Injectable Hydrogel Adhesive for Improved Muscle Regeneration

The Problem

Although it was only given a clinical definition in 2010, volumetric muscle loss (VML) has been a persistent problem in medicine for centuries. VML can be caused by injuries, diseases, and some surgical procedures like removing a tumor, and results in so much damage to a muscle that its function is permanently compromised, leading to long-term disability. There is currently no effective treatment for VML. Procedures like physical therapy and transplantation of muscle flaps from elsewhere in a patient’s body to the VML site typically only modestly improve range of motion, and don’t increase muscle strength.

Biomaterials have recently generated significant interest as a possible solution to this problem, as they can in theory physically fill in the missing muscle to deliver regenerative therapeutics. However, most biomaterials are plagued by the challenge of remaining in place, as muscles move continuously, and also do not sufficiently degrade over time to allow regenerating tissue to replace the biomaterial and recreate a functional muscle.

Our Solution

Wyss researchers in the lab of Founding Core Faculty member Dave Mooney, Ph.D. have created a new class of injectable, adhesive biomaterials that overcomes these challenges and is poised to become the leading solution for VML. These adhesives are non-invasively delivered directly to the site of VML injury, where they promote muscle regeneration by stimulating the formation of new muscle fibers and blood vessels. They strongly adhere to muscle tissues and move with them, rapidly self-heal if they tear, and can be tuned to biodegrade over a desired period of time so that healthy muscle tissue can regrow in their place.

In experiments using mouse models of VML, treated mice’s injured leg muscles displayed increased muscle mass and produced greater force than untreated mice over a four-week period. Imaging studies confirmed that the adhesive remained in its intended location four days after injection, while other injected materials were frequently displaced. After 15 days, the adhesive almost completely degraded, and the mice showed higher levels of muscle regeneration, including an increased number of nuclei in muscle fibers and two blood markers for blood vessel and muscle fiber formation. It also promoted the polarization of macrophages into an anti-inflammatory state.

The biomaterial adhesive also successfully adhered to other tissues including pig skin, heart, and skeletal muscle. Its design allows it to be customized for specific applications by adjusting its chemical makeup and molecular weight. A paper describing its properties in detail is published in Biomaterials.

Product Journey

This class of adhesives is attractive for use in both human patients and veterinary contexts. The team is seeking an industrial partner who is interested in licensing this technology for commercialization.