A smart adhesive Janus hydrogel for non-invasive cardiac repair and tissue adhesion prevention

Abstract

Multifunctional hydrogel with asymmetric and reversible adhesion characteristics is essential to handle the obstructions towards bioapplications of trauma removal and postoperative tissue synechia. Herein, we developed a responsively reversible and asymmetrically adhesive Janus hydrogel that enables on-demand stimuli-triggered detachment for efficient myocardial infarction (MI) repair, and synchronously prevents tissue synechia and inflammatory intrusion after surgery. In contrast with most irreversibly and hard-to-removable adhesives, this Janus hydrogel exhibited a reversible adhesion capability and can be noninvasively detached on-demand just by slight biologics. It is interesting that the adhesion behaves exhibited a molecularly encoded adhesion-adaptive stiffening feature similar to the self-protective stress–strain effect of biological tissues. In vitro and in vivo experiments demonstrated that Janus hydrogel can promote the maturation and functions of cardiomyocytes, and facilitate MI repair by reducing oxidative damage and inflammatory response, reconstructing electrical conduction and blood supply in infarcted area. Furthermore, no secondary injury and tissue synechia were triggered after transplantation of Janus hydrogel. This smart Janus hydrogel reported herein offers a potential strategy for clinically transformable cardiac patch and anti-postoperative tissue synechia barrier.

Prevention strategies of postoperative adhesion in soft tissues by applying biomaterials: Based on the mechanisms of occurrence and development of adhesions

“…Since proinflammatory cytokines in the surrounding tissue such as IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-1α, IL- 6, IL-8, and etc. are positively charged, materials with negative charges on the surface can reduce their concentration levels, thereby reducing inflammation and showing anti-adhesion efficiency [ 285 , 286 ]. Shen et al [ 287 ] constructed inflammation-modulating polymer scaffolds and achieved satisfactory anti-adhesion performance.…”

“…The most used strategy to design multifunctional materials is integrating various components with related functions [ 285 ]. For example, Shalumon et al [ 304 ] prepared core-shell nanofibrous membranes (CSNMs) with embedded silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) in the PEG/PCL shell and HA/ibuprofen in the core, the Ag NPs and ibuprofen among which played the role in anti-infection and anti-inflammation, respectively.…”

Novel Double-Layer Dissolving Microneedles for Transmucosal Sequential Delivery of Multiple Drugs in the Treatment of Oral Mucosa Diseases

“…It rapidly expands in water and can maintain a large volume of water without dissolving in the swelling state. 36 In addition, ultraviolet irradiation cross-linked HAMA hydrogels have good hydrogel properties and have cross-linked dependent degradation behavior in buffers. The higher the degree of cross-linking is, the lower is the degradation rate.…”

“…Hydrogel is a type of gel with a three-dimensional network structure that is extremely hydrophilic. It rapidly expands in water and can maintain a large volume of water without dissolving in the swelling state . In addition, ultraviolet irradiation cross-linked HAMA hydrogels have good hydrogel properties and have cross-linked dependent degradation behavior in buffers.…”

Conductive and Thermo-Responsive Composite Hydrogels with Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) and Carbon Nanotubes Fabricated by Two-Step Photopolymerization

“…In addition, they possess tunable physical properties and can be chemically modified to facilitate the bioconjugation of active molecules [ 8 , 9 ]. In tissue engineering, various injectable hydrogels, designed with a broad range of mechanical properties, have been employed to rebuild myocardial function [ 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 ]. After myocardial injury, the fibrotic tissue [ 15 ] that forms is not mechanically and conductively functional [ 16 , 17 ] and leads to myocardial remodeling and eventual heart failure.…”