Patent Description:
This invention was made with government support under Grant Nos. <CIT> and <CIT> and <CIT> awarded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), and under Grant No. DMR-<NUM> awarded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), and under Grant No. W81XWH-<NUM>-<NUM>-<NUM> awarded by the Department of Defense (DoD). The government has certain rights in the invention.

Regenerative medicine techniques often utilize scaffolding materials, which can serve the role of three-dimensional (3D) templates, and/or drug carriers, which can serve the role of a drug delivery mechanism. Tissue regeneration may be a potential treatment for patients with lost or diseased tissues. However, the regeneration of tissue complexes that consist of more than one type of tissue presents a challenge to tissue engineers.

Disclosed herein are self-integrating hydrogels that may be used in a variety of applications, including tissue engineering, drug delivery, tissue bulking, adhesive, cosmetics, wound dressing, and surgical dressing. Single tissues or multi-tissue complexes may by regenerated using the hydrogels disclosed herein. After having the appropriate cell(s) and/or biomolecule(s) incorporated/encapsulated therein, the hydrogel can self-integrate under mild conditions. This enables the regeneration of tissue (in some instances, multiple types of tissue) in spatially defined regions and also the seamless integration of the tissue(s). Some of the examples provided herein illustrate the regeneration of bone-cartilage tissue complexes, which resemble native tissue integration. However, the applications for the self-integrating hydrogels are not limited to these examples, and that the self-integrating hydrogels have potential for engineering various tissue complexes. The present invention is described in the appended claims.

The self-integrating hydrogels disclosed herein are supramolecular hydrogels that are capable of self-assembling via cooperative and highly specific physical interactions. However, the hydrogels disclosed herein are not equivalent to a cooperative assembly of small peptides into a larger nanostructure. Rather, the supramolecular hydrogels disclosed herein are formed of a water-soluble polymer that includes a repeating unit and a pendant chain covalently attached to the repeating unit. The repeating unit is a biocompatible monomer or comonomer, and the pendant chain includes a unit with multiple hydrogen bonds. The multiple-hydrogen-bond unit along the backbone chain provides the water-soluble polymer with the capability to form strong, yet reversible interactions. The transient nature of the strong, yet reversible, interactions provides the water-soluble polymer with the ability to self-heal, self-integrate or self-recover without any external stimulus or intervention. With this property, separate hydrogel pieces, which may be carrying a respective type of cell and/or signaling biomolecule, can integrate to form the structure of a particular tissue complex.

In addition, the combination of the biocompatible monomer and the multiple-hydrogen-bond unit pendant chain provides the supramolecular hydrogel with a shear-thinning property (i.e., viscosity decreases with an increasing rate of shear stress), as evidenced by the yielding behavior in the rheological measurements disclosed herein. The shear-thinning property contributes to the supramolecular hydrogel being injectable (e.g., via a syringe). Since the hydrogels are injectable, they do not need to be pre-shaped or surgically implanted. Furthermore, the ability to be injected renders the hydrogel suitable for filling irregular tissue defects, such as tooth defects, fractured bone wounds, worn/diseased cartilage, and various soft tissues, such as intervertebral disc, spinal cord, brain, etc..

With both the shear-thinning property and the self-integrating property, the supramolecular hydrogel, which is in a gel state before injection, can be injected and then instantly recover to the gel state after injection.

As mentioned above, the hydrogel is formed of a water-soluble polymer, which includes a repeating unit and a pendant chain covalently attached to the repeating unit. Generally, the water-soluble polymer is selected from the group consisting of dextran, poly(vinyl alcohol) and cellulose. The water-soluble polymer is modified with the pendant group disclosed herein. The water-soluble polymer is a multi-functionalized polymer because of the pendant groups attached to each repeating unit.

The repeating unit has at least one functional group. The functional group may be any functional group that is capable of reacting with an isocyanate or with another functional group that is attached to an isocyanate in order to covalently bind the pendant group (which includes the isocyanate) thereto. As examples, the functional group of the repeating unit includes an oxygen atom, a sulfur atom or a nitrogen atom. In the modified water-soluble polymer, the oxygen atom, sulfur atom, or nitrogen atom covalently attaches the pendant chain to the repeating unit. Examples of the repeating unit include a repeating unit that forms a water-soluble backbone and includes a suitable functional group for covalently attaching the pendant chain.

