Abstract: A tissue adhesion prevention hydrogel is provided and engineered with essential features for maintaining separation between tissues and organs in any part of the body, thus preventing adhesion formation, are their shear-thinning, viscoelasticity, and rapid self-healing. A method of using the tissue adhesion prevention hydrogel for tissue adhesion prevention is also provided. A method of interposing the tissue adhesion prevention in between tissue layers for tissue adhesion prevention is further provided.

Abstract: Preclinical cancer research is heavily dependent on allograft and xenograft models, but current approaches to tumor inoculation yield inconsistent tumor formation and growth, ultimately wasting valuable resources (e.g., animals, time, and money) and limiting experimental progress. A method and kit for tumor inoculation is disclosed using self-assembled hydrogels to reliably generate tumors with low variance in growth. The observed reduction in model variance enables smaller animal cohorts, improved effect observation and higher-powered studies.

Abstract: An immunotherapy delivery system includes a hydrogel with an immunomodulatory cargo including cells encapsulated in the hydrogel, a cell adhesion motif in the hydrogel configured to reversibly adhere to and release the cells, and an immunomodulatory cargo encapsulated in the hydrogel. The hydrogel includes a polymer non-covalently crossed-linked with a plurality of nanoparticles.

Abstract: Fouling on the surface of biomaterials and medical devices by proteins and microorganisms in the body severely hinders device functionality and drastically shortens lifetime. Currently, there is high demand for coatings that mitigate this biofouling. In this invention, the use of polyacrylamides has been explored in hydrogel coatings by building the largest library of acrylamide-based copolymer anti-biofouling hydrogels (>160 combinations) to date. A combinatorial approach was used, exploiting the ease of hydrogel synthesis to examine a high-throughput screening of platelet adhesion, precursor to thrombosis and a common culprit in biofouling. Applicability has been demonstrated of top-performing polyacrylamide-based hydrogel by (i) coating affinity-based electrochemical biosensors in vitro in a whole blood assay, and (ii) through coating an electrochemical aptamer-based device for real-time monitoring of analytes in an in vivo closed-loop system.

Abstract: The modification of biomolecules, small molecules, and other agents of via conjugation of excipients, tags, or labels is of great importance. For example, the modification of therapeutic agents can confer improved stability, solubility, duration of action, or pharmacological properties. Supramolecular chemistry utilizes specific, directional, reversible, non-covalent molecular recognition motifs in order to achieve organization of molecules, and can be used to complex tags to agents of interest (e.g., insulin, glucagon, antibodies). The present invention provides useful supramolecular complexes wherein an agent of interest is specifically bound to a host via non-covalent interactions, and wherein the host is conjugated to a tag. The present invention also provides methods and compounds useful in preparing supramolecular complexes, and methods of treating diseases using the supramolecular complexes.

Abstract: The modification of biomolecules, small molecules, and other agents of via conjugation of excipients, tags, or labels is of great importance. For example, the modification of therapeutic agents can confer improved stability, solubility, duration of action, or pharmacological properties. Supramolecular chemistry utilizes specific, directional, reversible, non-covalent molecular recognition motifs in order to achieve organization of molecules, and can be used to complex tags to agents of interest (e.g., insulin, glucagon, antibodies). The present invention provides useful supramolecular complexes wherein an agent of interest is specifically bound to a host via non-covalent interactions, and wherein the host is conjugated to a tag. The present invention also provides methods and compounds useful in preparing supramolecular complexes, and methods of treating diseases using the supramolecular complexes.

Abstract: An immunomodulatory delivery system includes a hydrogel, a first immunomodulatory cargo encapsulated in the cargo, and a second immunomodulatory cargo encapsulated in the hydrogel. The hydrogel includes a polymer non-covalently crossed-linked with a plurality of nanoparticles. The first immunomodulatory cargo is smaller than the second immunomodulatory cargo. A ratio of a diffusivity of the first immunomodulatory cargo through the hydrogel to a diffusivity of the second immunomodulatory cargo through the hydrogel is less than 3.

Abstract: Described herein are polymers, polymeric gels, or a composition thereof, for drug delivery. The polymers, which include boronic-acid containing moieties (e.g., and polyol-containing moieties (e.g., are prepared by free-radical polymerization and can self-assemble into polymeric gels such as hydrogels. Also provided are methods or preparing the polymers, kits involving the polymers and/or polymeric gels or a composition thereof, for use as materials or delivery applications of an agent to a subject.

