Low Molecular Weight Hydrogel for Wound Healing

Abstract

Octadecylazanediyl dipropionic acid (C18ADPA) is a zwitterionic amphiphile with a dendritic headgroup. C18ADPA self-assembles to lamellar networks, which encompasses water and forms a low-molecular-weight hydrogel (LMWG). In this study, we use the C18ADPA hydrogel as a drug carrier for the in vivo delivery of a copper salt for wound healing in a mouse model. A structural transition was observed based on cryo-scanning electron microscope (cryo-SEM) images after drug loading. The C18ADPA hydrogel, which had a layered structure, transformed into a self-assembled fibrillar network (SAFiN). The mechanical strength of the LMWG has always been an important issue in its applications. However, due to the structural transition, both the storage and loss moduli increased. In vivo tests showed that wound closure was faster after applying the hydrogel formulation compared with the Vaseline formulation. For the first time, we have also provided histological evidence of these effects on skin tissue. The hydrogel formulation exhibited clear advantages in regenerating tissue structure over traditional delivery formulations.

Exploiting Urea-Carboxylate Synthon for Designing Supramolecular Topical Hydrogel via Simple Organic Salt Formation: Synthesis, Crystal Structures, and Anticancer Behavior against Melanoma B16–F10 Cells

“…Till date, the literature demonstrates a huge library of hydrogels − used for various biomedical applications, but most of them are derived from naturally occurring high-molecular-weight polymers or synthetic polymers or peptides. − Owing to the relatively high cost, synthetic challenges, and lesser control of the physical properties of the hydrogels that are derived from the aforesaid systems, wide research activities have been going on for the development of hydrogels from low-molecular-weight (LMW) compounds. In fact, LMW hydrogelators − are progressively seeking attention as the gel properties can be easily manipulated by altering factors like pH, temperature, functional groups present on the gelator backbone, solvent systems, − and so forth. However, there still exists limited assurance for a small molecule to be a gelator, − and often the phenomenon of gelation is serendipitous in nature due to the lack of suitable design strategies that correlate the molecular level characteristics with the macroscopic gel-inducing behaviors.…”