Engineering nanoparticle-polymer interactions to create instructive, tough nanocomposite hydrogels without negatively impacting self-healing behavior for bone tissue regeneration

Introduction

Self-healing hydrogels are investigated as promising biomaterials in tissue and organ regeneration applications, offering a powerful alternative for scarce donor tissue. However, these hydrogels are often insufficiently tough, which is a significant limitation in their clinical use.

Challenges

Another drawback is that there are limited solutions on how to instruct cells for tissue healing. Thus, one key challenge is to develop self-healing hydrogels that are mechanically strong and can guide tissue regeneration. However, current methods to improve the mechanical properties of hydrogels negatively impact self-healing behavior.

Proposed Solution

In Nano4Bone, I aim to provide a novel solution to this challenge by engineering nanoparticle polymer interactions using metal-ligand coordination bonds, which, uniquely, are both stable and labile; ideal properties for creating spontaneous self-healing hydrogels.

Mechanism of Action

The nanoparticles act as dynamic crosslinkers to increase local crosslinking densities, thus dramatically improving the mechanical properties without affecting the self-healing behavior. Importantly, the nanoparticles can also act as bioactive units through smart incorporation of therapeutic ions to instruct tissue-healing behavior.

Controlled Release

The metal-ligand bond can be tuned for temporally controlled release of bioactive nanoparticles, a novel approach which allows kinetic control over bioactive signals.

Clinical Application

To prove their clinical utility, I will optimize the materials to treat and regenerate bone tissue in osteosarcoma (OS), for which new treatment options are urgently needed.

Impact

Nano4Bone proposes an innovative method to drastically improve the mechanical properties of hydrogels without negatively impacting their self-healing abilities. The impact of the project will be large by addressing key challenges in the field, offering a new treatment for OS, and a wide application area of the new materials in regenerative medicine and other biomedical fields.