Oommen P. Varghese

Bone reservoir: Injectable hyaluronic acid hydrogel for minimal invasive bone augmentation

A strategy has been designed to develop hyaluronic acid (HA) hydrogel for in vivo bone augmentation using minimal invasive technique. A mild synthetic procedure was developed to prepare aldehyde modified HA by incorporating an amino-glycerol side chain via amidation reaction and selective oxidation of the pendent group. This modification, upon mixing with hydrazide modified HA formed hydrazone-crosslinked hydrogel within 30s that was stable at physiological pH. In vitro experiments showed no cytotoxicity of hydrogel with the controlled release of active bone morphogenic protein-2 (BMP-2). In vivo evaluation of this gel as a BMP-2 carrier was performed by injecting gels over the rat calvarium and showed bone formation in 8 weeks in correlation with the amount of BMP-2 loaded (0, 1 and 30μg) within the gel. Furthermore, hydrogels with 30μg of BMP-2 induced less bone formation upon subcutaneous injection in comparison with subperiosteal implantation. Histological examination showed newly formed bone with a high expression of osteocalcin, osteopontin and with angiogenic bone marrow when higher BMP-2 concentration was employed. Our result suggests that novel HA hydrogels could be used as a BMP-2 carrier and can promote bone augmentation for potential orthopedic applications.

In Situ Cross-Linkable High Molecular Weight Hyaluronan−Bisphosphonate Conjugate for Localized Delivery and Cell-Specific Targeting: A Hydrogel Linked Prodrug Approach

We present here a novel synthesis route to functionalize high molecular weight hyaluronan (HMW-HA) with a hydrazide group and a bioactive ligand, namely bisphosphonate (BP). For this purpose, a new symmetrical self-immolative biscarbazate linker has been devised. The hydrazide group was used to form hydrazone cross-linked hydrogel upon treating with previously described aldehyde modified hyaluronan. The 1:1 weight ratio of these two polymers gave hydrogel in less than 30 s. In this communication we present the first in vitro results showing that even though HA can target CD44 positive cancer cells (HCT-116), receptor mediated endocytosis could only occur by cleavage of high molecular weight HA with an ubiquitous enzyme, hyaluronidase (Hase). The cancer cells are known to overexpress CD44 receptors and also increase the hyaluronidase activity in vivo. Thus the pro-drug design, based on drug conjugation to HMW-HA, represents a new drug delivery platform where the drug potency is triggered by Hase mediated degradation of the HA-drug conjugate. We have successfully demonstrated that the cross-linkable HA-BP conjugate first undergoes Hase-mediated scission to the fragments of suitable sizes so as to be internalized by CD44 positive cells. The specificity of this targeting was proven by comparing the results with less CD44 positive HEK-293T cells. The localized delivery of such drugs at the surgical resection site opens up avenues to control tumor recurrence after removal of the tumor. In the form of hydrogel it would prevent systemic exposure of the drug and would allow its controlled release.

Functionalization of Hyaluronic Acid with Chemoselective Groups via a Disulfide-Based Protection Strategy for In Situ Formation of Mechanically Stable Hydrogels

Functionalization of hyaluronic acid (HA) with chemoselective groups enables in situ (in vivo) formation of HA-based materials in minimally invasive injectable manner. Current methods of HA modification with such groups primarily rely on the use of a large excess of a reagent to introduce a unique reactive handle into HA and, therefore, are difficult to control. We have developed the new protective group strategy based on initial mild cleavage of a disulfide bond followed by elimination of the generated 2-thioethoxycarbonyl moiety ultimately affording free amine-type functionality, such as hydrazide, aminooxy, and carbazate. Specifically, new modifying homobifunctional reagents have been synthesized that contain a new divalent disulfide-based protecting group. Amidation of HA with these reagents gives rise to either one-end coupling product or to intra/intermolecular cross-linking of the HA chains. However, after subsequent treatment of the amidation reaction mixture with dithiothreitol (DTT), these cross-linkages are cleaved, ultimately exposing free amine-type groups. The same methodology was applied to graft serine residues to the HA backbone, which were subsequently oxidized into aldehyde groups. The strategy therefore encompasses a new approach for mild and highly controlled functionalization of HA with both nucleophilic and electrophilic chemoselective functionalities with the emphasis for the subsequent conjugation and in situ cross-linking. A series of new hydrogel materials were prepared by mixing the new HA-aldehyde derivative with different HA-nucleophile counterparts. Rheological properties of the formed hydrogels were determined and related to the structural characteristics of the gel networks. Human dermal fibroblasts remained viable while cultured with the hydrogels for 3 days, with no sign of cytotoxicity, suggesting that the gels described in this study are candidates for use as growth factors delivery vehicles for tissue engineering applications.

