(575g) Engineering Injectable Polymeric Cryogels for Biomedical Applications: From Tissue Engineering to Immunotherapy (Invited Speaker)

For a number of biomedical applications, including cell therapy and tissue engineering, there is an increasing need to engineer advanced three-dimensional (3D) scaffolds to provide a structural and mechanical support for cells and guide tissue regeneration. Engineering injectable biomaterials have become a promising approach for scaffold implantation into the body while avoiding open surgery and post-surgery complications. To that end, we have recently unveiled a breakthrough technology for the delivery via conventional needle–syringe injection of large preformed macroporous hydrogels called cryogels with well-defined properties. Our 2012 publication (Bencherif et al. PNAS) disclosing the first cryogel scaffold to be injected through a hypodermic needle while recapitulating aspects of the native cell microenvironment has sparked massive interest in the field. These injectable cryogels in the form of elastic sponge-like matrices are prepared by environmentally friendly cryotropic gelation of water-soluble polymers giving rise to 3D scaffolds with unique properties, including shape-memory properties and complete geometric restoration once introduced in the body. Cryogels displaying an interconnected macroporous structure can be molded to a variety of shapes and sizes and may be optionally loaded with therapeutic agents or cells. These cryogels with unique features have created a new class of injectable biomaterials applicable for various applications, including tissue engineering, drug delivery, cell transplantation, cancer immunotherapy, and more recently COVID-19 vaccine research and development.