The Synthesis of RGD-functionalized Hydrogels as a Tool for Therapeutic Applications

Summary

We present a protocol for the synthesis of RGD-functionalized hydrogels as devices for cell and drug delivery. The procedure involves copper catalyzed alkyne-azide cycloaddition (CuAAC) between alkyne-modified polyacrylic acid (PAA) and a RGD-azide derivative. The hydrogels are formed using microwave-assisted polycondensation and their physicochemical properties are investigated.

Abstract

The use of polymers as biomaterials has provided significant advantages in therapeutic applications. In particular, the possibility to modify and functionalize polymer chains with compounds that are able to improve biocompatibility, mechanical properties, or cell viability allows the design of novel materials to meet new challenges in the biomedical field. With the polymer functionalization strategies, click chemistry is a powerful tool to improve cell-compatibility and drug delivery properties of polymeric devices. Similarly, the fundamental need of biomedicine to use sterile tools to avoid potential adverse-side effects, such as toxicity or contamination of the biological environment, gives rise to increasing interest in the microwave-assisted strategy.

The combination of click chemistry and the microwave-assisted method is suitable to produce biocompatible hydrogels with desired functionalities and improved performances in biomedical applications. This work aims to synthesize RGD-functionalized hydrogels. RGD (arginylglycylaspartic acid) is a tripeptide that can mimic cell adhesion proteins and bind to cell-surface receptors, creating a hospitable microenvironment for cells within the 3D polymeric network of the hydrogels. RGD functionalization occurs through Huisgen 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition. Some PAA carboxyl groups are modified with an alkyne moiety, whereas RGD is functionalized with azido acid as the terminal residue of the peptide sequence. Finally, both products are used in a copper catalyzed click reaction to permanently link the peptide to PAA. This modified polymer is used with carbomer, agarose and polyethylene glycol (PEG) to synthesize a hydrogel matrix. The 3D structure is formed due to an esterification reaction involving carboxyl groups from PAA and carbomer and hydroxyl groups from agarose and PEG through microwave-assisted polycondensation. The efficiency of the gelation mechanism ensures a high degree of RGD functionalization. In addition, the procedure to load therapeutic compounds or biological tools within this functionalized network is very simple and reproducible.

Introduction

Hydrogels are three-dimensional networks formed by hydrophilic cross-linked polymers, which are natural or synthetic, and characterized by a distinctive three-dimensional structure. These devices are increasingly attractive in the biomedical fields of drug delivery, tissue engineering, gene carriers and smart sensors^1,2. Indeed, their high water content, as well as their rheological and mechanical properties make them suitable candidates to mimic soft tissue microenvironments and make them effective tools for water-soluble cytokine or growth factor delivery. One of the most promising use is as an injectable biomaterial carrying cells and bioactive compounds....

Protocol

Note: The chemicals are used as received. Linear RGD is purchased, but it can be prepared by standard Fmoc solid phase peptide synthesis^16,19. Solvents are of analytical grade. The dialysis requires the use of membrane with a M_w cut-off equal to 3,500 Da. The synthesized compounds are characterized by ¹H NMR spectra recorded on a 400 MHz spectrometer using chloroform (CDCl₃) or deuterium oxide (D₂O) as solvents, and chemical shifts are reported as δ values in parts per million. Furthermore, hydrogels are subjected to FT-IR analysis using KBr pellet technique and their physical characterization involves gelati....

Discussion

The PAA post-polymerization modification with alkyne moieties and the RGD functionalization with the azide group guarantee the formation of a stable bond between the polymer and the peptide. Indeed, triazole serves as a rigid linking unit among the carbon atoms, attached to the 1,4 positions of the 1,2,3-triazole ring and it cannot be cleaved hydrolytically or otherwise. In addition, triazole is extremely difficult to oxidize and reduce, unlike other cyclic structures such as benzenoids and related aromatic heterocycles<.......

Materials

Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
Poly(acrylic acid) solution average Mw ~ 100,000, 35 wt % in H2O	Sigma Aldrich	523925	CAS 9003-01-4
Poly(ethylene glycol) 2,000	Sigma Aldrich	84797	CAS 25322-68-3
Carbomeer 974P	Fagron	1387083
Agarose	Invitrogen Corp.	16500-500	UltraPure Agarose
RGD peptide	abcam	ab142698
4-azidobutanoic acid	Aurum Pharmatech	Z-2421	CAS 54447-68-6
Oxalyl chloride	Sigma Aldrich	O8801	CAS 79-37-8
Propargylamine hydrochloride 95%	Sigma Aldrich	P50919	CAS 15430-52-1
Copper(I) iodide	Sigma Aldrich	3140	CAS 7681-65-4
Sodium ascorbate	Sigma Aldrich	Y0000039	CAS 134-03-2
Phosphate buffered saline	Sigma Aldrich	P4417
Dialysis Membrane	Spectrum Laboratories, Inc.	132725	Spectra/Por 3 Dialysis Membrane  Standard RC Tubing                      MWCO: 3,5 kD