The pendant chain includes ureido-pyrimidinone. In some examples, the ureido-pyrimidinone is covalently linked to the oxygen, sulfur, or nitrogen atom of the repeating unit through an isocyanate. In other examples, the ureido-pyrimidinone is covalently linked to the oxygen, sulfur, or nitrogen atom of the repeating unit through another functional group. In these other examples, the ureido-pyrimidinone is attached to an isocyanate that has been reacted with another functional group, such as a hydroxyl group, an amine group, a thiol group, etc. This reaction generates an end group of the pendant chain that is capable of covalently attaching to the oxygen, sulfur, or nitrogen atom of the repeating unit. Other than isocyanate, functional groups such as activated esters, epoxy groups and acyl chloride groups can also be used for the attachment of the ureido-pyrimidinone.

Ureido-pyrimidinone is a multiple-hydrogen bond unit. More particularly, ureido-pyrimidinone is a quadruple hydrogen-bond array, which has a much higher bonding strength than a single hydrogen bond. <FIG> is a schematic illustration of the multiple hydrogen bonds of ureido-pyrimidinone (far left of <FIG>) and their dynamic interactions, including dissociation and association.

The strength of the interactions may also affect the erosion properties of the hydrogels as such hydrogels erode or degrade through dissociation of the reversible interactions. Strong supramolecular interactions behave similarly to covalent bonds, which are not susceptible to physical erosion. The ureido-pyrimidinone multiple hydrogen bond interactions provide the hydrogel with an appropriate erosion property, and thus a biomolecule release profile.

The hydrogels disclosed herein may be formed via a mild fabrication process, which does not utilize toxic components or non-physiological pH conditions. The mild fabrication process uses gentle solvents, such as water, PBS, etc. and physiological pH conditions ranging from <NUM> to <NUM>. The ureido-pyrimidinone-containing pendant groups are grafted to the repeating units of the water-soluble polymer through a reaction with the functional group including the oxygen atom, the sulfur atom, or the nitrogen atom. In some examples of the method, the ureido-pyrimidinone is first attached to an isocyanate, which in turn is grafted to the repeating unit functional group, which includes the oxygen, sulfur, or nitrogen atom.

As one example of the method for forming the hydrogel, ureido-pyrimidinone-containing pendant groups may first be formed by attaching ureido-pyrimidinone to an isocyanate. The selected water soluble polymer may be dissolved in a solvent to form a solution. The ureido-pyrimidinone-containing pendant groups may be added to the solution with a catalyst to form a mixture. The mixture may then be reacted at a predetermined temperature (e.g., ranging about <NUM> to about <NUM>) for a predetermined time (e.g., ranging from about <NUM> hours to about <NUM> hours). The product of the reaction can be dissolved in another suitable solvent and stirred at about <NUM>-<NUM> for about <NUM>-<NUM> hour to form the hydrogel.

In another example, the selected water soluble polymer may be dissolved in a first solvent to form a first solution. The ureido-pyrimidinone-containing pendant groups may be dissolved in a second solvent (which is the same as or different than the first solvent) to form a second solution. At least some of the first solution is mixed with at least some of the second solution to form a mixture. The ratio of first solution to second solution can be from <NUM>:<NUM> to <NUM>:<NUM>. The mixture may then be stirred and cured at a predetermined temperature (e.g., ranging about <NUM> to about <NUM>) for a predetermined time (e.g., ranging from about <NUM> hours to about <NUM> hours). In some examples, additional processing may be included, in which the solvent is exchanged for water.

Several specific examples of the method will be described in more detail in the Example Section.

The graft density of ureido-pyrimidinone may be controlled by changing the feed ratio of the ureido-pyrimidinone-containing pendant group to the water-soluble polymer. Controlling the graft density enables the multi-functionalized polymer to form the robust hydrogel. <NUM>H NMR of the multi-functionalized polymer may be carried out to confirm the structure, and the density of substitution (DS, number of ureido-pyrimidinone units per <NUM> repeating units) may be estimated by calculating the ratio of the areas under the characteristic peaks. The hydrogel forms when the density of ureido-pyrimidinone is <NUM> or less. Polymers with too high of an ureido-pyrimidinone graft density have poor water solubility and thus are not suitable for hydrogel preparation.

With the appropriate ureido-pyrimidinone graft density, the water-soluble polymer disclosed herein may form a hydrogel. The hydrogel network formation is through the ureido-pyrimidinone (UPy) hydrogen bonds (see the gel in <FIG>). The hydrogel may be loaded into a syringe, and subsequently injected through a needle. The hydrogel behaves like a liquid under the shear stress during injection and solidifies instantly after the injection (shear thinning behavior). An example of these behaviors is shown in <FIG>, illustrating the dissociation of the ureido-pyrimidinone and the shear-thinning of the hydrogel when exposed to shear stress ranging from 10Pa to 1kPa, and illustrating the association of the ureido-pyrimidinone and self-recovery of the hydrogel upon removal of the shear stress.

