Background: Chemical modification of mRNA (mmRNA) substantially improves their stability and translational efficiency within cells. Nanofibrillar collagen scaffolds were previously shown to enable the spatially localized delivery and temporally controlled release of mmRNA encoding HGF both in vitro and in vivo. Materials & methods: Herein we developed an improved slow-releasing HGF mmRNA scaffold and tested its therapeutic efficacy in a porcine model of peripheral arterial disease. Results & conclusion: The HGF mmRNA was released from scaffolds in a temporally controlled fashion in vitro with preserved transfection activity. The mmRNA scaffolds improved vascular regeneration when sutured to the ligated porcine femoral artery. These studies validate the therapeutic potential of HGF mmRNA delivery from nanofibrillar scaffolds for treatment of peripheral arterial disease.
Keywords: biomaterials; extracellular matrix; gene delivery; modified mRNA; nanofibrillar scaffold.