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US 11,998,658 B2Granted
Injectable porous hydrogels
AssigneeUniversity of New Hampshire
InventorKyung Jae Jeong
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Injectable macroporous hydrogels, and methods of producing same, are described. The injectable macroporous hydrogels may be formed by mixing gelatin microgels with an enzyme. In at least some embodiments, the enzyme may be transglutaminase, and more specifically microbial transglutaminase (mTG).
Claims20
A method for producing a porous hydrogel, the method comprising:
- preparing gelatin/gelatin methacrylate (GelMA) microgels comprising gelatin and GelMA, wherein the gelatin/GelMA microgels have an average diameter between 130 μm and 250 μm when in a hydrated state;
- preparing a microgel solution comprising the gelatin/GelMA microgels, cross-linking enzyme comprising transglutaminase, and photoinitiator present at a concentration range of 0.001% to 0.1% (w/v) to minimize cytotoxic effects on live cells;
- and
- curing the microgel solution by contacting the gelatin/GelMA microgels with ultraviolet (UV) light for a time effective for the photoinitiator to activate cross-linking of the gelatin/GelMA microgels, to produce a porous hydrogel having a porosity sufficient for cell migration and proliferation in the interstitial space of the porous hydrogel.
1 more element
A microgel solution, comprising:
- (a) gelatin/gelatin methacrylate (GelMA) microgels comprising gelatin and GelMA, wherein the gelatin/GelMA microgels have an average diameter between 130 μm and 250 μm, the average diameter of the microgels being sufficient to create an interstitial space in a resulting hydrogel of sufficient porosity for cell migration and proliferation;
- (b) cross-linking enzyme comprising transglutaminase;
- and
- (c) photoinitiator present at a concentration range of 0.001% to 0.1% (w/v) to minimize cytotoxic effects on live cells.
1 more element
A method of delivering one or more live cells into a subject, the method comprising:
- (a) preparing a microgel solution comprising:
- gelatin/gelatin methacrylate (GelMA) microgels comprising gelatin and GelMA, wherein the gelatin/GelMA microgels have an average diameter between 130 μm and 250 μm,
- (ii) cross-linking enzyme comprising transglutaminase,
- (iii) photoinitiator present at a concentration range of 0.001% to 0.1% (w/v) to minimize cytotoxic effects on live cells, and
- (iv) one or more live cells;
- (b) administering the microgel solution to a target in a subject where the one or more live cells are intended to be delivered to the subject;
- and
- (c) curing the microgel solution by contacting the gelatin/GelMA microgels with ultraviolet (UV) light for a time effective for the photoinitiator to activate cross-linking of the gelatin/GelMA microgels, to produce a porous hydrogel that is adhered by transglutaminase cross-linking to the target and having a porosity sufficient for cell migration and proliferation of the one or more live cells in the interstitial space of the porous hydrogel.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.