Rice University’s SABER hydrogel slows drug release, keeping treatments effective for longer and easing patient adherence.
For many patients, taking medicine on time is harder than it sounds. Missed doses cause 10 percent of hospitalizations and billions in avoidable health costs in the U.S. each year.A new drug delivery system from Rice University scientists could change that by making treatments last longer and work better.
The research introduces a peptide hydrogel platform that slows down drug release. The system, called self-assembling boronate ester release or SABER, acts like a three-dimensional net.It holds drugs in place and lets them out slowly. Instead of slipping through, each drug molecule gets briefly stuck to the peptide structure, extending how long it stays in the body.The approach works across different drug types, from small molecules to large biologics like insulin and antibodies. Tests in mice showed how powerful the platform can be.Stronger results in miceIn one experiment, researchers packaged a tuberculosis drug inside a SABER hydrogel. A single injection outperformed nearly daily oral dosing over two weeks. In another test, insulin loaded into the hydrogel controlled blood sugar in diabetic mice for six days. Conventional insulin lasts just four hours.Because the hydrogel is built from amino acids, it dissolves safely after injection. It forms a small, temporary nodule under the skin that gradually disappears with no toxic byproducts.Red-dyed hydrogel sample for visibility . Credit – Rice University/Brett Pogostin)The simplicity of use could make it ideal for patients who struggle with long treatment schedules or limited access to cold storage.“This growing paradigm lets us control timing and location of release,” said Kevin McHugh, a corresponding author. He sees promise for cancer immunotherapy, where precise delivery could reduce side effects.Collaboration made system possibleThe project was led by Rice doctoral alum Brett Pogostin, who began exploring self-assembling peptides as an undergraduate. At Rice, he worked with chemist Jeffrey Hartgerink and bioengineer McHugh to merge chemistry and biomedical engineering.The idea for SABER came from a class lecture on dynamic covalent bonds used in glucose sensors. Pogostin realized the same reversible bonds could make hydrogels “sticky.”The research path was far from straightforward. Pogostin spent months troubleshooting chemical synthesis before finding that a simple heating step solved the problem.He credits broad collaboration for progress, from consulting Rice chemist Zachary Ball on boronic acid interactions to partnering with Johns Hopkins University to test tuberculosis treatments. “The solution to almost every challenge was to find the right expert and bring them in,” he said.The SABER system represents “generation one.” Hartgerink and McHugh are refining it further, exploring applications in protein delivery, antibodies, hormones, and enzymes.Pogostin, now a postdoctoral fellow at MIT supported by the National Cancer Institute, is shifting toward cancer prevention.“I’m passionate about using materials to prime the immune system to stop cancer before it starts,” he said.Funded by the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, and the Welch Foundation, the work highlights how interdisciplinary science can bridge lab materials and real-world medicine.If SABER continues to succeed, patients may one day need fewer doses and get better results.The findings have been published in Nature Nanotechnology.
Drug Delivery Insulin Control Patient Adherence Peptide Hydrogel Rice University SABER Hydrogel Tuberculosis Treatment
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