Intraoperative application of intelligent, responsive, self-assembling hydrogel rectifies oxygen and energy metabolism in traumatically injured brain

• DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2024.122495
• Publication Date: 2024-01-31T17:27:57Z
• Authors: Yuhan Han; Weiji Weng; Yongkang Zhang; Qiyuan Feng; Yuxiao Ma; Ankang Quan; Xianhua Fu; Xinxin Zhao; Loren Skudder-Hill; Jiyao Jiang; Yan Zhou; Honglin Chen; Junfeng Feng
• Keywords: Oxygen; Neuroprotective Agents; Brain Injuries; Humans; Brain; Hydrogels; Reactive Oxygen Species; Energy Metabolism

In managing severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), emergency surgery involving the removal of damaged tissue and intracerebral hemorrhage is a priority. Secondary caused by oxidative stress energy metabolic disorders, triggered both primary mechanical damage surgical insult, also determining factor in prognosis TBI. Unfortunately, effectiveness traditional postoperative intravenous neuroprotective agents therapy often limited lack targeting, timeliness, side effects when systemically delivered. Here, we have developed injectable, intelligent, self-assembling hydrogels (P-RT/2DG) that can achieve precise treatment through intraoperative application to target area. P-RT/2DG were prepared integrating reactive oxygen species (ROS)-responsive thioketal linker (RT) into polyethylene glycol. By scavenging ROS releasing 2-deoxyglucose (2DG) during degradation, these functioned antioxidation metabolism inhibit vicious cycle post-TBI ROS-lactate which provoked secondary injury. vitro vivo tests confirmed absence systemic function reducing edema, nerve cell apoptosis, neuroinflammation, maintaining blood-brain barrier. Our study thus provides potential strategy with novel