Characterization of thermosensitive hydrogel incorporated with chitosan modified with hyaluronic acid and bee propolis directed to treat atopic dermatitis

Abstract

The use of bandages made of hydrogel modified with anti-inflammatory and regenerative drugs to step up cutaneous regeneration and control the inflammatory processes has high relevance in medical and tissue engineering fields. In this context, Pluronic, a biologically inert, synthetic, and thermo-responsive hydrogel that may be applied as bioink or bandages, is chemically modifiable, and the addition of chemical compounds and drugs can facilitate the healing or ease the symptoms of chronic cutaneous diseases, such as atopic dermatitis (AD). AD is an incurable chronic condition characterized by atopic eczema; however, treatments are available to relieve and reduce the symptoms based on continuous ointments to relieve itches and tissue damage. There is no biomaterial available and accessible to maintain an effective treatment for long periods. Thus, this project intends to develop and apply a bandage manufactured with Pluronic loaded with bee propolis and chitosan modified with hyaluronic acid to assist AD patients' cutaneous regeneration. The hydrogel is being developed and characterized at PUC's Biomaterial Laboratory, Brazil, and Lund University, Sweden. At Lund University, we plan a complete analysis using a combination of Neutron and X-ray small-angle scattering simultaneously with UV-visible, Raman and fluorescence spectroscopies. The instruments are also referred to as NUrF and SURF, respectively. The multimodal platforms allow us to gather chemical and morphological data on hydrogel and drug behaviors. Specifically, we anticipate to correlate the drug partitioning with the aggregation number, micelle structure and polydispersity, granting a complete analysis to understand the chemical processes involved in the materials development. This hydrogel is predicted to be an effective low-cost alternative to treat AD, to promote symptomatic relief and provide cutaneous regeneration. Notwithstanding the high gain to be achieved for the post-doc researcher with this international cooperation, the background provided is expected to outcome in future applications to spread over the scientific research to the Brazilian head-institution. (AU)