Zhang Mingyu, Xiang Chunyu, Zhen Xin, Luo Wenqi, He Xiaodong, Guo Fengshuo, Niu Renrui, Liu Wanguo, Gu Rui
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, 130033, People's Republic of China.
Department of Physical examination center, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, 130033, People's Republic of China.
Mater Today Bio. 2025 Jan 7;31:101464. doi: 10.1016/j.mtbio.2025.101464. eCollection 2025 Apr.
Traumatic spinal cord injury typically occurs at significant depths and triggers rapid and severe physiological responses. It is commonly accompanied by oxidative stress disorders, lipid peroxidation, accumulation of toxic aldehydes, and edema among other symptoms. The management of this condition requires intricate surgical procedures and vigilance against postoperative complications. Slow wound healing is a major clinical challenge. In this study, we developed an injectable hydrogel-based smart drug delivery platform (OPDL gel) for the treatment of cord injuries and integrated postoperative wound care. The hydrogel encapsulates the glucocorticoid dexamethasone (Dex) through a borate ester bond and can respond to degradation caused by reactive oxygen species (ROS) and pH changes in the microenvironment of spinal cord injuries. The OPDL gel was injected into the lesion with a degradation period of 60 h, enabling a controlled and intelligent release of Dex. Additionally, poly-ε-lysine macromolecules within the gel can absorb toxic aldehydes present in the microenvironment via Schiff base reactions, thereby mitigating secondary progression of spinal cord injury. When locally applied to spinal cord injuries, the gel demonstrated good biocompatibility and had a protective effect on damaged neural structures. In addition, OPDL gel also exhibited excellent bactericidal properties, achieving a 100 % kill rate against microorganisms within 80 min and providing wound healing care comparable to a commercial product, Tegaderm™. Therefore, this multifunctional hydrogel drug-loading platform represents a novel approach for integrated treatment strategies in the clinical setting to address spinal cord injuries.
创伤性脊髓损伤通常发生在较深部位，并引发快速且严重的生理反应。它常伴有氧化应激紊乱、脂质过氧化、有毒醛类物质的积累以及水肿等症状。这种病症的治疗需要复杂的外科手术，并警惕术后并发症。伤口愈合缓慢是一个主要的临床挑战。在本研究中，我们开发了一种基于可注射水凝胶的智能药物递送平台（OPDL凝胶），用于治疗脊髓损伤并整合术后伤口护理。该水凝胶通过硼酸酯键包裹糖皮质激素地塞米松（Dex），并能响应脊髓损伤微环境中由活性氧（ROS）和pH变化引起的降解。将OPDL凝胶注入损伤部位，其降解期为60小时，可实现Dex的可控智能释放。此外，凝胶中的聚-ε-赖氨酸大分子可通过席夫碱反应吸收微环境中存在的有毒醛类，从而减轻脊髓损伤的继发性进展。当局部应用于脊髓损伤时，该凝胶表现出良好的生物相容性，对受损神经结构具有保护作用。此外，OPDL凝胶还具有出色的杀菌性能，在80分钟内对微生物的杀灭率达到100%，并提供与商业产品德湿可™相当的伤口愈合护理。因此，这种多功能水凝胶载药平台代表了一种在临床环境中用于综合治疗策略以解决脊髓损伤问题的新方法。
