The new hydrogel did not break down under repeated joint stress and resulted in long-lasting, sustained drug release in preclinical studies. (Credit: Kai Slaughter, Rachel Chu. Parts of the figure were drawn by using pictures from Servier Medical Art. Servier Medical Art by Servier is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/). Some graphic elements were designed using Canva and Biorender.com.)

Researchers have created a new hydrogel to improve drug delivery for treating post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA). The hydrogel, which is designed to offer sustained drug release even during continuous joint movement, showed promising results in preclinical studies that mimicked the joint stress of running, highlighting the hydrogel’s potential for treating PTOA in physically active patients.

PTOA is a condition that affects joints after an injury. Current treatments focus on relieving symptoms but do not prevent or stop the progression of the condition. Although emerging therapies have shown promise in preclinical studies, a major obstacle is delivering these therapies effectively into the joint, a highly dynamic environment subjected to constant mechanical stress.

The hydrogel continuously releases medication without being affected by mechanical stress. For the study, researchers used triglycerol monostearate (TG-18), a common food additive, to create a hydrogel that rapidly repairs itself after mechanical stress. In a mouse model, they found that the hydrogel was self-healing, meaning it liquefied under mechanical stress and then instantly reformed. This self-healing property ensured long-lasting, stable and sustained release of a disease-modifying drug — even during continuous joint movement — and significantly reduced cartilage damage. Interestingly, the hydrogel also improved joint lubrication.

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Topics:
Drug Delivery Medical Product Development

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