Microporous annealed particle gel system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12564663-B2
Application number	US-202418443314-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 16, 2024
Priority date	Feb 16, 2016
Publication date	Mar 3, 2026
Grant date	Mar 3, 2026

Abstract

A hydrogel material for use in a human subject or other mammal includes a collection of microgel particles having one or more network cross linker components, wherein the microgel particles, when exposed to an endogenous or exogenous annealing agent, links the microgel particles together in situ to form a covalently-stabilized scaffold of microgel particles having pores formed between the microgel particles wherein the pores are substantially devoid of hydrogel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of delivering to a subject a covalently-stabilized porous scaffold of spherical microgel particles, the method comprising:
(a) delivering to the subject a plurality of microgel particles, wherein at least one microgel particle of the plurality of microgel particles comprises a hydrogel backbone and one or more annealing components; and (b) exposing the plurality of microgel particles to an annealing agent configured to couple the one or more annealing components of two or more microgel particles of the plurality of microgel particles to form a covalently-stabilized scaffold of microgel particles having pores formed between the microgel particles, wherein the pores are on the 10 micrometer scale and are substantially devoid of hydrogel and wherein vasculature forms within the pores formed between the microgel particles after delivery to the subject.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein exposing in (b) is performed after the delivering in (a).

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein delivering in (a) comprises injecting or implanting the plurality of microgel particles into the subject.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein a syringe is used to inject or implant the plurality of microgel particles into the subject.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the hydrogel backbone comprises poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG).

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the hydrogel backbone comprises poly (ethylene glycol) vinyl sulfone.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the hydrogel backbone further comprises hyaluronic acid.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the hydrogel backbone comprises a Matrix Metalloprotease (MMP) target substrate, or a portion thereof.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the annealing agent comprises a thiol-containing molecule.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the thiol-containing molecule comprises a free thiol group.

11 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the thiol-containing molecule comprises poly (ethylene glycol) dithiol.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a microgel particle of the plurality of microgel particles is substantially spherical in shape.

13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one microgel particle of the plurality of microgel particles comprises a diameter that is about 50 to about 200 micrometers.

14 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising a light source configured to initiate the coupling of one or more annealing components of two or more microgel particles by the annealing agent.

15 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of microgel particles comprise a coefficient of variation less than 25% in size.

16 . The method of claim 1 , wherein one or more microgel particles of the plurality comprises an antigen.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the antigen comprises an immunosuppressive agent.

18 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the antigen is chemically loaded within the one or more microgel particles.

19 . The method of claim 1 , wherein one or more living cells is incorporated into the pores formed between the microgel particles after delivery to the subject.

Assignees

• Univ California

Inventors

• Di Carlo Dino
• Weaver Westbrook
• Segura Tatiana
• Koh Jaekyung
• Scumpia Philip
• Griffin Donald R

Classifications

• A61L2400/06

  Flowable or injectable implant compositions · CPC title

• A61L2300/64

  Animal cells · CPC title

• A61L2300/426

  Immunomodulating agents, i.e. cytokines, interleukins, interferons · CPC title

• A61K2039/6093

  Synthetic polymers, e.g. polyethyleneglycol [PEG], Polymers or copolymers of (D) glutamate and (D) lysine · CPC title

• A61K9/1652

  Polysaccharides, e.g. alginate, cellulose derivatives; Cyclodextrin (homeopathic globules A61K9/1623) · CPC title