Characterization and biological evaluation of a novel flavonoid-collagen antioxidant hydrogel with cytoprotective properties.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) play a critical and important role during wound healing but excess ROS at the wound site can lead to cellular damage and sub-optimal healing. Minimizing oxidative damage to the wound site and any supplemental therapeutic cells can be achieved by delivering exogenous antioxidants. Collagen hydrogels are ideal wound care materials due to their biocompatibility, high water content, and porous, three-dimensional architecture.

High-Axial-Aspect Tannic Acid Microparticles Facilitate Gelation and Injectability of Collagen-Based Hydrogels.

Injectable collagen-based hydrogels offer great promise for tissue engineering and regeneration, but their use is limited by poor mechanical strength. Herein, we incorporate tannic acid (TA) to tailor the rheology of the corresponding hydrogels while simultaneously adding the therapeutic benefits inherent to this polyphenolic component. TA in the solution form and needle-shaped TA microparticles are combined with collagen and the respective systems studied for their time-dependent sol-gel transitions (from storage to body temperatures, 4-37 °C) as a function of TA concentration.

Implementing Efficient Peptoid-Mediated Delivery of RNA-Based Therapeutics to the Vocal Folds.

Objective: We hypothesize that Smad3 is a master regulator of fibrosis in the vocal folds (VFs) and RNA-based therapeutics targeting Smad3 hold therapeutic promise. Delivery remains challenging. We previously described a novel synthetic peptoid oligomer, lipitoid , complexed with siRNA to improve stability and cellular uptake.

Nanoparticle delivery of RNA-based therapeutics to alter the vocal fold tissue response to injury.

Objectives/hypothesis: Our laboratory and others hypothesized that Smad3 is a principle mediator of the fibrotic phenotype in the vocal folds (VFs), and we further posited that alteration of Smad3 expression through short interfering (si)RNA holds therapeutic promise, yet delivery remains challenging. To address this issue, we employed a novel synthetic oligomer, lipitoid, complexed with siRNA to improve stability and cellular uptake with the goal of increased efficiency of RNA-based therapeutics.

Study Design: In vitro study and in vivo animal model.

Rapid identification of metal-binding peptoid oligomers by on-resin X-ray fluorescence screening.

N-Substituted glycine peptoid oligomers have recently attracted attention for their metal binding capabilities. Due to their efficient synthesis on solid phase, peptoids are well suited for generation of compound libraries, followed by screening for molecular recognition and other diverse functional attributes. Ideally, peptoids could be simultaneously screened for binding to a number of metal species.