At the suggestion of mussels
Hydrogel will help restore the bones of the head and neck
Polina Gershberg, Naked Science
Mussels have suggested to scientists an idea that can advance the therapy of complex bone defects.
The ability of these mollusks to attach to underwater objects helped researchers from the University of California at Los Angeles develop their technology. They incorporated the alginate solution into the hydrogel. With the help of it, the authors of an article published in Science Translational Medicine (Hasani-Sadrabadi et al., An engineered cell-laden adhesive hydrogel promotes craniofacial bone tissue regeneration in rats) plan to solve some problems of transplantology.
Hydrogels have been actively used in recent years for the introduction of therapeutic drugs and stem cells needed to restore lost areas of bone tissue. Compared to standard bone transplant protocols, this approach reduces the risk of inflammation and infection, as well as reduces the cost of therapy.
The hydrogels used today, which consist of polymer meshes, are effective for transferring drugs and stem cells to target points. But, unfortunately, under certain conditions, for example during maxillofacial surgery operations affecting the oral cavity and adjacent areas, they tend to become less effective. Blood and saliva prevent proper fixation in the right place. Because of this, what the gel carries – drugs or stem cells – does not stay in place long enough to provide the necessary regenerating or therapeutic effect.
One of the authors of the work, Dr. Alireza Moshaverinia, notes that the team was looking for a product with optimal adhesion for such difficult conditions. Inspired by the natural ability of mussels, the researchers introduced alginate into the hydrogel: when hydrated, these substances found in algae cells become sticky, similar in properties to resin.
Scientists tested a new hydrogel loaded with stem cells taken from gum tissue and bioactive ceramics for bone augmentation in an 18-week study on rats. They had pre–induced peri-implantitis, an infectious disease that causes inflammation of the gums and bone structures around the dental implant.
The researchers injected the hydrogel into the right place in the rat mouths, using a treatment similar to the technique that dentists use to cure dental fillings in humans. By the end of the study, the bone around the implants in all rats had completely regenerated.
Three-dimensional images of the jaw bone of a rat with periimplantitis, which has a poorly engrafted titanium mini-implant (left) and a successfully engrafted implant in which adhesive hydrogel therapy was used.
"The light treatment helped solidify the hydrogel, providing a more stable carrier for stem cell delivery," explains Moshaverinia. "We believe that this new method may be the best option in tissue engineering for patients who have lost hard and soft craniofacial tissues due to injury, infection or tumors."
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