Anatomy

Self-healing hydrogels

Internal medicine

Downregulation and upregulation

Pathology

Polymer chemistry

Hyaluronic acid

Tendon

Fibroblast

Cell adhesion

Biology

Gene

Matrix metalloproteinase

Gene silencing

Composite material

Chemistry

Materials science

In vitro

Immunology

Gelatin

Inflammation

Dermal fibroblast

Wound healing

Adhesion

Cell biology

Biochemistry

Medicine

Advanced Materials

Antiadhesion barriers such as films and hydrogels used to wrap repaired tendons are important for preventing the formation of adhesion tissue after tendon surgery. However, sliding of the tendon can compress the adjacent hydrogel barrier and cause it to rupture, which may then lead to unexpected inflammation. Here, a self-healing and deformable hyaluronic acid (HA) hydrogel is constructed as a peritendinous antiadhesion barrier. Matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2)-degradable gelatin-methacryloyl (GelMA) microspheres (MSs) encapsulated with Smad3-siRNA nanoparticles are entrapped within the HA hydrogel to inhibit fibroblast proliferation and prevent peritendinous adhesion. GelMA MSs are responsively degraded by upregulation of MMP-2, achieving on-demand release of siRNA nanoparticles. Silencing effect of Smad3-siRNA nanoparticles is around 75% toward targeted gene. Furthermore, the self-healing hydrogel shows relatively attenuated inflammation compared to non-healing hydrogel. The mean adhesion scores of composite barrier group are 1.67 ± 0.51 and 2.17 ± 0.75 by macroscopic and histological evaluation, respectively. The proposed self-healing hydrogel antiadhesion barrier with MMP-2-responsive drug release behavior is highly effective for decreasing inflammation and inhibiting tendon adhesion. Therefore, this research provides a new strategy for the development of safe and effective antiadhesion barriers.

Self‐Healing Hydrogel Embodied with Macrophage‐Regulation and Responsive‐Gene‐Silencing Properties for Synergistic Prevention of Peritendinous Adhesion