journal article·2026-07-07Open access

Engineering Immunoregenerative Therapy via an Immunomodulatory Binary Pharmacology Hydrogel Depot for Prolonged Allograft Survival

Ning Wang, Ruiqi Sun, Yang Fu, Zhonghan Wu, Xinyu Tong, Hong Tang, Wentao Zhao, Zhi Liang, Jintao Zheng, Yanan Guan, Ke Zhou, Penghong Song, Shusen Zheng, Hangxiang Wang, Haiyang Xie

Abstract

ABSTRACT Immunosuppressive therapy following organ transplantation is essential for ensuring long‐term graft survival but leaves patients vulnerable to complications such as infection, malignancy, and severe side effects. Immunosuppressants currently in use are typically hydrophobic with low oral bioavailability and must be taken indefinitely to maintain immune tolerance. Furthermore, these drugs lack tissue repair capacity, which limits their effectiveness in transplantation. To address this clinical gap, an immunomodulatory hydrogel (iGEL) was developed, integrating prodrug engineering with inflammation‐restricted pharmacokinetics. A binary pharmacology‐loaded iGEL spontaneously formed upon subcutaneous implantation using a dual‐syringe system. Acting as a tissue‐adhesive depot, iGEL released key antirejection and tissue‐regenerative agents, enabling localized immunomodulation in response to rejection‐induced inflammation. In mouse major histocompatibility complex–mismatched allo‐transplant models, iGEL suppressed T‐cell activity while promoting vascular reconstruction and regulating local cytokine profiles to remodel immune‐regenerative dynamics. For both immunocompetent and metabolically compromised hosts, iGEL effectively restored the functionality of skin allografts and markedly extended survival. The study introduces a locally syringeable and adaptive hydrogel depot that harnesses pathological cues to mediate complementary immune regulation and tissue repair, ensuring long‐term graft survival without systemic immunosuppression.
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Research context

OpenAlex topics: Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine · Wound Healing and Treatments · Organ and Tissue Transplantation Research

SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.

Affiliations

Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery Department of Surgery The First Affiliated Hospital Zhejiang University School of Medicine Hangzhou China

NHC Key Laboratory of Combined Multi‐Organ Transplantation Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation Zhejiang Province. Institute of Organ Transplantation National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases Zhejiang University. State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases Hangzhou China

Division of Lung Transplantation and Thoracic Surgery Department of Surgery The First Affiliated Hospital Zhejiang University School of Medicine Hangzhou China

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China

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