Issue 27, 2014

Thiolated human serum albumin cross-linked dextran hydrogels as a macroscale delivery system

Abstract

Hydrogels play an important role in macroscale delivery systems by enabling the transport of cells and molecules. Here we present a facile and benign method to prepare a dextran-based hydrogel (Dex–sHSA) using human serum albumin (HSA) as a simultaneous drug carrier and covalent cross-linker. Drug binding affinity of the albumin protein was conserved in the thiolation step using 2-iminothiolane and subsequently, in the in situ gelation step. Oscillation rheometry studies confirmed the formation of a three-dimensional viscoelastic network upon reaction of dextran and the HSA protein. The mechanical properties of Dex–sHSA hydrogel can be tuned by the protein concentration, and the degree of thiolation of sHSA. Sustained release of hydrophobic drugs, such as ibuprofen, paclitaxel and dexamethasone, from the Dex–sHSA network was shown over one week. Hence, this albumin-based dextran hydrogel system demonstrates its potential as a macroscale delivery system of hydrophobic therapeutics for a wide range of biomedical applications.

Graphical abstract: Thiolated human serum albumin cross-linked dextran hydrogels as a macroscale delivery system

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
25 Mar 2014
Accepted
03 May 2014
First published
08 May 2014

Soft Matter, 2014,10, 4869-4874

Author version available

Thiolated human serum albumin cross-linked dextran hydrogels as a macroscale delivery system

Y. Gao, R. E. Kieltyka, W. Jesse, B. Norder, A. V. Korobko and A. Kros, Soft Matter, 2014, 10, 4869 DOI: 10.1039/C4SM00648H

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements