Preventing post-surgical cardiac adhesions with a catechol-functionalized oxime hydrogel

• Published in: Nature communications 2021-06, Vol.12 (1), p.3764-14, Article 3764
• Main Authors: Fujita, Masaki, Policastro, Gina M., Burdick, Austin, Lam, Hillary T., Ungerleider, Jessica L., Braden, Rebecca L., Huang, Diane, Osborn, Kent G., Omens, Jeffrey H., Madani, Michael M., Christman, Karen L.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 13; 13/106; 631/61/54/990; 639/166/985; 639/301/54; Adhesion; Aldehydes; Aldehydes - chemistry; Animals; Biocompatibility; Biocompatible Materials - chemistry; Biocompatible Materials - therapeutic use; Biodegradability; Biodegradation; Cardiac Surgical Procedures - adverse effects; Catechol; Catechols - chemistry; Cell adhesion; Cell Line; Heart; Heart function; Humanities and Social Sciences; Hydrogels; Hydrogels - chemistry; Hydrogels - therapeutic use; In vivo methods and tests; Male; Mechanical properties; Mice; multidisciplinary; Oximes - chemistry; Oximes - therapeutic use; Polyethylene glycol; Polyethylene Glycols - chemistry; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Retention; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Swelling; Swine; Tissue Adhesions - prevention & control
• ISSN: 2041-1723; 2041-1723
• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-24104-w

Post-surgical cardiac adhesions represent a significant problem during routine cardiothoracic procedures. This fibrous tissue can impair heart function and inhibit surgical access in reoperation procedures. Here, we propose a hydrogel barrier composed of oxime crosslinked poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) with the inclusion of a catechol (Cat) group to improve retention on the heart for pericardial adhesion prevention. This three component system is comprised of aldehyde (Ald), aminooxy (AO), and Cat functionalized PEG mixed to form the final gel (Ald-AO-Cat). Ald-AO-Cat has favorable mechanical properties, degradation kinetics, and minimal swelling, as well as superior tissue retention compared to an initial Ald-AO gel formulation. We show that the material is cytocompatible, resists cell adhesion, and led to a reduction in the severity of adhesions in an in vivo rat model. We further show feasibility in a pilot porcine study. The Ald-AO-Cat hydrogel barrier may therefore serve as a promising solution for preventing post-surgical cardiac adhesions. Postsurgical adhesions are a problem during routine cardiothoracic procedures. Here, the authors report on a catechol functionalised hydrogel as an anti-adhesion material with improved retention on the heart which is biocompatible and biodegradable with minimal swelling, demonstrating application in vivo.