Injectable and biodegradable piezoelectric hydrogel for osteoarthritis treatment

Tra Vinikoor; Godwin K Dzidotor; Thinh T Le; Yang Liu; Ho-Man Kan; Srimanta Barui; Meysam T Chorsi; Eli J Curry; Emily Reinhardt; Hanzhang Wang; Parbeen Singh; Marc A Merriman; Ethan D'Orio; Jinyoung Park; Shuyang Xiao; James H Chapman; Feng Lin; Cao-Sang Truong; Somasundaram Prasadh; Lisa Chuba; Shaelyn Killoh; Seok-Woo Lee; Qian Wu; Ramaswamy M Chidambaram; Kevin W H Lo; Cato T Laurencin; Thanh D Nguyen

doi:10.1038/s41467-023-41594-y

Injectable and biodegradable piezoelectric hydrogel for osteoarthritis treatment

Nat Commun. 2023 Oct 6;14(1):6257. doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-41594-y.

Authors

Tra Vinikoor^{1

2}, Godwin K Dzidotor^{2

3}, Thinh T Le⁴, Yang Liu⁵, Ho-Man Kan², Srimanta Barui², Meysam T Chorsi⁴, Eli J Curry^{6

1}, Emily Reinhardt⁷, Hanzhang Wang⁸, Parbeen Singh⁴, Marc A Merriman^{2

3}, Ethan D'Orio⁹, Jinyoung Park¹, Shuyang Xiao¹⁰, James H Chapman², Feng Lin⁴, Cao-Sang Truong¹, Somasundaram Prasadh¹¹, Lisa Chuba¹², Shaelyn Killoh¹², Seok-Woo Lee^{10

13}, Qian Wu⁸, Ramaswamy M Chidambaram¹², Kevin W H Lo^{2

13

14}, Cato T Laurencin^{1

2

3

10

13

15}, Thanh D Nguyen^{16

17

18}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, 06269, USA.
² The Cato T. Laurencin Institute for Regenerative Engineering, University of Connecticut Health, Farmington, CT, 06030, USA.
³ Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, 06269, USA.
⁴ Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, 06269, USA.
⁵ Center of Digital Dentistry/Department of Prosthodontics/Central Laboratory, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology & National Center for Stomatology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & National Engineering Research Center of Oral Biomaterials and Digital Medical Devices & Beijing Key Laboratory of Digital Stomatology & NHC Research Center of Engineering and Technology for Computerized Dentistry & NMPA Key Laboratory for Dental Materials, Beijing, 100081, PR China.
⁶ Eli Lilly and Company, 450 Kendall Street, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA.
⁷ Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary Science, University of Connecticut, 61 North Eagleville Road, Unit 3089, Storrs, CT, 06269, USA.
⁸ Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Connecticut Health Center, 63 Farmington Avenue, Farmington, CT, 06030, USA.
⁹ Department of Advanced Manufacturing for Energy Systems Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, 06269, USA.
¹⁰ Department of Materials Science and Engineering & Institute of Materials Science, University of Connecticut, 25 King Hill Road, Unit 3136, Storrs, CT, 06269-3136, USA.
¹¹ Center for Clean Energy Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, 06269, USA.
¹² Center for Comparative Medicine, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT, USA.
¹³ Institute of Materials Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, 06269, USA.
¹⁴ Department of Medicine, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT, 06030, USA.
¹⁵ Department of Orthopaedic Surgery University of Connecticut Health, Farmington, CT, 06030, USA.
¹⁶ Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, 06269, USA. nguyentd@uconn.edu.
¹⁷ Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, 06269, USA. nguyentd@uconn.edu.
¹⁸ Institute of Materials Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, 06269, USA. nguyentd@uconn.edu.

Abstract

Osteoarthritis affects millions of people worldwide but current treatments using analgesics or anti-inflammatory drugs only alleviate symptoms of this disease. Here, we present an injectable, biodegradable piezoelectric hydrogel, made of short electrospun poly-L-lactic acid nanofibers embedded inside a collagen matrix, which can be injected into the joints and self-produce localized electrical cues under ultrasound activation to drive cartilage healing. In vitro, data shows that the piezoelectric hydrogel with ultrasound can enhance cell migration and induce stem cells to secrete TGF-β1, which promotes chondrogenesis. In vivo, the rabbits with osteochondral critical-size defects receiving the ultrasound-activated piezoelectric hydrogel show increased subchondral bone formation, improved hyaline-cartilage structure, and good mechanical properties, close to healthy native cartilage. This piezoelectric hydrogel is not only useful for cartilage healing but also potentially applicable to other tissue regeneration, offering a significant impact on the field of regenerative tissue engineering.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

Animals
Cartilage
Cartilage, Articular*
Cells, Cultured
Chondrogenesis
Collagen / chemistry
Humans
Hydrogels* / chemistry
Rabbits
Tissue Engineering
Tissue Scaffolds / chemistry
Wound Healing

Substances

Hydrogels
Collagen

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Substances

Grants and funding