Patent Grant
11771805
This is a Sect. 371 National Stage of PCT International Application No. PCT/CN2020/100635, filed on Jul. 7, 2020, which claims the benefit of priority to Chinese Patent Application No. CN 2019107804961, entitled “INJECTABLE IN SITU PORE-FORMING HYDROGEL SYSTEM AND PREPARATION METHOD AND USE THEREOF”, filed with CNIPA on Aug. 22, 2019, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
The present disclosure relates to the field of hydrogel, in particular to a bioactive hydrogel and its preparation method.
Hydrogel has been widely used in the field of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine as a three-dimensional culture and delivery system for live cells due to its bionic structure highly similar to natural extracellular matrices. Compared with traditional tissue engineering scaffold materials, injectable hydrogel systems can transport stem cells to defects under minimally invasive conditions with easy and efficient operation. However, it has been reported that only 1-20% of the stem cells implanted along with hydrogel in the defects can survive in the host. This phenomenon is due to the polymeric network structure of hydrogel, and the polymeric network structure retains a large amount of water and has no interpenetrating porous structure. The lack of interpenetrating porous structures hinders rapid diffusion of nutrients and growth of surrounding blood vessels, and therefore greatly affects the bioactivity and survival status of the loaded cells. The above-mentioned problem has become a major obstacle to applying hydrogel in tissue regeneration.
Hydrogel with a porous structure can be prepared by a traditional template method, freeze-drying method, phase separation method, etc. However, the gel prepared by these methods are all of a preformed scaffold type, which lose the injectability that most gels have, limiting its scope of applications, while some methods require harsh conditions and complicated process, which are unfavorable to live cells and don't allow for pore formation while loading cells. Patent Application No. PCT/US2011/055174 discloses a method of using oxidized alginate microspheres as porogens, in which hydrogel containing both live cells and porogens is injected into the body and the microspheres degrade, leaving vacuolated pores in the gel. This “in situ pore formation” method allows the gel to create a porous structure directly within the injected site, thus making the gel both injectable and porous. However, degradation of the microspheres in this method requires a lengthy infiltration of tissue fluid, which leads to uneven degradation of the microspheres inside the gel and unconnected pores under time-limited conditions. Such uneven degradation is not conducive to the survival of cells deep in the gel and rapid vascularization. This porous gel was also reported to be ineffective in promoting bone regeneration. In addition, there is no other method to prepare porous structures in injectable hydrogel containing live cells.
An injectable in situ pore-forming hydrogel system and preparation method and use thereof are provided.
The present disclosure provides an injectable in situ pore-forming hydrogel system, which uses an injectable hydrogel as a continuous base phase, isolated live cells and magnesium particles are distributed in the continuous base phase, and the injectable hydrogel is a precursor or prepolymer of a hydrogel, which can form the hydrogel by cross-linking.
In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the injectable hydrogel is a precursor or prepolymer of a hydrogel selected from the group consisting of alginate, gelatin, agarose, chitosan, collagen, silk fibroin, cellulose, glucose, hyaluronic acid, chondroitin sulfate, polyvinyl alcohol, polyethylene glycol, and their derivatives.
In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the isolated cells are one or more of mesenchymal stem cells, embryonic stem cells, induced multifunctional cells, and adult cells.
In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the isolated live cells can be obtained by a tissue block adherence method, mechanical separation method, digestion separation method, suspension culture method, flow cytometry sorting method, or immunomagnetic bead sorting method.
In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the concentration of cells in the injectable hydrogel system is 106-107 cells/m L.
In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the average particle size of the magnesium particles is from 20 μm to 100 μm. The maximum particle size of the magnesium particles is 150 μm. The magnesium particles include flake particles, spherical particles obtained by a mechanical grinding method, atomization method, reduction method, electrolysis method, etc. A mass fraction of the magnesium element in the magnesium particles is above 99%. Preferably, the mass fraction of the magnesium element in the magnesium particles is above 99.98%.
