ANBR Review of hydrogel-based biomaterials for immune system regulation

Abstract: Tay Kah Ping's team at the Department of Biomedical Engineering, National University of Singapore reviewed the rationale for
hydrogel-based biomaterials to reprogram the immune system in recent years.
This article mainly summarizes the latest research progress
of hydrogel biomaterials in promoting lymphoid tissue regeneration, regulating inflammation and enhancing immunotherapy.
Based on the key physical and chemical properties, the design principles and key points of hydrogel materials for programming the immune system are summarized, and the advantages and existing problems of hydrogel biomaterials are discussed, which is expected to further promote their application in
clinical research.

In recent years, immune engineering has attracted more and more attention
due to its applicability and role in tissue regeneration, drug delivery, inflammation control and cancer treatment.
In a 2021 article published in Advanced NanoBiomed Research, Tay Kah Ping's team in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the National University of Singapore reviewed the rationale for
hydrogel-based biomaterials to reprogram the immune system in recent years.

In this work, the authors first discuss the application
of hydrogels in the field of lymphoid tissue regeneration.
Lymphoid tissue defects mainly include dysfunction
of lymphovascular vessels and lymph nodes.
The three-dimensional porous framework of the hydrogel allows it to act as an extracellular matrix of lymphoid tissue, providing conditions
for stimulating lymphatic vessels and lymph node regeneration.
For example, controlling the orderly release of vascular endothelial growth factor through hydrogel can more effectively promote angiogenesis and avoid lymphoproliferation
caused by drug burst release.
At the same time, the extracellular matrix-like properties of hydrogels also provide a material basis
for the proliferation and differentiation of lymphocytes.

Figure 1: Hydrogel for lymphoid tissue regeneration

The authors then elaborate on the application
of hydrogel materials in inflammation regulation.
Its main working principle is mainly divided into physical adsorption, controlled release and intrinsic biological activity
.
Benefiting from its porous three-dimensional structure, hydrogels modified by drugs or antibody molecules can specifically adsorb inflammatory factors in real time, thus avoiding overactivation
of the immune system.
Based on the porous nature of the hydrogel and its degradable properties, the loaded anti-inflammatory factors can be slowly released from the hydrogel framework, reducing the toxic side effects caused by the sudden release of drugs and achieving long-term control
of inflammation.
Some hydrogel materials themselves, such as high molecular weight hyaluronic acid, can promote macrophage polarization
in the direction of inhibiting inflammation.
Such materials avoid the use of some biochemical drugs, greatly reduce their toxic side effects, and are a development direction
for the future regulation of inflammation and the treatment of other diseases.

Figure 2: Hydrogels for inflammation regulation

Next, the authors explain the application of hydrogel biomaterials in the field of immunotherapy, focusing on improving antigen uptake and presentation, and enhancing T cell toxicity
.
On the one hand, the hydrogel can protect the loaded antigen or vaccine from being degraded by biological enzymes in vivo, on the other hand, some loaded chemokines can induce antigen presenting cells such as DC cells to chemotaxis in a targeted manner, enhance the interaction between antigen vaccines and antigen presenting cells, thereby enhancing antigen uptake and presentation efficiency
.
At the same time, hydrogels loaded with immune checkpoint inhibitors can effectively avoid the systemic toxicity of drugs and prolong the action time of drugs through their slow-release effects, thereby minimizing T cell depletion and enhancing their anti-tumor activity
.

Figure 3: Hydrogels are used to enhance immunotherapy

Finally, the authors summarize and look forward
to the field of hydrogels in the programming of the immune system.
Immunotherapy for diseases by adjusting the physical and chemical properties of the hydrogel itself, such as hardness, will be a direction
for future exploration.

WILEY

Paper Information:

Hydrogels for Engineering the Immune System

Xianlei Li, Yufeng Shou, Andy Tay

Advanced NanoBiomed Research

DOI:10.
1002/anbr.
202000073

Click "Read Original" in the lower left corner to view the original paper
.

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Introduction to the journal

Advanced NanoBiomed Research (ANBR) aims to provide a publishing platform for nanomedicine, bioengineering and biomaterials research to improve human health, focusing on the application of these fields in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases, with the aim of becoming the flagship open access journal
of the Advanced series in the field of biomedicine.

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