Hydrogel

Trehalose, a remarkable substance, holds great importance in biomedicine for its anti-inflammatory properties and its capacity to hinder scar formatio…

Atherosclerosis, cholesterol-driven plaque formation in arteries, is a complex multicellular disease which is a leading cause of vascular diseases. During the progression of atherosclerosis, the autophagic function is impaired, resulting in lipid accumulation-mediated foam cell formation. The stimulation of autophagy is crucial for the recovery of cellular recycling process. One of the potential autophagy inducers is trehalose, a naturally occurring non-reducing disaccharide. However, trehalose has poor bioavailability due to its hydrophilic nature which results in poor penetration through cell membranes. To enhance its bioavailability, we developed trehalose-releasing nanogels (TNG) for the treatment of atherosclerosis. The nanogels were fabricated through copolymerization of 6-O-acryloyl-trehalose with the selected acrylamide-type monomers affording a high trehalose conjugation (~ 58%, w/w). TNG showed a relatively small hydrodynamic diameter (dH, 67 nm) and a uniform spherical shape and were characterized by negative ζ potential (-18 mV). Thanks to the trehalose-rich content, TNG demonstrated excellent colloidal stability in biological media containing serum and were non-hemolytic to red blood cells. In vitro study confirmed that TNG could stimulate autophagy in foam cells and enhance lipid efflux and in vivo study in ApoE−/− mice indicated a significant reduction in atherosclerotic plaques, while increasing autophagic markers. In conclusion, TNG hold great promise as a trehalose delivery system to restore impaired autophagy-mediated lipid efflux in atherosclerosis and subsequently reduce atherosclerotic plaques. Graphical abstract

The 10% trehalose spray improved salivary pH, unstimulated salivary flow rate, and the quality-of-life dimensions linked with physical, pain/discomfort, and psychological signs. The clinical efficacy of 10% trehalose spray was equivalent with CMC-based saliva substitutes for relieving radiation-indu …

Dry eye disease (DED) is common in postmenopausal women. This study evaluated efficacy of a 3-month daily treatment with artificial tears containing t…

Trehalose is added in drug formulations to act as fillers or improve aerosolization performance. Its characteristics as a carrier molecule have been e…

Phenylboronic acid (PBA)-based polymeric hydrogels have been widely considered as one of the most promising insulin delivery system to replace the frequent insulin injections. However, these hydrogels, mostly based on a variety of PBA-containing acrylamide monomers, are still far from clinical reali …

Effective delivery of therapeutic proteins is important for many biomedical applications. Yet, the stabilization of proteins during delivery and long-term storage remains a significant challenge. Herein, a trehalose-based hydrogel is reported that stabilizes insulin to elevated temperatures prior to …

Preservation of blood plasma in the dried state would facilitate long-term storage and transport at ambient temperatures, without the need of to use liquid nitrogen tanks or freezers. The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of dry preservation of human plasma, using sugars as lyopro …

Trehalose, a natural disaccharide, is primarily known for its ability to protect proteins from inactivation and denaturation caused by a variety of stress conditions. Furthermore, over the past few years, it has emerged as a promising therapeutic candidate for treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. Herein, we examine the attachment of trehalose to polymers for release under selected physiologically relevant conditions. The proposed strategies are evaluated specifically using hydrogels undergoing simultaneous degradation during trehalose release. These materials are fabricated via copolymerization of the appropriate acrylamide-type monomers with polymerizable trehalose esters or benzylidene acetals. This provides trehalose release in a slightly alkaline (i.e., pH 7.4) or mildly acidic (i.e., pH 5.0) environment, respectively. Using this method materials containing up to 51.7 wt% of trehalose are obtained. The presented results provide a solid basis for future studies on polymeric materials intended for trehalose release in biological systems.

UCLA researchers in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry have developed a novel trehalose hydrogel to help stabilize proteins for drug delivery.

Cold stress is an important environmental factor restricting the cultivation of melons in winter and spring. Exogenous trehalose (Tre) can improve the…