Covalent Incorporation of Trehalose within Hydrogels for Enhanced Long-Term Functional Stability and Controlled Release of Biomacromolecules

Abstract

Hydrogels with covalently incorporated trehalose are synthesized using thiol-ene Michael addition. Trehalose hydrogels afford prolonged stabilization and -controlled release of model enzymes in vitro and in vivo as well as preservation of protein stability under heat and -lyophilization stressors. Strong and -ordered hydrogen bonding interactions within covalently incorporated trehalose hydrogels represent a possible mechanism for protein stabilization.

Keywords: drug delivery; hydrogels; pharmaceutical excipients; protein stability; trehalose.