Unmet Need
Organ/tissue regeneration remains a major area of research with few viable clinical products. A major barrier is the development of biologically accurate tissue constructs, with vascularization being a primary component. Classic static hydrogels have non-reversible crosslinks such that network is elastic at the macro-scale but limited in response to cellular signaling and forces. In native tissue, however, the networks are more viscoelastic and conducive to vascular regeneration. Thus, dynamic scaffold and networks are needed for more successful vascular generation.
Technology Overview
Inventors at Johns Hopkins have developed a dynamic hydrogel (D-hydrogel) for enhanced vascular generation. Modified polymers were homogenously mixed, allowing for the formation of dynamic (reversible) imine and acylhydrazone covalent bonds. Upon sensing forces imposed by seeded cells, the network is able to reorganize and better facilitate vascular tube formation. While storage moduli remains similar as controls, the D-hydrogel can become a relaxed network in a shorter time which facilitates the observed significantly higher tube length and volume.
Stage of Development
Preliminary in vivo mouse study
Patent
N/A
Publication
Wei, Z, Hydrogel Network Dynamics Regulate Vascular Morphogenesis, Cell Stem Cell, 2020 https://www.cell.com/cell-stem-cell/pdf/S1934-5909(20)30401-X.pdf