Different shapes of the hydrogel may be fabricated by injecting them into differently shaped molds.

The hydrogel may be dyed or may be transparent. Any suitable dye may be used, and it may be added directly to the hydrogel.

When the hydrogels are to be used for drug/protein delivery, the drugs or proteins may be encapsulated in the hydrogel. This may be accomplished by dissolving the drug or protein in a suitable solvent and adding the dissolved drug or protein into the hydrogel solution before solidification. The amount of the drug-containing solution is usually below <NUM>/<NUM> of the total hydrogel volume.

Cells may also be incorporated into the hydrogels. Before the hydrogel is completely set, the cell (typically in a suitable medium) may be added to the hydrogel and mixed therein.

To further illustrate the present disclosure, examples are given herein. It is to be understood that these examples are provided for illustrative purposes and are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the present disclosure. Throughout the Example Section, ureido-pyrimidinone will be referred to as "UPy.

To synthesize DEX-UPy polymer hydrogel, ureido-pyrimidinone was grafted onto the dextran backbone through the reaction of an isocyanate group with the hydroxyl groups of the glucose units. The reactions are shown in <FIG>.

At the outset, <NUM>-amino-<NUM>-hydroxy-<NUM>-methylpyrimidine (<NUM>, Sigma) was added into <NUM> <NUM>,<NUM>-hexanediisocyanate (Sigma) and heated to <NUM> (shown at i) for <NUM> hours (reaction <NUM> in <FIG>). Then, <NUM> pentane (Sigma) was poured into the reaction solution and stirred with a magnetic bar to wash the unreacted hexanediisocyanate. The product was filtered and washed for another <NUM> times with pentane. The collected white powder (UPy-isocyanate) was dried under vacuum overnight. To synthesize the UPy grafted dextran, the dextran (<NUM>, MW <NUM>,<NUM>) was dissolved in <NUM> anhydrous dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO, Sigma) under nitrogen atmosphere with magnetic stirring, followed by the addition of UPy-isocyanate (<NUM>) and dibutyltin dilaurate (DBTDL, <NUM>, Sigma) (ii in <FIG>). The reaction was carried out at <NUM> for <NUM> to <NUM> hours (ii in <FIG>). The resulting solution was poured into isopropanol (<NUM>, Fisher Scientific) for precipitation for <NUM> times. The powder was dried in vacuum overnight and re-dissolved in water. The aqueous solution was frozen in a freezer and lyophilized for <NUM> days.

To fabricate hydrogels, about <NUM> of the DEX-UPy polymer was dissolved in <NUM>µl sterile PBS (pH <NUM>) at around <NUM> for <NUM> hour under magnetic stirring. Afterwards, the solution was loaded into a syringe and injected into a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) mold. For rheological property measurement, the hydrogel was put in a refrigerator at <NUM> overnight to allow for complete gelation.

The graft density of UPy can be controlled by changing the feed ratio of UPy to dextran. <NUM> NMR was carried out to confirm the structure of the DEX-UPy (<FIG>). The density of substitution (DS, number of UPy units per <NUM> glucose units) was estimated by calculating the ratio of the areas under the characteristic peaks. In this example, <NUM>H NMR characterization was carried out using a Varian MR400 (Cobalt) Spectrometer. CDCl<NUM> was used as the solvent for UPy-isocyanate and DMSO-d6 for DEX-UPy. The multi-functionalized polymer (DEX-UPy) could form a robust hydrogel when the density of UPy was sufficiently high. For example, DEX-UPy-<NUM> (DS <NUM>, <NUM>% w/w) could be dissolved in water at elevated temperature (around <NUM>) and form a stable hydrogel after being cooled down to room temperature, while pure dextran and DEX-UPy with a very low graft density (DEX-UPy-<NUM>, DS <NUM>) formed clear solutions under the same conditions. Polymers with too high an UPy graft density (DS ≥ <NUM>) have poor water solubility and thus could not be used for hydrogel preparation. With the appropriate UPy graft density, the DEX-UPy polymer formed a hydrogel, was loaded into a syringe and subsequently injected through a <NUM> needle. The hydrogel behaved like a liquid under the shear stress during injection and solidified instantly after the injection, which is evidence of its shear thinning behavior.

