| Neural protection strategies for spinal cord injury repair are limited due to poor drug delivery techniques. A drug delivery system is being developed in our laboratory that can provide localized and sustained release of growth factors from an injectable gel. The gel must be fast-gelling, non-cell adhesive, degradable, capable of sustainably releasing therapeutics, and biocompatible as an injectable intrathecal drug delivery system. A gel that meets these design criteria is a blend of hyaluronan and methylcellulose (HAMC). Unlike other injectable gels, HAMC is already at the gelation point prior to injection. It is injectable due to its shear-thinning property, and strengthens upon an increase in temperature. Release of erythropoietin is sustained over 3 days in vitro, and in vivo studies show that HAMC is biocompatible within the intrathecal space for 1 month. Hence, HAMC is a promising gel for the delivery of neural protective agents to the injured spinal cord. |