Abstract: A method of preventing tissue adhesion includes forming an incision in tissue, applying a hydrogel to tissue through the incision, and closing the incision with the hydrogel therein. The hydrogel includes a polymer non-covalently cross-linked with a plurality of nanoparticles and prevents a formation of adhesions between tissues and/or organs.

Abstract: The modification of biomolecules, small molecules, and other agents of via conjugation of excipients, tags, or labels is of great importance. For example, the modification of therapeutic agents can confer improved stability, solubility, duration of action, or pharmacological properties. Supramolecular chemistry utilizes specific, directional, reversible, non-covalent molecular recognition motifs in order to achieve organization of molecules, and can be used to complex tags to agents of interest (e.g., insulin, glucagon, antibodies). The present invention provides useful supramolecular complexes wherein an agent of interest is specifically bound to a host via non-covalent interactions, and wherein the host is conjugated to a tag. The present invention also provides methods and compounds useful in preparing supramolecular complexes, and methods of treating diseases using the supramolecular complexes.

Abstract: A tissue adhesion prevention hydrogel is provided and engineered with essential features for maintaining separation between tissues and organs in any part of the body, thus preventing adhesion formation, are their shear-thinning, viscoelasticity, and rapid self-healing. A method of using the tissue adhesion prevention hydrogel for tissue adhesion prevention is also provided. A method of interposing the tissue adhesion prevention in between tissue layers for tissue adhesion prevention is further provided.

Abstract: We describe a method of storing a gas, in particular hydrogen, comprising: providing a polymer sponge, wherein said polymer sponge comprises a plurality of catalytic nanoparticles; providing a solution of reactants, catalyzed by said nanoparticles to produce said gas; absorbing said solution into said polymer sponge such that said reactants react within said polymer sponge to produce said gas; wherein said gas is held within said polymer sponge; and wherein said polymer sponge comprises a thermally responsive polymer having a volume which reduces with a change in temperature, such that said gas held within said polymer is extractable by changing a temperature of said polymer sponge.

Abstract: We describe a method of storing a gas, in particular hydrogen, comprising: providing a polymer sponge, wherein said polymer sponge comprises a plurality of catalytic nanoparticles; providing a solution of reactants, catalysed by said nanoparticles to produce said gas; absorbing said solution into said polymer sponge such that said reactants react within said polymer sponge to produce said gas; wherein said gas is held within said polymer sponge; and wherein said polymer sponge comprises a thermally responsive polymer having a volume which reduces with a change in temperature, such that said gas held within said polymer is extractable by changing a temperature of said polymer sponge.

Abstract: Described herein are polymers, polymeric gels, or a composition thereof, for drug delivery. The polymers, which include boronic-acid containing moieties (e.g., and polyol-containing moieties (e.g., are prepared by free-radical polymerization and can self-assemble into polymeric gels such as hydrogels. Also provided are methods or preparing the polymers, kits involving the polymers and/or polymeric gels or a composition thereof, for use as materials or delivery applications of an agent to a subject.

Abstract: A composition of matter comprising an amphiphilic star polymer, the star polymer comprising a crosslinked microgel core and 6 or more independent polymer arms covalently linked to the core, the 6 or more arms each comprising a hydrophilic polymer chain segment and a hydrophobic polymer chain segment; wherein each individual metal selected from the group consisting of beryllium, magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium, radium, aluminum, gallium, indium, thallium, germanium, tin, lead, arsenic, antimony, bismuth, tellurium, polonium, and metals of Groups 3 to 12 of the Periodic Table has a concentration in the star polymer of greater than or equal to 0 parts per million and less than or equal to 100 parts per million.

Abstract: A composition of matter comprising an amphiphilic star polymer, the star polymer comprising a crosslinked microgel core and 6 or more independent polymer arms covalently linked to the core, the 6 or more arms each comprising a hydrophilic polymer chain segment and a hydrophobic polymer chain segment; wherein each individual metal selected from the group consisting of beryllium, magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium, radium, aluminum, gallium, indium, thallium, germanium, tin, lead, arsenic, antimony, bismuth, tellurium, polonium, and metals of Groups 3 to 12 of the Periodic Table has a concentration in the star polymer of greater than or equal to 0 parts per million and less than or equal to 100 parts per million.