To illustrate the self-integration capacity, the hydrogel disks were cut into different parts with a blade and were subsequently brought together manually (e.g., top left image in <FIG>). One of the hydrogels was dyed with rodamine (<NUM>', see <FIG>), and another of the hydrogels was left its original color (<NUM>, see <FIG>) to show the interfaces between these hydrogel pieces. The hydrogel <NUM>, <NUM>' was found to integrate within minutes when the fresh surfaces were brought to contact with one another. As illustrated in <FIG>, different patterns could be achieved, such as a cylinder <NUM> with two halves (where each half is one of the hydrogels <NUM>, <NUM>'), a rod <NUM> of joined discs (where each disc is one of the hydrogels <NUM>, <NUM>'), and an integrated cylinder <NUM> consisting of a core (formed of hydrogel <NUM>') and a shell (formed of hydrogel <NUM>). The photographs in <FIG> were taken <NUM> minutes after the hydrogels <NUM>, <NUM>' rejoined one another.

In order to quantify the mechanical properties associated with shear-thinning and the subsequent recovery, the rheological properties of the hydrogels were measured using an AR2000 rheometer (TA instruments, United States). Parallel plates with <NUM> diameter were used for all the tests. The gap distance between the plates was <NUM>. A constant stress of <NUM> Pa was applied for the frequency spectrum measurement (<FIG>, discussed below). For measurements other than frequency spectrum, a constant <NUM> rad/s angular speed was used. The high stress and low stress used in the shear-thinning (<FIG>) and self-recovery (<FIG>) experiments were <NUM> Pa and <NUM> Pa, respectively. Self-recovery of the modulus was validated after <NUM> cycles of high and low stress. For the temperature stability test (<FIG>, discussed below), the modulus during the heating process was measured with a heating rate of <NUM>/min from room temperature (~<NUM> to about <NUM>) to about <NUM>.

<FIG> are graphs illustrating the rheological properties of the hydrogels. In <FIG>, the frequency spectra of the dynamic moduli (storage modulus G', loss modulus G") of DEX-UPy (DS <NUM>) hydrogels with concentrations of <NUM>% and <NUM>% w/w is shown, where a constant stress of <NUM> Pa was applied. The hydrogel made of the <NUM>% (w/w) DEX-UPy (DS <NUM>) polymer solution had a storage modulus of <NUM> Pa, whereas the hydrogel made of the same polymer with the concentration of <NUM>% (w/w) had a storage modulus of <NUM> Pa. These results illustrate the non-linear relationship between the polymer concentration and the mechanical properties of the polymer.

In <FIG>, the dynamic modulus of the <NUM>% (w/w) hydrogel (DS <NUM>) under increasing stress is depicted. For this example, a shear force was applied to the hydrogel, mimicking the change from the statically stored gel to the mechanical injection of the gel from a syringe. The hydrogel yielded at a critical shear stress level and lost its mechanical integrity, which corresponds to the state of the hydrogel being injected through a needle. At the critical shear stress level, the storage modulus (G') fell below the loss modulus (G"). This phenomenon is a demonstration of the shear-thinning property.

Furthermore, cyclic high and low stresses (σH and σL, respectively) were applied to the hydrogel. <FIG> depicts the dynamic modulus of the <NUM>% (w/w) hydrogel (DS <NUM>) under cyclic high (<NUM> Pa) and low (<NUM> Pa) stresses. Under the low stress, DEX-UPy behaved like a gel. More particularly, at the low stress level, the gel remained stable and the G' was higher than G". At the high stress level, the gel changed into a liquid-like state (sol) with the G' lower than G". The gel state was instantly (within seconds) recovered after the removal of the high stress. The hydrogel could be shear-thinned and recovered for many cycles without significant loss of the mechanical properties.

The stability of the <NUM>% (w/w) hydrogel (DS <NUM>) upon heating was validated by measuring the change of the rheological properties against the temperature. <FIG> depicts the change of the dynamic modulus of the <NUM>% (w/w) hydrogel (DS <NUM>) with temperature. The hydrogel was softened while being heated at a rate of <NUM>/min from room temperature (i.e., the modulus decreased upon heating), but it maintained the gel state even at <NUM>.

The DEX-UPy hydrogels degrade mainly through a physical erosion process, during which the hydrophilic polymer gel disassociates and diffuses to the aqueous environment. To test the degradation/erosion, the hydrogels made of the <NUM>% (w/w) DEX-UPy (DS <NUM>) polymer solution and of the <NUM>% (w/w) DEX-UPy (DS <NUM>) polymer solution were loaded into syringes and stored in a refrigerator at <NUM> overnight. The hydrogels were then injected into <NUM> eppendorf tubes. For every <NUM> hydrogel in a tube, <NUM> PBS (pH7. <NUM>) was added. The tubes were incubated on a shaker with a shaking speed of <NUM> rpm in an incubator at <NUM>. At each predetermined time point, <NUM> samples were collected and freeze-dried. The dry weights were measured on a balance, accurate to <NUM>. The dry weight loss was calculated to quantify the erosion. The results are shown in <FIG>.

