Photo-crosslinked hyaluronic acid-based hydrogels for in vitro drug delivery

In recent years, novel drug delivery systems have been widely investigated to meet certain therapeutic needs and to optimize drug release patterns. To obtain hydrogels with excellent properties, self-healing hyaluronic acid (HA) with enhanced mechanical stability (compressive stress up to 572.02 kPa), was prepared by dynamic covalent bonding (acylhydrazone, imine, and disulfide) between aldehyde-modified HA and quaternized carboxymethyl chitosan (QCS), 3, 3′-dithiobis-propionylhydrazine (DTP), and hydrazide hyaluronic acid (DHA), and photocrosslinking in the hydrogel network structure. Acid-based hydrogels with enhanced mechanical stability. Due to the dynamic covalent bonding, the hydrogel has a rapid self-healing ability (up to 94.08%), and at the same time, this cross-linking method also improves the mechanical stability of the hydrogel and prolongs the stabilization time of the hydrogel. By changing the cross-linking mode of the hydrogel, the internal structure, swelling behavior, and drug release behavior of the hydrogel can be adjusted. In addition, the hydrogels exhibit excellent cytocompatibility and antimicrobial properties, showing potential applications in the biomedical field. Hydrogels are prepared by dynamic covalent bonding and photopolymerization.Hydrogel shows rapid self-healing ability due to dynamic bonds.Hydrogels exhibit tunable structure, swelling, and drug release. Hydrogels are prepared by dynamic covalent bonding and photopolymerization. Hydrogel shows rapid self-healing ability due to dynamic bonds. Hydrogels exhibit tunable structure, swelling, and drug release.