Issue 14, 2022

Preclinical testing of an anal bulking agent coated with a zwitterionic polymer in a fecal incontinence rat model

Abstract

Fecal incontinence is a disabling condition in which the passage of fecal material cannot be controlled. Although the condition is not life-threatening, it can seriously reduce the quality of life of a patient by isolating them from others. Though various surgical treatments are available for moderate to severe symptoms, a bulking agent is a minimally invasive technique that has attracted attention because of its safety and simple treatment process. However, the biocompatibility of bulking agent materials remains a central issue, with their durability questioned because immune responses and/or the circulatory system may remove the bulking agent in vivo. This study investigated a bulking agent composed of polydimethylsiloxane and hyaluronic acid as a microfiller and carrier gel, respectively. To improve the injectability of the bulking agent, the filler size was tuned using a suspension-based fabrication technique. To evade immune responses, the filler surface was treated with a zwitterionic polymer that simultaneously functionalized and stabilized the material interfaces. The resulting bulking agent exhibited good injectability and biocompatibility in vitro, with 58% lower protein adsorption and no cytotoxicity, leading to an improved bulking effect in a preclinical rat model compared with a bulking agent without surface treatment. These results illustrate the promising potential of bulking agents as a therapy for fecal incontinence with reduced foreign body reactions and long-lasting efficacy.

Graphical abstract: Preclinical testing of an anal bulking agent coated with a zwitterionic polymer in a fecal incontinence rat model

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
25 okt 2021
Accepted
03 feb 2022
First published
03 feb 2022

J. Mater. Chem. B, 2022,10, 2708-2718

Preclinical testing of an anal bulking agent coated with a zwitterionic polymer in a fecal incontinence rat model

J. Choi, J. Lee, Y. Lee, J. Seo and K. D. Hong, J. Mater. Chem. B, 2022, 10, 2708 DOI: 10.1039/D1TB02341A

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