The data in <FIG> show that hydrogel with a concentration of <NUM>% and a UPy content of <NUM>% (i.e., <NUM>% (w/w) DEX-UPy (DS <NUM>)) lost <NUM>% mass in four weeks, while the hydrogel with a concentration of <NUM>% and the same UPy content (i.e., <NUM>% (w/w) DEX-UPy (DS <NUM>)) degraded slower, and lost <NUM>% mass in the same time period. The degradation profiles of these hydrogels may be suitable for engineering many tissue types, where the need for a temporary template is typically weeks to months.

Drugs or proteins can be encapsulated in the hydrogel and released over time (e.g., in durations from days to months), which is dependent on the size and characteristics of the drug or protein. To test the drug release, the DEX-UPy powder was dissolved into PBS to prepare a hydrogel with a concentration of <NUM>% (w/w). Doxycycline (DOXY, which is a model drug of small molecules) and bovine serum albumin (BSA, which is a model protein) were predissolved in PBS, and were respectively added into samples of the DEX-UPy solution before they solidified. The final concentration of the hydrogel was <NUM>% with a drug concentration or protein concentration of <NUM>% of the total weight. The hydrogels were loaded into respective syringes. <NUM>µg hydrogels were injected to the bottom of a <NUM> Eppendorf tube. After that, <NUM> PBS was added to the tube. Five hundred µl of the solution was sampled at each time point and <NUM>µl fresh PBS was added.

The release results are shown in <FIG>. The concentration of the released DOXY was measured by quantifying the UV absorbance at <NUM> using UV-spectrophotometer (HITACHI, U-<NUM>). The concentration was determined using a pre-established standard concentration intensity curve. As illustrated, DOXY was nearly completely released in vitro during the first week. The concentration of released BSA was determined using a Micro BCATM Protein Assay Kit (Thermo Scientific) following the standard procedure. BSA was released for more than a month, and there was no significant burst release. Around <NUM>% of BSA was released during the first day. A nearly linear release was achieved for BSA during the entire experimental duration of <NUM> weeks. This sustained release profile for proteins/growth factors is highly desired for tissue engineering applications.

Different types of cells, including chondrocytes and bone marrow stem cells, were encapsulated and cultured in the DEX-Upy Hydrogels.

Articular cartilage was obtained from the femoral heads and knees (condyles and patellar grooves) of four-week-old New Zealand white rabbits (Harlan Sprague Dawley, Michigan, USA) under sterile conditions, stripped of any adherent connective tissue, and minced into small pieces. After digestion with <NUM>% collagenase type II for <NUM> hours, the primary chondrocytes were collected and were passaged for two times. The chondrocytes were cultured in a high glucose DMEM (Gibco) medium containing <NUM>% (v/v) fetal bovine serum.

Rabbit bone marrow-derived cells (BMSCs) were collected via aspiration from the femoral bone marrow using an <NUM>-gauge syringe needle, collecting <NUM> of marrow into <NUM> U of heparin. The marrow was filtered through a cell strainer to exclude fatty tissues and blood clots, and centrifuged at <NUM> rpm for <NUM> minutes. Rabbit BMSCs were collected and cultured in <NUM>-cm<NUM> flasks in low-glucose α-MEM (Gibco) containing <NUM>% fetal bovine serum (Gibco).

Before being dissolved in water, the DEX-UPy powders were sterilized by autoclaving at <NUM> for <NUM> minutes. Hydrogels (<NUM>% (w/w)) were prepared in PBS as previously described. After the hydrogel solution was cooled down to room temperature, chondrocytes or BMSCs in a medium were added and mixed while stirring, diluting the final concentration of the hydrogels to <NUM>% (v/v). The cell density was <NUM> million/ml. To better visualize the cells, the chondrocytes and BMSCs were labeled with ER-Tracker™ Green (BODIPY® FL Glibenclamide, Invitrogen) and MitoTracker® Red CMXRos (Invitrogen), respectively, following the standard procedure.

The cell-hydrogel mixtures were loaded into syringes and injected into a <NUM>-well culture plate, followed by adding DMEM medium (Gibco). The culture medium was changed twice a week.

