Nanostructured gels capable of controlled release of entrapped agents
AssigneesThe Brigham and Women's Hospital, Inc., Massachusetts Institute of Technology
InventorsJeffrey M. Karp, Praveen Kumar Vemula, Nathaniel R. Campbell, Abdullah M. Syed, Sufeng Zhang, Omid C. Farokhzad, Robert S. Langer
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Abstract
Self-assembled gel compositions including a gelator, e.g., an enzyme-cleavable gelator, e.g., having a molecular weight of 2500 or less, are described. The self-assembled gel compositions can encapsulate one or more agents. Methods of making the self-assembled gel compositions, and methods of drug delivery using the self-assembled gel compositions are also described.
Claims34
A self-assembled gel composition comprising a generally recognized as safe (GRAS) gelator having a molecular weight of 2500 or less, and
- one or more agents for delivery from the gel composition;
- wherein the GRAS gelator and one or more solvents self-assemble into a gel comprising nanostructures comprising lamellar structures, fibers, sheet-like structures, tape-like structures, nanoparticles, or combinations thereof, each comprising the GRAS gelator;
- wherein the one or more agents are at least partially encapsulated or entrapped by the nanostructures.
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18-19. (canceled)
24-26. (canceled)
A method of forming a self-assembled gel composition, the method comprising:
- combining a generally recognized as safe (GRAS) gelator having a molecular weight of 2500 or less and a solvent to form a mixture;
- heating or sonicating the mixture;
- stirring or shaking the mixture for a time sufficient to form a homogeneous solution;
- and
- cooling the homogenous solution for a time sufficient to enable the formation of a self-assembled gel composition comprising nanostructures comprising lamellar structures, fibers, sheet-like structures, tape-like structures, nanoparticles, or combinations thereof which each comprise the GRAS gelator.
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Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.