Modular approach to functional hyaluronic acid hydrogels using orthogonal chemical reactions

A modular approach for the synthesis of hyaluronic acid hydrogels using orthogonal chemoselective reactions for subsequent enzymatic decomposition to nanoparticles is described.

Critical assessment of rhBMP-2 mediated bone induction: An in vitro and in vivo evaluation

Understanding the influence of formulation and storage conditions on rhBMP-2 bioactivity is extremely important for its clinical application. Reports in the literature show that different research groups employ different parameters such as formulation conditions, storage, doses for in vivo applications etc. that makes it difficult to correlate results from different experiments. We therefore decided to rationalize these anomalies by performing a basic study on such parameters using two commercially available BMPs. Our in vitro experiments suggest that BMPs from different sources have significant differences in their bioactivity. The clinically approved rhBMP-2 (InductOs®; BMP-P) showed superior stability, compared to rhBMP-2 from R&D Systems (BMP-R) at physiological pH (determined by ALP assay). This BMP-P also showed lower binding to polypropylene Eppendorf tube. The BMP-R almost lost its bioactivity within 30 min at physiological pH and also shows more adhesion to plastic surfaces. This aggregation behavior was unequivocally ascertained by performing light scattering studies of the two BMPs, which revealed linear aggregation with time for BMP-R unlike BMP-P. The in vitro results were also reflected in the in vivo experiments, in a rat ectopic model with injectable hyaluronic acid (HA) hydrogel as BMP carrier. After 7 weeks post-implantation we observed larger bone volume with oriented collagen in the BMP-P group but a smaller bone with disoriented collagen in the BMP-R case. Our results highlight the large difference in activity between seemingly identical substances and also the importance of proper handling of such sensitive proteins.

PLGA/PEG‐hydrogel composite scaffolds with controllable mechanical properties

Biodegradable polymer scaffolds have great potential for regenerative medicine applications such as the repair of musculoskeletal tissues. Here, we describe the development of scaffolds that blend hydrogel components with thermoplastic materials, combining the unique properties of both components to create mouldable formulations. This study focuses on the structural and mechanical properties of the composite scaffolds, produced by combining temperature-sensitive poly(DL-lactic acid-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA)/poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) particles with a hydrogel component [Pluronic F127, fibrin or hyaluronic acid (HyA)]. The composite formulations solidified over time at 37°C, with a significant increase (p ≤ 0.05) in compressive strength observed from 15 min to 2 h at this temperature. The maximum compressive strength was 1.2 MPa for PLGA/PEG-Pluronic F127 scaffolds, 2.4 MPa for PLGA/PEG-HyA scaffolds and 0.6 MPa for PLGA/PEG-fibrin scaffolds. Porosity for each of the PLGA/PEG-hydrogel formulations tested was between 50 and 51%. This study illustrates the ability to combine this thermoplastic PLGA/PEG system with hydrogels to fabricate composite scaffolds, and demonstrates that altering the particle to hydrogel ratio produces scaffolds with varying mechanical properties.