Confocal images (not shown) were taken, and the images showed the uniform distribution of both types of cells. A live-dead assay (results also not shown) confirmed that both chondrocytes and BMSCs maintained a high viability in the hydrogel as examined after in culture for two weeks, indicating that the DEX-UPy hydrogel is highly biocompatible with mammalian cells.

A self-integrated scaffold for bone-cartilage-complex tissue engineering was prepared. Chondrocytes (for cartilage formation) and BMSCs plus bone morphogenetic protein <NUM> (BMP-<NUM>, for bone regeneration) were encapsulated in two portions of the hydrogel separately, as described in the previous section except the final cell density was <NUM> million/ml. The chondrocyte-containing hydrogel is labeled <NUM> in <FIG> and the BMSCs plus BMP-<NUM>-containing hydrogel is labeled <NUM> in <FIG>. To better visualize the cells, the chondrocytes and BMSCs were labeled with ER-Tracker™ Green (BODIPY® FL Glibenclamide, Invitrogen) and MitoTracker® Red CMXRos (Invitrogen), respectively. Then, the cell-containing hydrogels were injected into the two sides of a disk-shaped PDMS mold (labeled <NUM> in <FIG>, with the inner diameter of <NUM>, outer diameter of <NUM>, and thickness of <NUM>) separated by a baffle film (labeled <NUM> in <FIG>, formed of polytetrafluoroethylene, i.e., TEFLON®) in the middle. The film <NUM> was subsequently removed to allow the integration of the chondrocyte-containing hydrogel and the BMSCs-containing hydrogel. To ensure sufficient time for complete gelation, the culture plate was put in the incubator for <NUM> minutes before adding the culture medium. The integrated hydrogel was observed under a confocal microscope (Olympus Fluoview <NUM>) after being cultured in a DMEM medium (Gibco) for <NUM> days. The two components self-integrated immediately after the baffle film was removed.

<FIG> schematically illustrates the PDMS mold <NUM>, the injection of the cell-containing hydrogels <NUM>, <NUM> into baffle film <NUM>-separated sides of the PDMS mold <NUM>, the removal of the baffle film <NUM>, and the integration of the two hydrogels <NUM>, <NUM> into an integrated cell-gel construct <NUM>. The black and white confocal image of <FIG> shows the clear interface between the chondrocyte-containing hydrogel <NUM> and the BMSCs plus BMP-<NUM>-containing hydrogel <NUM> in the integrated cell-gel construct <NUM>, mimicking the intimate bone-cartilage interface in the joints. No external intervention was necessary to integrate the two cell-loaded gels to construct the bone-cartilage complex.

All animal procedures were carried out under the guidelines of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee of the University of Michigan. Nude mice (<NUM>-<NUM> weeks old, NU/NU, Charles River Laboratories USA) were anaesthetized with <NUM>% isoflurane in balanced oxygen. Three groups of cell-gel constructs (chondrocytes only, BMSCs/BMP-<NUM> only, and self-integrated hydrogel with the two cell types on two sides) were fabricated using the same methods as described above. The cell density was <NUM> million/ml for both chondrocytes and BMSCs in all constructs. The concentration of BMP-<NUM> was <NUM>µg/ml.

The cell-gel constructs were subcutaneously implanted in mice to evaluate the potential of engineering osteochondral complex using the self-integrating hydrogel disclosed herein. The respective cell-gel constructs were implanted into subcutaneous pockets and each mouse received four implants. The implants were randomly arranged in nude mice, with four specimens per group. The constructs were collected after eight weeks and the fibrous capsules were removed.

The samples were used for histological examinations. More specifically, the implanted specimens were collected and fixed in <NUM>% buffered formalin at <NUM> for <NUM> hours. The fixed tissues were then immersed in Tissue-Tek™ CRYO-OCT compound (Sakura Finetek USA, Inc. ) and subsequently stored at -<NUM> overnight. The specimens were cryosectioned at a thickness of <NUM> and stained using Alcian blue and/or Alizarin red. Positive staining of mineralized tissue (Alizarin red, for bone) and sulfated glycosaminoglycan (Alcian blue, for cartilage) in the histological sections validated the formation of cartilage and bone within the single cell groups respectively (shown in black and white in <FIG>). The results demonstrate the capability of the hydrogels disclosed herein in supporting the growth of both bone and cartilage tissues.

