Journal
ADVANCED HEALTHCARE MATERIALS
Volume 8, Issue 20, Pages -Publisher
WILEY
DOI: 10.1002/adhm.201900847
Keywords
controlled release; drug delivery; exosomes; extracellular vesicles; injectable hydrogels
Funding
- Project EVICARE of the European Research Council (ERC) [725229]
- Project SMARTCARE-II of the BioMedicalMaterials institute
- ZonMw-TAS program [116002016]
- Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation
- Netherlands CardioVascular Research Initiative (CVON): the Dutch Heart Foundation
- Dutch Federations of University Medical Centers
- Netherlands Organization for Health Research and Development
- Royal Netherlands Academy of Sciences
- VENI fellowship from the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) [13667]
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Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are small vesicles secreted by cells and have gained increasing interest as both drug delivery vehicles or as cell-free therapeutics for regenerative medicine. To achieve optimal therapeutic effects, strategies are being developed to prolong EV exposure to target organs. One promising approach to achieve this is through EV-loaded injectable hydrogels. In this study, the use of a hydrogel based on ureido-pyrimidinone (UPy) units coupled to poly(ethylene glycol) chains (UPy-hydrogel) is examined as potential delivery platform for EVs. The UPy-hydrogel undergoes a solution-to-gel transition upon switching from a high to neutral pH, allowing immediate gelation upon administration into physiological systems. Here, sustained EV release from the UPy-hydrogel measured over a period of 4 d is shown. Importantly, EVs retain their functional capacity after release. Upon local administration of fluorescently labeled EVs incorporated in a UPy-hydrogel in vivo, EVs are still detected in the UPy-hydrogel after 3 d, whereas in the absence of a hydrogel, EVs are internalized by fat and skin tissue near the injection site. Together, these data demonstrate that UPy-hydrogels provide sustained EV release over time and enhance local EV retention in vivo, which could contribute to improved therapeutic efficacy upon local delivery and translation toward new applications.
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