Rapid <i>in situ</i> forming PEG hydrogels for mucosal drug delivery.

ABSTRACT: In situ gelling polymeric biomaterials have proven useful as drug delivery vehicles to enable sustained release at the sites of disease or injury. However, if delivered to mucosal tissues, such as the eyes, nose, and gastrointestinal and cervicovaginal tracts, these gels must also possess the ability to adhere to an epithelium coated in mucus. Towards this end, we report a new rapid in situ gelling polyethylene glycol-based hydrogel. Unlike other chemistries that enable rapid gel formation via irreversible covalent bonds, we use a bio-reducible linker allowing the gels to be naturally degraded over several days once administered. We identified a set of 6 lead formulations, which rapidly transform into disulfide-linked PEG hydrogels in 30 seconds or less. These rapidly

SUBMITTER: Yeruva T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12004215 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature