Bacterial beta-lactamase responsive hydrogels
AssigneeBrown University
InventorsAnita Shukla, Dahlia Alkekhia, Akram Abbasi
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Abstract
The invention provides a “host-guest” supramolecular hydrogel. The hydrogel contains an AAm/NVP interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) with supramolecular cross-linkers assembled from β-lactam/adamantane-containing guest molecule with host polymeric cyclodextrin (PCD). An advantage of this hydrogel is that because of the molecular association of polymeric cyclodextrin and adamantane, the supramolecular hydrogels self-heal without any external stimuli after the hydrogels are severed. The invention also provides methods of making the hydrogel, methods of making the synthesis intermediates, and methods of diagnosis or treatment of β-lactamase-containing bacteria.
Claims9
A B-lactamase responsive hydrogel that releases an antibiotic in the presence of a B-lactamase producing bacteria, the hydrogel comprising:
- (a) cross-linkers that are cross-linking a polymer, the crosslinkers including one or more molecules each comprising one or more β-lactams;
- (b) nanoparticles encapsulated in the polymer and held encapsulated therein by the cross-linking;
- (c) an antibiotic inside the nanoparticles;
- wherein the hydrogel exhibits a B-lactamase-responsive degradation when contacted by the B-lactamase producing bacteria;
- wherein the hydrogel does not degrade or is stable when contacted by a non-β-lactamase-producing bacteria;
- wherein the nanoparticles are released from the hydrogel upon said β-lactamase-responsive degradation;
- and upon the release of the nanoparticles, the nanoparticles are capable of releasing the antibiotic.
A method of fabricating a β-lactamase responsive hydrogel that releases an antibiotic in the presence of a β-lactamase producing bacteria, the method comprising the step of combining a polymer with a cross-linker comprising β-lactam containing molecules, wherein the β-lactam containing molecules form cross-links between the host polymer;
- and
- providing one or more nanoparticles during said forming of cross-links, each of the one or more nanoparticles including an antibiotic, whereby each of the one or more nanoparticles are encapsulated in cross-linked polymer;
- wherein the hydrogel is operative to release the nanoparticles upon a 13 lactamase-responsive degradation of the hydrogel;
- and
- wherein the hydrogel is operative to retain the nanoparticles embedded therein when contacted by a non-S-lactamase-producing bacteria.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.