Since the 1980s, acetal groups have attracted much attention as cleavable moieties for biomedical applications. They are stable at basic pH but readily cleave at slightly acidic pH, e.g. at the pH of cancer or inflamed tissue (pH = 5.5 to 6.5). Here, we present a one-pot synthesis of multi-acetal functional polyethylene glycols (PEGs) bearing UV-curable end-groups using step-growth polymerization. UV-crosslinking and subsequent soaking in aqueous solution yielded PEG hydrogels. The incorporated acetal-groups enabled fast hydrogel degradation at slightly acidic pH. The degradation time was easily tailored by varying the number of acetal-units in the gel, while the use of PEG ensured biocompatibility. We believe that these structures are promising candidates for implantation into tumor tissue, providing controlled release of anti-tumor drugs.

Acid-cleavable polyethylene glycol hydrogels for on-demand release of active molecules

256th National Meeting (2018)

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