Introduction:: Hydrogel patches are an established method to foster healing in chronic wounds, deep tissue lacerations, and burns. Many of these gels have integrated anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial pharmaceuticals that take hours to diffuse from the gel to the patient’s skin. The objective of this project was to create a hydrogel matrix that is suitable for nutrient and drug delivery in applications utilizing a novel cellulosic hydrogel; TEMPO-CNF (cellulose nanofibril) hydrogels.
Materials and Methods:: This project examined diffusion, dose, and mechanical degradation characteristics of cellulose based hydrogels. In this study, various levels of cross-linking were explored, utilizing previously established and FDA approved dilute citric acid solutions, and the resulting properties evaluated. Briefly, gels of varying total solids fraction (weight percent) were individually exposed to citric acid for systematically increasing time intervals (1-30 minutes). Loading with vaccine analog fluorescent/dye molecules will be performed both pre and post cross-linking, and the resulting characteristics compared.
The diffusion rate (and diffusion coefficient: D) were found using a specially adapted UV-Vis spectrophotometer. This was equipped with an interfacial cuvette, where samples of the prepared ‘candidate’ hydrogel, loaded with the appropriate marker dye, are placed in physical contact with a control gel of similar composition. Using the intensity data, the diffusion rate of the dye into the clear hydrogel will be calculated. Data will be analyzed against known kinetic/diffusion models, increasing our understanding of diffusion properties within systems of this type.
Results, Conclusions, and Discussions:: The results from these experiments will provide further insight into the effectiveness of TEMPO-CNF hydrogels in transdermal drug and nutrient delivery. Exploring various hydrogel formulations is a necessary step to finding the most favorable solution. This research could then lead directly into in-vivo studies observing the effectiveness of cellulose-based hydrogels in animal models. Ultimately resulting in both a cost-effective and innovative solution to potentially help thousands of patients with chronic wounds.