In one embodiment of the present disclosure, 0.2 mg to 2.0 mg of magnesium particles are added to one milliliter of the injectable in situ pore-forming hydrogel system.
The present disclosure also discloses a method of preparing an injectable in situ pore-forming hydrogel system as described above, which includes mixing the injectable hydrogel, isolated live cells, and magnesium particles.
The present disclosure also discloses a use of the injectable in situ pore-forming hydrogel system as described above, in preparation of tissue regenerative repair agents.
In one embodiment of the present disclosure, in use, the injectable in situ pore-forming hydrogel system is cross-linked at a tissue regenerative repair site to form a porous hydrogel.
In one embodiment of the present disclosure, a method of crosslinking the hydrogel is one of chemical crosslinking, physical crosslinking, and chemical-physical mixed crosslinking.
In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the method of crosslinking is one or more of ionic crosslinking, temperature control, acid-base reaction, photoinitiation, and polymerization reaction. Specifically, ionic crosslinking means using an aqueous solution containing one of calcium ions, zinc ions, strontium ions, divalent iron ions, tripolyphosphate ions, sulfate ions, citrate ions as the crosslinking agent; temperature control means cooling by a deionized water bath with a temperature of 4-25° C. or heating by a deionized water bath with a temperature of 37° C.; acid-base reaction means using hydrochloric acid or sodium hydroxide aqueous solution as the crosslinking agent; photoinitiation means using UV light with a wavelength greater than 300 nm to initiate the crosslinking reaction, or with the aid of 1-[4-(2-hydroxyethoxy)-phenyl]-2-hydroxy-2-methylacetone (Irgacure 2959) or 2,2-dimethoxy-2-phenylacetophenone (Irgacure 651) as a photoinitiator; polymerization reaction means using one of glyoxal, polyacrylic acid, polyethylene glycol, oxalic acid, 8-glycerol phosphate, genipin, and water-soluble carbodiimide as the cross-linking agent.
In one embodiment of the present disclosure, a duration of the cross-linking is from 10 s to 30 min. This duration coincides with an operable time of the tissue to be repaired, allowing the injectable in situ pore-forming hydrogel system of the present disclosure to be used as a repair agent for the tissue.
In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the injectable in situ pore-forming hydrogel system has a modulus of elasticity of 0.1 kPa to 100 kPa and a water content of more than 80 wt % after crosslinking and reaching a swelling equilibrium.
In one embodiment of the present disclosure, an average diameter of pore structures formed after cross-linking of the injectable in-situ pore-forming hydrogel system is from 100 μm to 300 μm and/or a maximum diameter of the pore structures is 500 μm.
In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the porous hydrogel has a porosity of not less than 50%. Preferably, the porosity of the porous hydrogel is from 50% to 80%.
The above technical solution of the present disclosure solves the difficulties of preparing porous structures in injectable hydrogel that encapsulates live cells, and proposes to add magnesium particles to the hydrogel, using hydrogen gas foaming produced by degradation of magnesium particles in contact with water to make pores, with the gas forming around the magnesium particles, gradually expanding and fusing with each other, and finally breaking through the gel's confinement and escaping, leaving porous structures in the gel that are interconnected and connected to the outside. This method is feasible and universal in hydrogel, which usually has a high water content, and the reaction is mild, requires no additional conditions, and is friendly to live cells. In addition, the magnesium ions generated from the degradation of the magnesium particles help cell proliferation and differentiation, and promote osteogenesis and vascularization, making the hydrogel bioactive at the same time.
The above technical solution of the present disclosure has the following beneficial effects:
The following describes the implementation of the present disclosure through specific examples, and those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present disclosure from the content disclosed in this specification.
Before further describing specific embodiments of the present disclosure, it should be understood that the scope of protection of the present disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments described below; it should also be understood that the terms used in the embodiments of the present disclosure are intended to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present disclosure. Testing conditions not indicated in the following embodiments are generally in accordance with conventional conditions, or in accordance with the conditions recommended by the respective manufacturer.
