Masters Applied Projects

Project 2

Material Degradation and Dissolution Kinetics of Alginate and PEG Hydrogels

Student:

Amanda Chu

Mentors:

Dr. Stephen Massia -SBSHE

Dr. Mehdi Nikkhah -SBSHE

Dr. Jessica Weaver - SBSHE

YouTube Link:
View the video link below before joining the zoom meeting

Zoom link:
https://asu.zoom.us/j/643 995 3929

Abstract:

There is limited research on the use of synthetic polyethylene glycol (PEG)-based hydrogel for islet encapsulation and transplantation. Synthetic PEG macro devices display similar passive molecular transport and long-term stability as traditional microencapsulation materials such as alginate. Crosslinking PEG hydrogels with different peptides result in different degradation rates, with GPQ being the fastest, VPM being the second fastest, GPQ-W being the slowest, and PEG-dithiol being non-degradable. In this project, I crosslinked PEG hydrogels with GDQ, VPM, and PEG-Dithiol cross-linking peptides and compared their degradation rate in 0.005 U/mL collagenase to the degradation rate of alginate hydrogels in 5mM and 10mM Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA). Analyses was done by integrating fluorescent dyes, AF555, AF647 and FITC-dextran, into the gels and imaging the progression of dye dissolution using an EVOS inverted microscope system. This novel hydrogel formation has potential to improve graft islet transplantation survival rates in type 1 diabetes patients through immunosuppression and improving vascularization at the surface of the graft. Results from this study will help understand the interactions between hydrogels and different degrading solutions.