Abstract A148: A hydrogel platform for the delivery of specialized pro-resolving mediators to treat chronic inflammatory disease

Abstract

The resolution of acute inflammation is an active process orchestrated by mediators that prevent further recruitment of inflammatory cells and promote clearance of microbes and dying cells. Chronic inflammation can arise when resolution is diminished due to a scarcity of these pro-resolving mediators. Current immunosuppressive drugs for the treatment of chronic inflammatory diseases such as IBD, arthritis, or psoriasis temporarily block inflammation without initiating resolution or tissue repair, leading to the recurrence of chronic inflammation. Additionally, systemic administration of these drugs leaves patients susceptible to tuberculosis, lymphoma, and opportunistic infections. Resolvins are a class of evolutionarily conserved lipid mediators that return tissue to homeostasis without immunosuppression by promoting phagocytosis of debris and microbes, and preventing proinflammatory cytokine production and cellular infiltration. To enhance dose sparing and stability, we have developed a tunable hydrogel platform to deliver resolvins to various sites of chronic inflammation. For oral delivery, this hydrogel is further encapsulated into a pH-sensitive microparticle formulated using anionic polymers, to target the large intestine. Using a mouse model of colitis, we demonstrate the ability of the hydrogel to resolve intestinal inflammation, initiate repair of the intestinal barrier, and regulate the gut microbiota. Our tunable hydrogel platform could have profound effects on the prevention of gastrointestinal cancers and chronic inflammatory disease. Citation Format: Padmini Sushila Pillai, Jamie Webster, Robert Langer. A hydrogel platform for the delivery of specialized pro-resolving mediators to treat chronic inflammatory disease [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Fourth CRI-CIMT-EATI-AACR International Cancer Immunotherapy Conference: Translating Science into Survival; Sept 30-Oct 3, 2018; New York, NY. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Immunol Res 2019;7(2 Suppl):Abstract nr A148.