9/14/07

Eric Minner, Ph.D. student presents seminar to the Department of Biomedical Engineering

Hydrogel Blend Regulates Glutathione Release to Neutralize Free Radicals within Neuronal Cultures

Our laboratory has previously developed an injectable hydrogel blend consisting of agarose and methylcellulose that solidifies at physiological temperatures. This study examined the feasibility of loading a chemical species into the hydrogel blend for controlled release. Free radical formation following initial central nervous system (CNS) trauma contributes to secondary injury. Therefore, the anti-oxidant glutathione was loaded into the hydrogel blend for the purpose of neutralizing free radicals generated following CNS injury. Using Ellman’s reagent, glutathione release from the hydrogel was monitored daily for 13 days. Data from these experiments reveal that the agarose-methylcellulose hydrogel blend delivers glutathione for up to 13 days in vitro. Additional experiments were conducted to analyze the functionality of released glutathione. Glutathione released from the hydrogel blend neutralized free radical species in vitro. Recent experiments have focused on implementing the glutathione-containing hydrogel to a neuronal culture model that contains elevated levels of free radical. Based on these preliminary findings, hydrogel blends consisting of agarose and methylcellulose loaded with glutathione could potentially spare uninjured neurons from free radical induced secondary injury.