
Country of publisher: China
LCC subjects: Technology: Electrical engineering. Electronics. Nuclear engineering: Materials of engineering and construction. Mechanics of materials; Science: Biology (General)
Website: https://www.keaipublishing.com/en/journals/bioactive-materials/

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