ACTIVE SELF-HEALING BIOMATERIAL SYSTEM
Methods and compositions are provided that load and encapsulate an agent, such as a protein, in a porous self-healing polymer. A delivery system includes a porous self-healing polymer, an ionic affinity trap within the pores of the self-healing polymer, and an agent associated with the ionic affinity trap. Methods of encapsulating an agent in a polymer include providing a porous self-healing polymer comprising an ionic affinity trap within the pores. The polymer is incubated with an agent having an affinity for the ionic affinity trap. At least a portion of the pores in the polymer are then healed. Active encapsulation of macromolecules at low concentrations may be achieved due to affinity of the agent for the ionic affinity trap within the pores.
1 . A delivery system comprising a solid polymer matrix comprising an ionic affinity trap, the ionic affinity trap operable to sorb an agent from an aqueous solution.
2 . The delivery system of claim 1 , further comprising an agent sorbed to the ionic affinity trap.
3 . The delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the solid polymer matrix comprises a self-healing polymer.
4 . The delivery system of claim 3 , wherein the self-healing polymer comprises a pore that comprises the ionic affinity trap.
5 . The delivery system of claim 4 , wherein the self-healing polymer comprises a plurality of pores comprising the ionic affinity trap.
6 . The delivery system of claim 5 , wherein at least a portion of the pores are interconnected.
7 . The delivery system of claim 4 , further comprising an agent sorbed to the ionic affinity trap and wherein the pore partially or fully encapsulates the agent and prevents the agent from exiting the pore.
8 . The delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the solid polymer matrix comprises a biodegradable polymer.
9 . The delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the solid polymer matrix comprises a copolymer of lactic acid and glycolic acid.
10 . The delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the solid polymer matrix comprises a microparticle or microsphere.
11 . The delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the ionic affinity trap comprises a metal salt.
12 . The delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the ionic affinity trap comprises aluminum hydroxide, aluminum phosphate, potassium phosphate, magnesium carbonate, calcium phosphate, or combinations thereof.
13 . The delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the ionic affinity trap comprises an ionomer gel.
14 . The delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the ionic affinity trap comprises ionized end groups of the polymer.
15 . The delivery system of claim 14 , wherein the ionized end groups comprise carboxylate groups.
16 . The delivery system of claim 2 , wherein the agent comprises a biomolecule, drug, or antigen.
17 . The delivery system of claim 16 , wherein the biomolecule comprises a protein, peptide, proteoglycan, lipoprotein, or nucleic acid.
18 . The delivery system of claim 2 , wherein the agent comprises an immunocontraceptive.
19 . The delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the solid polymer matrix further comprises a plasticizer.
20 . A method of making a delivery system comprising sorbing an agent to an ionic affinity trap, wherein a solid polymer matrix comprises the ionic affinity trap and an aqueous solution comprises the agent.
21 . The method of claim 20 , wherein the solid polymer matrix comprises a self-healing polymer.
22 . The method of claim 21 , wherein the self-healing polymer comprises a pore that comprises the ionic affinity trap.
23 . The method of claim 22 , wherein the self-healing polymer comprises a plurality of pores comprising the ionic affinity trap.
24 . The method of claim 23 , wherein at least a portion of the pores are interconnected.
25 . The method of claim 22 , further comprising partially or fully encapsulating the agent in the pore by increasing the temperature of the self-healing polymer to about its T g or above.
26 . The method of claim 20 , wherein the solid polymer matrix comprises a biodegradable polymer.
27 . The method of claim 20 , wherein the solid polymer matrix comprises a copolymer of lactic acid and glycolic acid.
28 . The method of claim 20 , wherein the solid polymer matrix comprises a microparticle or microsphere.
29 . The method of claim 20 , wherein the ionic affinity trap comprises a metal salt.
30 . The method of claim 20 , wherein the ionic affinity trap comprises aluminum hydroxide, aluminum phosphate, potassium phosphate, magnesium carbonate, calcium phosphate, or combinations thereof.
31 . The method of claim 20 , wherein the ionic affinity trap comprises an ionomer gel.
32 . The method of claim 20 , wherein the ionic affinity trap comprises ionized end groups of the self-healing polymer.
33 . The method of claim 32 , wherein the ionized end groups comprise carboxylate groups.
34 . The method of claim 20 , wherein the agent comprises a biomolecule, drug, or antigen.
35 . The method of claim 34 , wherein the biomolecule comprises a protein, peptide, proteoglycan, lipoprotein, or nucleic acid.
36 . The method of claim 20 , wherein the agent comprises an immunocontraceptive.
37 . The method of claim 20 , wherein the solid polymer matrix further comprises a plasticizer.
38 . The method of claim 20 , wherein the aqueous solution comprises less than about 1 mg/mL of the agent.
39 . The method of claim 20 , wherein at least 90% of the agent in the sorbing step is sorbed to the ionic affinity trap.