When a range of values is given in the embodiments, it is to be understood that both endpoints of each range of values, and any of the values between the two endpoints, may be chosen unless otherwise stated in the present disclosure. Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used in the present disclosure have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the art. In addition to the specific methods, apparatus, and materials used in the embodiments, any method, apparatus, and material of the prior art similar to or equivalent to the methods, apparatus, and materials described in the embodiments of the present disclosure may be used to implement the present disclosure according to the mastery of the prior art and the documentation of the present disclosure by a person skilled in the art.
This embodiment concerns the preparation and characterization of a porous injectable hydrogel system formed by pore formation of magnesium particles.
Step 1, Use Magnesium Particles as a Pore-Forming Agent to Prepare Porous Injectable Hydrogel
Preparation of type I rat tail collagen: prepare 300 μL×3 mg/mL of the collagen, 50 μL 10×PBS, 81 μL dH2O, and 69 μL×0.1 mol/L NaOH solution, add magnesium particles, then mix, and leave at room temperature to form the gel.
The corresponding experimental result is shown in
Warm up 15% (w/v) gelatin solution to 37° C. in a water bath, mix it with magnesium particles, and cool the mixture down to 25° C. (room temperature) to form gels.
The corresponding experimental result is shown in
Prepare 8% (w/v) silk fibroin solution, 0.5 wt % H2O2 solution, and 1 kU horseradish peroxidase at a volume ratio of 1000:20:20, add magnesium particles and mix, and leave to gel at 37° C. for 5-10 min.
The corresponding experimental result is shown in
Prepare 15% (w/v) gelatin solution and 4% (w/v) sodium alginate solution using 0.5% (w/v) NaCl solution as the solvent. Mix the 15% gelatin solution, the 4% sodium alginate solution, and 1 mg/mL alizarin red solution at a volume ratio of 3:2:1, add magnesium particles and mix, pour the resultant solution into a cylindrical mold, and perform cross-linking with 0.1 mol/L CaCl2 solution. The gel was demolded and observed with a stereomicroscope and x-ray films were taken.
The corresponding experimental result is shown in
Step 2: Optimization of Parameters Using Magnesium Particles as Pore-Forming Agent
Equal amounts of ground chip magnesium particles with a particle size of 100 μm, and atomized spherical magnesium particles with particle sizes of 20 μm, 50 μm, and 100 μm were added into the gelatin-sodium alginate solution prepared in step 1, respectively, and molds and gelling method were the same as in step 1. MicroCT scan and reconstruction were performed after gel demoulding.
The corresponding experimental result is shown in
Add the atomized spherical magnesium particles with a particle size of 20 μm into the gelatin-sodium alginate mixture in step 1 at 0.2, 1.0, and 2.0 mg/mL, respectively, and add no magnesium particles to the control group, using same molds and gelling method as in step 1. Place the gel in liquid nitrogen for 30 min for rapid freezing after demolding, take the gel out, and evacuate the gel in a freeze dryer for 4 h, after a dried sample is obtained, spray the gel with gold, and characterize the sample with field emission scanning electron microscopy, scanning 50× and 100× field of view.
The corresponding experimental result is shown in
In this embodiment, a porous hydrogel with pores made of magnesium particles was used to improve cell survival rate.
Step 1, Porous Hydrogel is Prepared Using Magnesium Particles as a Pore-Forming Agent to Improve Cell Survival In Vitro
Prepare 15% gelatin solution and 4% sodium alginate solution. Mix 15% gelatin solution, 4% sodium alginate solution and 3T3-L1 cell suspension at a volume ratio of 3:2:1, with a final cell concentration of 106-107/m L. The experimental group was added with magnesium particles for mixing, and the control group was added with no magnesium particles, the gels were cross-linked in 0.1 mol/L CaCl2 solution, with a volume of 150 μL per sample. The cells were cultured in vitro for 1, 3 and 7 days, stained with live-dead double staining kit, and the number of green and red cells were observed by fluorescence microscopy.
