Thermoresponsive and Biodegradable Hydrogels for Sustained Release of Nerve Growth Factor to Stimulate Neurite Outgrowth

摘要

A series of thermoresponsive and biodegradable hydrogels were developed for sustained release of nerve growth factor (NGF) for ultimate goal of treating neurological disorders. These hydrogels were composed of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) as a thermoresponsive unit, poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA) as a hydrolytically degradable and hydrophobic unit, and dextran as an enzymatically degradable and hydrophilic unit. NGF was loaded into these hydrogels in aqueous solution with various loading efficiencies depending on the compositions of hydrogels. In-vitro release study showed that the release of NGF from these hydrogels could last for at least 15 days. NGF released from the hydrogels was able to stimulate neurite growth from PC12 cells.