Patent ID: 8025901

Claim:
A method of administering pharmacologically-active agents or cells to a patient in need thereof, the method comprising administering a hydrogel to a patient in need of the pharmacologically-active agent or cells, wherein the pharmacologically-active agent or living cells are entrained within the hydrogel, and the hydrogel comprises: a first polymer matrix containing reactive amino acid moieties; a second polymer matrix that interpenetrates with the first polymer matrix; a bifunctional modifier comprising a compound of formula: wherein at least one of the “A” or “Z” moieties is covalently bonded to the reactive amino moieties of the polymer matrix; and wherein “A” and “Z” are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, halo, hydroxy, C 1 -C 24 -alkyl, C 1 -C 24 -alkenyl, C 1 C 24 -alkynyl, C 1 -C 24 -alkoxy, C 1 -C 24 -heteroalkyl, C 1 -C 24 -hetero alkenyl, C 1 -C 24 -heteroalkynyl, cyano-C 1 -C 24 -alkyl, C 3 -C 10 -cycloalkyl, C 3 -C 10 -cyclo alkenyl, C 3 -C 10 -cycloalkynyl, C 3 -C 10 cycloheteroalkyl, C 3 -C 10 -cycloheteroalkenyl, C 3 -C 10 -cycloheteroalkynyl, acyl, acyl-C 1 -C 24 -alkyl, acyl-C 1 -C 24 -alkenyl, acyl-C 1 -C 24 -alkenyl, carboxy, C 1 -C 24 -alkylcarboxy, C 1 -C 24 -alkenylcarboxy, C 1 -C 24 -alkynylcarboxy, carboxy-C 1 -C 24 -alkyl, carboxy-C 1 -C 24 -alkenyl, carboxy-C 1 -C 24 -alkynyl, aryl, aryl-C 1 -C 24 -alkyl, aryl-C 1 -C 24 -alkenyl, aryl-C 1 -C 24 -alkynyl, heteroaryl, heteroaryl-C 1 -C 24 -alkyl, heteroaryl-C 1 -C 24 -alkenyl, heteroaryl-C 1 -C 24 -alkynyl, sulfonate, arylsulfonate, and heteroarylsulfonate; “m” is an integer of from 2 to 8; and “n” is an integer equal to or greater than 100.