SUPRAMOLECULAR ASSEMBLIES AS INJECTABLE HYDROGEL FOR OSTHEOARTRITIS TREATMENT

Injectable hydrogels continue to gain interest as scaffolds for biomolecule/drug delivery and tissue engineering due to their potential for minimally invasive administration and tunability in properties. In recent years, they have seen a continueous advance and creativity in their design, fabrication and application areas. In order to maximize their resemblance with the cellular microenvironment they're made of biocompatible and versatile bio-polymers that can be modified by introducing various functional sites. Currently, we are exploring the best experimental conditions to obtain a hydrogel scaffold formed by the supramolecular interaction between different polymer networks (i.e. hyaluronic acid and a cationic poly-cyclodextrin) using a bifunctional adamantanyl cross- linker agent. Thus, the tridimensional interconnected nanoassemblies can incorporate, even thanks to the presence of CD cavities, therapeutic cargos (i.e. FANS), diagnostic probes, growth and adhesion factors, exosomes and other cell-derived materials