The self-integrated osteochondral implants were stained using both Alcian blue and Alizarin red (shown in black and white <FIG>). Both bone and cartilage tissues were identified within their spatially defined regions. The BMSCs/BMP-<NUM> side (left side in <FIG>) displayed positive staining for bone, while the chondrocytes side (right side in <FIG>) showed positive staining for cartilage only. The regenerated bone and cartilage tissues were intimately integrated as shown in the magnified image (shown in black and white <FIG>). Such seamless bone and cartilage integration is desirable in joint function.

The volumes of bone and cartilage tissues were quantified using <NUM> sections from <NUM> different samples. The results are shown in <FIG>. The results show that cartilage occupied larger volume (≈<NUM>%) than bone (≈<NUM>%). The difference in the regenerated tissue volume between the two types of tissues is discussed below.

The results in <FIG> confirmed that a bone-cartilage tissue complex, which resembles the native tissues, was formed after <NUM> weeks of implantation, and also that seamless integration between the two types of tissues was achieved. As such, the hydrogel disclosed herein represents a new class of scaffolding materials and has great potential for engineering various tissue complexes.

Amination may be used when a light yellow color is desirable for the hydrogel. In an example, amination of the dextran would involve first dissolving the dextran (<NUM> mmol sugar unit, MW <NUM>,<NUM>) in <NUM> of anhydrous dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) followed by the addition of <NUM>,<NUM>'-carbonyldiimidazole (<NUM> mmol). The reaction may be carried out under a nitrogen atmosphere at room temperature for about <NUM> hours. <NUM>,<NUM>-Hexanediamine (<NUM> mmol) is then added to the solution, and then the solution is stirred overnight at room temperature. The reaction product is subsequently purified by dialysis (MW cut-off = <NUM>-<NUM> Da) against de-ionized water. Purified aminated dextran is obtained after lyophilization for <NUM> days.

However, a transparent DEX-UPy hydrogel can be prepared without having to first perform amination of the dextran.

To form the transparent DEX-UPy hydrogel, carbonyldiimidazole (CDI) activation of methyl-isocytosine is initially performed. This involved suspending <NUM>-Amino-<NUM>-hydroxy-<NUM>-methypyrimidine (<NUM> mmol) and CDI (<NUM> mmol) in <NUM> DMSO, heating the suspension to <NUM>, and maintaining the suspension at that temperature for <NUM> hour. The reaction mixture was cooled down to room temperature, and <NUM> acetone was added. The precipitate was filtered and dried in vacuum overnight.

Dextran (<NUM>) was dissolved in <NUM> DMSO, while CDI-activated methyl-isocytosine (<NUM>) was dissolved in DMF under mild heating. The solution of DMF was then added into DMSO under stirring. The reaction was carried out at room temperature for <NUM> hours. The reaction product was subsequently purified by dialysis against de-ionized water for <NUM> days and lyophilized for <NUM> days.

PVA (<NUM>) was first dissolved in <NUM> anhydrous dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) with a weight concentration of <NUM>%. To accelerate the dissolution, moderate heat or sonication was used. <NUM> UPy-isocyanate was separately dissolved in <NUM> DMSO. These two solutions were mixed according to predetermined ratio, followed by the addition of one drop DBTDL as a catalyst. The feed ratio (PVA:UPy) in terms of weight were <NUM>:<NUM>, and the PVA concentration was <NUM>%. The mixed solution was stirred and then cured at <NUM> for <NUM> hours. The gel was submersed in de-ionized water for <NUM> hours to replace the DMSO with water and wash the unreacted molecules away. <FIG> is a photograph of an example of the prepared PVA-UPy hydrogel.

<NUM>% chitosan solution was prepared by dissolving <NUM> chitosan in <NUM> water/lactic acid (<NUM>:<NUM>) solution. UPy-isocyanate was separately dissolved in DMSO. To fabricate the gels, <NUM>µl chitosan solution was diluted by <NUM> UPy-isocyanate solution with a weight ratio of <NUM>:<NUM>. One drop of DBTDL was added into the mixed solution. After sufficient stirring, the solution was cured at <NUM> for <NUM> hour. The gel was solvent exchanged with de-ionized water for <NUM> hours. <FIG> is a photograph of an example of the prepared CHI-UPy hydrogel.

To synthesize the UPy grafted HEC, <NUM> HEC (typically Mv=<NUM>, Aldrich) was dissolved in <NUM> anhydrous DMSO under nitrogen atmosphere with magnetic stirring, followed by the adding of UPy-isocyanate (<NUM>) and three drops of DBTDL. The reaction was carried out at <NUM> for <NUM> hours. The resulting solution was precipitate with acetone (<NUM>, Fisher Scientific). The powder was dried in vacuum and re-dissolved in water. The aqueous solution was frozen in freezer and lyophilized for <NUM> days.