Minimally invasive mandibular bone augmentation using injectable hydrogels

Hyaluronic acid‐based hydrogels are proven biocompatible materials and excellent carriers of bone morphogenetic protein‐2 (BMP‐2) that have been successfully tested for bone generation in vivo. Different formulations, with or without nanohydroxyapatite, have shown promise for craniofacial applications. In this study, 28 rats were used to investigate whether it is possible to achieve mandibular bone augmentation upon injection of novel hyaluronic acid‐based hydrogels containing nanohydroxyapatite and different concentrations of BMP‐2 (0, 5 and 150 µg/ml). The biomaterials were injected subperiosteally through fine needles into the innate mandibular diastema, imitating a clinical procedure for resorbed mandibles. No incisions, flaps or sutures were necessary. After 8 weeks the mandibles were evaluated by peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT), micro‐computed tomography (μCT), histology, immunohistochemistry and fluorochrome labelling. As a result, engineered bone was observed in all treated mandibles, with a statistically significant increase in mandibular bone volume correlated with the amount of BMP‐2 loaded in the hydrogel formula. We therefore demonstrated that minimally invasive mandibular bone augmentation is possible upon injection in rats, when using the appropriate injectable scaffolds. This represents an attractive clinical alternative for oral implantology patients. Copyright

Tailored doxorubicin-hyaluronan conjugate as a potent anticancer glyco-drug: an alternative to prodrug approach.

Releasibility of doxorubicin from drug-conjugates is believed to be a prerequisite for its anti-cancer activity. Here, a new glyco-drug approach that circumvents the releasibility restriction is reported, opening a new possibility to design efficient, target specific drug delivery system. It is discovered that stable amide coupling of doxorubicin (DOX) tohyaluronan (HA) shows dose dependent cytotoxicity to CD44 positive human coloncancer cells (HCT116) as compared to human breast cancer cells(MCF-7) and mouse fibroblast cells (NIH-3T3), which express less CD44 receptor. This direct conjugation approach is an easy scalable strategy that could be adopted to design innocuous anti-tumor nanoparticle formulations.

Mild and Efficient Strategy for Site-Selective Aldehyde Modification of Glycosaminoglycans : Tailoring Hydrogels with Tunable Release of Growth Factor

Aldehydes have been used as an important bioorthogonal chemical reporter for conjugation of large polymers and bioactive substances. However, generating aldehyde functionality on carbohydrate-based biopolymers without changing its native chemical structure has always persisted as a challenging task. The common methods employed to achieve this require harsh reaction conditions, which often compromise the structural integrity and biological function of these sensitive molecules. Here we report a mild and simple method to graft aldehydes groups on glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) in a site-selective manner without compromising the structural integrity of the biopolymer. This regio-selective modification was achieved by conjugating the amino-glycerol moiety on the carboxylate residue of the polymer, which allowed selective cleavage of pendent diol groups without interfering with the C2-C3 diol groups of the native glucopyranose residue. Kinetic evaluation of this reaction demonstrated significant differences in second-order reaction rate for periodate oxidation (by four-orders of magnitude) between the two types of vicinal diols. We employed this chemistry to develop aldehyde modifications of sulfated and nonsulfated GAGs such as hyaluronic acid (HA), heparin (HP), and chondroitin sulfate (CS). We further utilized these aldehyde grafted GAGs to tailor extracellular matrix mimetic injectable hydrogels and evaluated its rheological properties. The composition of the hydrogels was also found to modulate release of therapeutic protein such as FGF-2, demonstrating controlled release (60%) for over 14 days. In short, our result clearly demonstrates a versatile strategy to graft aldehyde groups on sensitive biopolymers under mild conditions that could be applied for various bioconjugation and biomedical applications such as drug delivery and regenerative medicine.

Synthesis of guanidinium-modified hyaluronic Acid hydrogel.

In this report, a new guanidinylating reagent is presented, which was developed without any protection/deprotection strategy and was successfully employed for linking to hyaluronan in aqueous solution. The dually functionalised HA biopolymer bearing guanidinium and hydrazide groups was synthesised to form hydrogel in less than a minute when mixed with aldehyde-modified HA. This hydrogel exhibited higher storage modulus with enhanced stability in PBS when compared to the non-guanidine-containing gel. The gel shift assay showed that this biopolymer formed a stable complex with DNA as well as efficient gene transfection to cells that express HA-receptor CD44. The toxicity studies of this polymer with fibroblast cells revealed that the cells were almost 80% viable after 4 d of incubation at high HA concentration (2.5 × 10(-3)  M).