Protein-based materials such as human serum albumin (HSA) have demonstrated significant potential for the development of novel wound management materials. For the first time, the formation of HSA-based hydrogels was proposed using a combination of thermal- and ethanol-induced approaches. The combination of phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) and limited (up to 20% v/v) ethanol content offers a promising strategy for fabricating human serum albumin-based hydrogels with tunable properties. The hydrogel formation was studied using in situ dynamic light scattering (DLS) for qualitative and semi-quantitative analysis of the patterns of protein hydrogel formation through thermally induced gelation. The rheological properties of human serum albumin-based hydrogels were investigated. Hydrogels synthesized via thermally induced gelation using a denaturing agent exhibit a dynamic viscosity ranging from 100 to 10,000 mPa·s. The biocompatibility, biodegradability, and structural stability of human serum albumin-based hydrogels were comprehensively evaluated in physiologically relevant media. These human serum albumin-based hydrogels represent a promising platform for developing topical therapeutic agents for wound management and tissue engineering applications. This study investigated the kinetics of tetracycline release from human serum albumin-based hydrogels in PBS and fetal bovine serum (FBS). All tested formulations of HSA-based hydrogels loaded with tetracycline (1 mg/mL) demonstrated antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus haemolyticus, and Corynebacterium striatum strains.
Protein-based materials such as human serum albumin (HSA) have demonstrated significant potential for the development of novel wound management materials. For the first time, the formation of HSA-based hydrogels was proposed using a combination of ther-mal- and ethanol-induced approaches. The combination of phosphate-buffered saline and limited (up to 20% v/v) ethanol content offers a promising strategy for fabricating human serum albumin-based hydrogels with tunable properties. The hydrogel formation was studied using in situ DLS for qualitative and semi-quantitative analysis of the patterns of protein hydrogel formation through thermally induced gelation. The rheological proper-ties of human serum albumin-based hydrogels were investigated. Hydrogels synthesized via thermally induced gelation using a denaturing agent exhibit a dynamic viscosity ranging from 100 to 10,000 mPa·s. These human serum albumin-based hydrogels repre-sent a promising platform for developing topical therapeutic agents for wound manage-ment and tissue engineering applications. This study investigated the kinetics of tetracy-cline release from human serum albumin-based hydrogels in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) and fetal bovine serum (FBS). All tested formulations of human serum albumin (HSA)-based hydrogels loaded with tetracycline (0.15 mg/mL) was demonstrated antibacterial activity of against Staphylococcus aureus strains.
Polyurethane (PU) is widely used in medical products due to its biocompatibility and mechanical properties. Electrospinning (ES) was employed to produce PU-based scaffolds intended for cardiovascular devices (CVD) from blends of Carbothane (Carb) with human serum albumin (HSA), dimethylacetamide (DMA), and drugs. Sirolimus (SRL)—an immunosuppressive/anti-proliferative drug—and diclofenac (DF)—a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug—were introduced into ES blends to produce drug-enriched scaffolds that prevent inflammation and cell overgrowth. The biocompatibility, stability, and mechanical properties of the scaffolds and SRL release were studied. The scaffolds possessed good mechanical properties and were stable in PBS and blood plasma (BP) for 120 days. The minimal SRL release rate was observed for the scaffold 3%Carb/10%HSA/DMA/SRL. A study of scaffold interaction with blood demonstrated good hemocompatibility of most scaffolds. A study of human gingival fibroblasts, endothelial cells (HUVEC and EA.hy926), and vascular smooth muscle cell interaction with scaffolds in vitro demonstrated variability in cell viability and pro-inflammatory interleukin IL-6 secretion, depending on both the scaffold composition and the cell type. The incorporation of DF into scaffolds decreased the concentration of IL-6 in the culture medium. The scaffold 3%Carb/10%HSA/DMA/SRL is the best choice for CVD in terms of hemocompatibility, endothelialization, and the induction of minimal inflammation.