The corresponding experimental result is shown in
Step 2: Porous Injectable Hydrogel is Prepared Using Magnesium Particles as a Pore-Forming Agent to Improve Cell Survival In Vivo
Construct LV-EF1A>Luciferase-CMV>EGFP/T2A/Puro lentiviral vector and transfect 3T3-L1 cells with the vector. Perform fluorescence microscopy to observe the expression of green fluorescent protein to detect the efficiency of cell transfection. Amplify Luciferase and GFP double-labeled cells. Prepare 15% gelatin solution and 4% sodium alginate solution. Mix 15% gelatin solution, 4% sodium alginate solution and the above cell suspension at a volume ratio of 3:2:1, with a final cell concentration of 106-107/mL. The experimental group was added with magnesium particles for mixing, and the control group was added with no magnesium particles, the gels were cross-linked in 0.1 mol/L CaCl2 solution, with a volume of 150 μL per sample. The above cell-containing gel samples were implanted subcutaneously on the back of nude mice; and at the 3rd day and the 10th day, fluorescein potassium salt was injected intraperitoneally into each nude mouse at 150 mg/kg, 15 min later the nude mice were anesthetized by injection, and then fluorescence intensity was analyzed by in vivo imaging.
The corresponding experimental result is shown in
Use of porous injectable hydrogel with pores made of magnesium particles to promote ingrowth of blood vessels and tissues.
Mix 15% gelatin solution, 4% sodium alginate solution, and 0.5% NaCl solution at a volume ratio of 3:2:1. The experimental group was added with magnesium particles for mixing, the control group was added with no magnesium particles; subcutaneously inject the gel into the back of eight-week-old male SD rats, 200 μL of each sample. The gels were cross-linked with 0.1 mol/L CaCl2 solution after injection, and saline was used for rinsing and washing for three times. Perform cannulation and Microfil vascular perfusion for descending aortic. Samples were taken, fixed, and scanned with MicroCT, and 3D reconstruction was performed to analyze the amount of vessels. Samples were paraffin-embedded after scanning, sectioned, HE stained, and statistically analyzed for tissue ingrowth.
The corresponding experimental result is shown in
Stem cells encapsulated in porous hydrogel with pores made of magnesium particles are used to promote vascularized bone regeneration.
Step 1. Isolation and Culture of Rat Bone Marrow Stem Cells (rBMSCs)
4-week-old SD rats were sacrificed by cervical dislocation, bilateral femurs and tibias were separated under aseptic conditions, and bilateral metaphysis were cut off; bone marrow cavities were repeatedly rinsed with DMEM culture medium, and the rinsate was collected and centrifuged at 1000 rpm for 15 min at room temperature, and the supernatant is discarded; then the cells were resuspended and incubated on plates.
Step 2: Preparation of Gel Containing rBMSCs
15% gelatin solution, 4% sodium alginate solution and 2-4 generations of rBMSCs cell suspension were mixed at a volume ratio of 3:2:1, and the final concentration of cells was 106-107/m L.
Step 3: Preparation and Repair of Bone Defect Model
A cylindrical defect with a diameter of 2.5 mm and a depth of 3 mm was created on the medial side of the distal femur of eight-week-old male SD rats after anesthesia. In the experimental group, magnesium particles were added to the gel-cell mixture, and in the control group, no magnesium particles were added. The defects were injected with the gel-cell mixture, 30 μL of each sample. The gels were cross-linked with 0.1 mol/L CaCl2 solution after injection. Saline were used for rinsing lightly. A blank control group was provided. After 3 weeks, the rats were sacrificed. Samples were taken and fixed, and the new bones were analyzed by MicroCT scanning and 3D reconstruction.
The corresponding experimental result is shown in
In situ pore-forming using magnesium particles in a hydrogel encapsulating stem cells to improve defect repair.
Step 1. Isolation and Culture of Rat Bone Marrow Stem Cells (rBMSCs)
4-week-old SD rats were sacrificed by cervical dislocation, bilateral femurs and tibias were separated under aseptic conditions, and bilateral metaphysis were cut off; bone marrow cavities were repeatedly rinsed with DMEM culture medium, and the rinsate was collected and centrifuged at 1000 rpm for 15 min at room temperature, and the supernatant was discarded; then the cells was resuspended and incubated on plates.
