New Hybrid Hydrogel Platform to Treat Inflammatory Diseases
New Hybrid Hydrogel Platform to Treat Inflammatory Diseases
  • Reporter Lee Ji-hwan
  • 승인 2021.09.06 00:13
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▲Medical treatment for rheumatoid arthritis through the use of hybrid hydrogel
▲Medical treatment for rheumatoid arthritis through the use of hybrid hydrogel

 

The research team led by Professor Won Jong Kim of the Department of Chemistry (CHEM) and Kim Tae-jeong (CHEM Ph.D. candidate) cooperated with OmniaMed Co., Ltd. to develop an injectable hybrid hydrogel platform that delivers therapeutic drugs to the sites of rheumatoid arthritis. The platform simultaneously removes nitric oxide (NO), the main cause of inflammation, through localized reactions without any side effects. This research was published in the inside back cover of the 34th issue Advanced Materials Volume 33.
Inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis produce excessive nitric oxide which upregulates the inflammatory immune system to aggravate symptoms. Selectively capturing overproduced NO is the key to removing inflammation, but previously developed hybrid hydrogels could not be applied to local sites or spread to other parts of the body.
NO within the normal concentration range is essential for the human body, so removing the gas from noninflammatory body parts could bring side effects. The research team developed a hydrogel that can easily be injected directly into inflammatory sites while remaining at the site. It is also possible to control the amount of anti-inflammatory agents depending on the degree of inflammation. The hydrogel was developed by cross-linking an injectable liquid with anti-inflammatory agents carrying self-assembled polymeric aggregates. Even when the hydrogel is damaged by external pressure, these nanometer-sized self-assembled polymer aggregates allow the hydrogel to heal and aid viscosity at the joints. The research team conducted tests on cells and animals to confirm its efficacy. Furthermore, they identified that it had a greater effect when the hydrogel is injected with Dexamethasone, an anti-inflammatory drug.
Prof. Kim said, “This newly developed hydrogel is an innovative substance that reacts and removes NO produced by inflammatory diseases like rheumatism while delivering the drug.” He continued by stating, “hydrogel system has the potential to be used as a treatment in the current market or clinical trials as it can be used to treat various inflammatory diseases with simple manufacturing processes.”
This research was funded by the National Research Foundation of Korea.