FURI | Fall 2023

The Release of Alpha-Ketoglutarate from Hyaluronic Acid Hydrogels for Bone Repair Applications

Currently, autograft and allograft bones are the only options for treating bone loss, however, they pose many limitations. Immunomodulatory alpha-ketoglutarate (aKG) is of interest due to its ability to modulate osteoblast and osteoclast activity. By generating polymeric microparticles with aKG (paKG MPs), the release of aKG can be sustained upon degradation. The formulation of paKG MPs can be tuned to allow for precise control over aKG release kinetics. For this project, the release kinetics of aKG from hyaluronic acid hydrogels will be evaluated at concentrations of 0, 0.1, 1, 10, and 25 mM aKG MPs.