To fabricate the hydrogel, <NUM> of the HEC-UPy polymer was dissolved in PBS (<NUM>µl) at around <NUM> with magnetic stirring. The solution was put in <NUM> freezer overnight. The hydrogel formed is shown in <FIG>.

Examples of the hydrogel disclosed herein are injectable and self-integrating. The self-integration occurs within minutes when pieces of the hydrogel are put into contact with one another. This is unlike the self-integration observed in polyethylene glycol (PEG) polymers functionalized with ureido-pyrimidinone at the chain ends, because this integration can take from hours to days due to the slow kinetics involved. In contrast, the modified water soluble polymers disclosed herein contain large numbers of the multi-hydrogen-bond units (UPy) attached along the polymer backbone. As demonstrated in the Examples, stable hydrogels can be formed from UPy interactions without relying on additional hydrophobic interactions or the urea segments as in the PEG-UPy hydrogel. Therefore, the gelation and re-adhesion (self-integrating) occurs in a much shorter time period (e.g., a few minutes).

Furthermore, the DEX-Upy hydrogels disclosed herein are substantially more stable than the hydrophobically modified PEG hydrogel, as indicated by their erosion ("degradation") profiles. The PEG hydrogel has been shown to fully erode and release the cargo in vitro within <NUM> hours, while the DEX-UPy hydrogel tested in Example <NUM> maintained the integrity for longer than a month. Moreover, the DEX-UPy hydrogels were shown to be capable of releasing protein drugs nearly linearly for longer than a month, which should greatly enhance the therapeutic efficacy of the drugs.

The example hydrogels disclosed herein, which combine a biocompatible polymer and multiple UPy units, are injectable and can rapidly self-integrate without using any external stimulus, thus preventing potential harm to the encapsulated cells or biomolecules. These properties are particularly beneficial to tissue engineering applications.

The self-integration characteristic of the hydrogels disclosed herein also enables the hydrogels to be used in engineer multi-tissue complexes. Regeneration of complex tissues is highly challenging because it requires a scaffold that integrates different cells/biomolecules in spatially defined regions. One example is the osteochondral defect, where tightly bounded bone and cartilage need to form simultaneously and be integrated seamlessly. The in vivo results illustrated in Example <NUM> validate the utility of the self-integrating hydrogel in such an occasion. In these results, the bone and cartilage tissues were distributed in opposite sides of the self-integrated construct, where BMSCs/BMP-<NUM> and chondrocytes were initially encapsulated respectively. The histological results confirmed a good integration of two different tissues and they resembled the histoarchitectures of the native tissues. Moreover, based on quantitative analysis of the histology sections, it was found that cartilage occupied a larger volume than bone. Numerous studies have shown that co-culture of BMSCs with chondrocytes, either in mixed state or in close contact, would induce the differentiation of BMSCs to chondrocytes. It is believed that chondrocytes were induced from BMSCs at the interface region and therefore resulted in cartilage formation across the original boundary, leading to more cartilage than bone formation and the seamless integration between these two types of tissues. To generate equal volumes of bone and cartilage, a smaller initial volume of chondrocyte-containing hydrogel could be used.

Overall, the hydrogels disclosed herein are biocompatible, biodegradable and capable of releasing biomolecules sustainably.

Reference throughout the specification to "one example", "another example", "an example", and so forth, means that a particular element (e.g., feature, structure, and/or characteristic) described in connection with the example is included in at least one example described herein, and may or may not be present in other examples.

It is to be understood that the ranges provided herein include the stated range and any value or sub-range within the stated range. For example, a range from room temperature (~<NUM> to about <NUM>) to about <NUM> should be interpreted to include not only the explicitly recited limits of about room temperature (~<NUM> to about <NUM>) to about <NUM>, but also to include individual values, such as <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, etc., and sub-ranges, such as from about <NUM> to about <NUM>, from about <NUM> to about <NUM>, etc. Furthermore, when "about" is utilized to describe a value, this is meant to encompass minor variations (up to +/- <NUM>%) from the stated value.

Claim 1:
A self-integrating hydrogel, comprising:
a water-soluble polymer selected from the group consisting of dextran, poly(vinyl alcohol), and cellulose; and
a pendant chain covalently attached to an oxygen atom, or a nitrogen atom of a backbone of the water-soluble polymer, wherein the pendant chain includes ureido-pyrimidinone; and
wherein a density of substitution of the ureido-pyrimidinone is <NUM> or less.