Injectable and Sprayable Albumin/Serum Hydrogels that Demonstrate the Complete Coverage of a Wound and Possess Dynamically and Spatially Controllable Material Properties for the Prevention of Post-Operative Adhesion

Since the degree of severity and geometry of wounds vary, it is necessary to prepare an anti-adhesive hydrogel that possesses dynamically controllable material properties, exhibits biodegradability, and possesses drug-releasing properties. Injectable, sprayable, oxygen peroxide (H2O2)-sensitive and photo-cross-linkable hydrogels that permit in situ dynamic and spatial control of their physicochemical properties were synthesized for the prevention of postoperative adhesion. Albumin is the most abundant protein in blood serum and serves as a carrier for a number of molecules that exhibit poor water solubility. It is therefore a suitable biomaterial for the fabrication of hydrogels since it presents a low risk of life-threatening complications and does not require immunosuppressive therapy for preventing graft rejection. As micromolar concentrations of endogenous H2O2 are produced after tissue damage, aqueous pre-polymer solutions that exhibit solution-to-gel transition behaviors in response to H2O2 were developed. These solutions form a thin layer of hydrogel that fully covers the wound site and acts as a barrier. The physicochemical properties of this hydrogel can then be spatially post-adjusted via transdermal exposure to light to release drugs, depending on what is required for the particular injury. A significant reduction in postoperative peritoneal adhesion was observed in an animal model involving severe sidewall and bowel abrasions. This study demonstrated that the fabricated dually cross-linked, albumin-based hydrogels have great potential in such applications because they showed a low immune response, easy handling, full wound coverage, and tunable biodegradability. Precise spatial and controllable drug-release profiles may also be achieved via in situ transdermal post-tuning of the biomaterials, depending on the injury.