Article ID Journal Published Year Pages File Type
11808 Biomaterials 2006 8 Pages PDF
Abstract

Degradable hydrogels are useful vehicles for the delivery of growth factors to promote the regeneration of diseased or damaged tissue. In the central nervous system, there are many instances where the delivery of neurotrophins has great potential in tissue repair, especially for treatment of spinal cord injury. In this work, hydrogels based on poly(ethylene glycol) that form via a photoinitiated polymerization were investigated for the delivery of neurotrophins. The release kinetics of these factors are controlled by changes in the network crosslinking density, which influences neurotrophin diffusion and subsequent release from the gels with total release times ranging from weeks to several months. The release and activity of one neurotrophic factor, ciliary-neurotrophic factor (CNTF), was assessed with a cell-based proliferation assay and an assay for neurite outgrowth from retinal explants. CNTF released from a degradable hydrogel above an explanted retina was able to stimulate outgrowth of a significantly higher number of neurites than controls without CNTF. Finally, unique microsphere/hydrogel composites were developed to simultaneously deliver multiple neurotrophins with individual release rates.

Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering Chemical Engineering Bioengineering
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