Multifunctional injectable electroconductive hydrogels featuring controllable dual drug release to foster articular cartilage regeneration and suppress inflammation
Description: The functional regeneration of cartilage lesions is an unmet medical need affecting many patients, living under pain with restrained mobility. Currently therapies are palliative, invasive and need recurrent treatment.
Cartilage tissue engineering(CTE), though promising, did not yet reach a successful clinical use. This project develops revolutionary injectable hydrogels with a dual drug release system to simultaneously promote cartilage regeneration and suppress inflammation, while facilitating clinical application. Autologous synovial mesenchymal stem/stromal cells(sMSC), encapsulated within the hydrogel, will act as therapeutic agents. The novel PEDOT nanoparticles, loaded with several drugs, including kartogenin and curcumin, will be wirelessly stimulated by non-invasive electrical activation. Novel thiol-disul?de collagen II, hyaluronic acid and chondroitin sulphate, functionalized with fluorescent porphyrins for imaging, will be optimized for post-injection mechanical properties upon crosslinking. The biophysical mechanisms underlying the electrically triggered drug release will be studied. Hydrogel therapeutic features will be assessed in- vitro and in-vivo.
Amount: €38,380
Funding type: grant
Funder scheme: FCT
Start date: 2025-03-01
End date: 2029-02-28
Investigator: Filipe Alexandre Rodrigues Miguel
Funded outputs count: 0
Funder award ID: 2024.06319.BD
OpenAlex ID: G5297787009