The effects of molecular weight of hyaluronic acid-based hydrogels on immunomodulation

초록

Hydrogel-based therapy can act as a scaffold and guide axon extension, making it a promising strategy for spinal cord injury (SCI) treatment. Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a promising candidate for hydrogel due to its biocompatibility, minimal immunogenicity, and tunable mechanical properties. HA also has immunomodulatory effects, which vary depending on its molecular weight. In this study, we identified the characteristics and immunomodulatory effects of HA-based hydrogels that differ depending on the molecular weight of HA to optimize for SCI treatment. We prepared three different molecular weights of HA-based hydrogel as a crosslinker for PEG-SH4. These hydrogels are tested for a variety of properties including pore size, swelling ratio, degradation rate, and elastic modulus. To confirm the effect on immune cells, raw 264.7 cells were cultured in 3D with hydrogels. Using the culture, cytotoxicity and cell growth were confirmed. We also investigated expressions of the inflammatory-related markers and genes through ICC and RT-qPCR. Our data indicates that the properties of hydrogels can be tuned by controlling the molecular weight of HA. The results of the 3D culture in hydrogels show different proliferation and expression of inflammatory markers depending on the molecular weight. These findings indicate that HA-based hydrogels have different properties and immunomodulatory effects depending on the molecular weight of HA. By leveraging these effects, we can optimize the hydrogel for specific purposes. Moreover, HA-based hydrogel has the potential to be developed as an immunotherapy platform for inflammation-derived disorders.