Step 2: Preparation of Injectable Gel Containing Magnesium Particles
15% gelatin solution, 4% sodium alginate solution, 2-4 generations of rBMSCs cell suspension or saline were mixed at a volume ratio of 3:2:1, the final concentration of cells was 106-107/m L, and the concentration of added magnesium particles was 1.0 mg/mL.
Step 3: Preparation and Repair of Bone Defect Model
In eight-week-old male SD rats, circular defects with a diameter of 2.5 mm and a depth of 1 mm were created on the proximal medial side of tibia after anesthesia. The experimental group is a gel-cell mixture containing magnesium particles, and the control group is gel containing magnesium particles without stem cells. The defects were injected with the gel-cell mixture, 20 μL of each, the gels were cross-linked in 0.1 mol/L CaCl2 solution after injection, and then saline were used for rinsing lightly. After 2 weeks, the rats were sacrificed, samples were taken and fixed, and the new bones were analyzed by MicroCT scanning and 3D reconstruction. The samples were paraffin-embedded, sectioned, HE stained, and statistically analyzed for new bone growth.
The corresponding experimental result is shown in
In summary, the present disclosure is based on the principle of degradation and gas production of magnesium particles to prepare a live-cell-loaded, injectable, in situ pore-forming, bioactive hydrogel, and the in vitro and in vivo survival rates of the cells encapsulated in the gel were examined; and the effect of the gel on promoting tissue regeneration and repair was tested in a rat bone defect model. The results show that the internal porous structures of the gel formed by the degradation of magnesium particles can facilitate the infiltration of oxygen and nutrients, and improve the survival rate of stem cells; at the same time, the porous structures are also conducive to inducing the rapid growth of external tissue vessels, accelerating the vascularization process; in addition, the magnesium ions generated by the degradation of magnesium particles in vivo act on stem cells, promoting the proliferation and differentiation of osteogenic cells, accelerating the formation of new bone and promoting the repair of bone defects.
The above-mentioned embodiments only exemplarily illustrate the principles and effects of the present disclosure, but are not used to limit the present disclosure. Any person skilled in the art may modify or change the above embodiments without violating the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, all equivalent modifications or changes made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and technical concepts disclosed by the present disclosure should still be covered by the attached claims of the present disclosure.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 201910780496.1 | Aug 2019 | CN | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/CN2020/100635 | 7/7/2020 | WO |
| Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| WO2021/031726 | 2/25/2021 | WO | A |
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20190015553 | Lee et al. | Jan 2019 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 102552986 | Jul 2012 | CN |
| 103237565 | Aug 2013 | CN |
| 107964105 | Apr 2018 | CN |
| 110478532 | Nov 2019 | CN |
| WO-2019046834 | Mar 2019 | WO |
| Entry |
|---|
| Tang et al. “In situ gas foaming based on magnesium particle degradation: A novel approach to fabricate injectable macroporous hydrogels”, Biomaterials, vol. 232, Dec. 2019, 119727. (Year: 2019). |
| Kim et al. “Mesenchymal stem cells differentiation in porous alginate hydrogels constructed with magnesium oxide as porogen”, Korean Polymer Society Conference Abstracts, 2015, 1PS-293. (Year: 2015). |
| Translation of Kim et al. “Mesenchymal stem cells differentiation in porous alginate hydrogels constructed with magnesium oxide as porogen”, Korean Polymer Society Conference Abstracts, 2015, 1PS-293. (Year: 2015). |
| Tang, Yanmei, “In situ gas foaming based on magnesium particle degradation: A novel approach to fabricate injectable macroporous hydrogels”, «Biomaterials» , vol. 232, Dec. 24, 2019, Netherlands ISSN:0142-9612, sections 2-3. |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20220339320 A1 | Oct 2022 | US |
