1 research outputs found
Development of Thiol–Ene Reaction-Based HA Hydrogel with Sustained Release of EGF for Enhanced Skin Wound Healing
This study develops a novel drug delivery system using
a hyaluronic
acid (HA) hydrogel for controlled release of epidermal growth factor
(EGF) to enhance skin wound healing. Conventional hydrogel-based methods
suffer from a burst release and limited drug delivery times. To address
this, we employ bioconjugation to introduce an acrylate group to EGF,
enabling chemical bonding to the HA hydrogel matrix through thiol–ene
cross-linking. This approach results in sustained-release delivery
of EGF based on the degradation rate of the HA matrix, overcoming
diffusion-based limitations. We confirm the introduction of the acrylate
group using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization–time-of-flight
(MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry. We evaluated the hydrogel morphology
and rheological properties following binding of acrylate-conjugated
EGF to the HA matrix. Assessment of the EGF release profile demonstrates
delayed release compared to unconjugated EGF. We evaluate the impact
on cells through cell proliferation and scratch assays, indicating
the system’s efficacy. In a rat wound healing model, the sustained
release of EGF from the hydrogel system promotes appropriate tissue
healing and restores it to a normal state. These findings suggest
that this practical drug delivery system, involving the modification
of growth factors or drugs to chemically bind healing factors to hydrogels,
can achieve long-lasting effects