Click-crosslinked injectable hyaluronic acid hydrogel is safe and biocompatible in the intrathecal space for ultimate use in regenerative strategies of the injured spinal cord

Traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) causes damage and degeneration at and around the lesion site resulting in a loss of function. SCI presents a complex regenerative problem due to the multiple aspects of growth inhibition and the heterogeneity in size, shape and extent of injury. Currently, there is no widely accepted treatment strategy available and delivering biomolecules to the central nervous system remains a challenge. With a view towards achieving local release, we designed a hydrogel that can be injected into the intrathecal space. Here we describe the synthesis and characterization of a click-crosslinked hyaluronic acid hydrogel and demonstrate controlled in vitro release of bioactive brain derived neurotrophic factor. Importantly, we demonstrate that this new hydrogel is both biocompatible in the intrathecal space based on immunohistochemistry of the host tissue response and safe based on behavioral analysis of locomotor function.