UCLA

Myocardial infarctions (heart attacks) are the most common cause of cardiac damage globally, leading to the significant health consequences and even death. Biomaterials, such as hydrogels, can serve as a better method to manage cardiac damage. However, an exploration of the current biomaterial and microneedle solutions shows a lack of directed drug delivery capabilities or conductivity. Given the density and conductivity of human cardiac tissue, these aspects are critical in improving the effectiveness of any biomaterial solution. Introduced in this thesis is the combination of both elements into a conductive hydrogel-based microneedle patch. We utilized a new, naturally derived biomaterial, tannic acid:PEDOT (poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene), also known as TADOT. We then combined this with gelatin methacryoyl (GelMA) hydrogel to develop a biomaterial-based microneedle platform aimed to solve both issues. The formation of a tannic acid complex with PEDOT to form TADOT allows the hydrogel to be conductive, while the GelMA provided sufficient mechanical strength. With the anti-inflammatory characteristics of tannic acid, and the biocompatible nature of gelatin, the material is designed for better contribution to cardiac healing. We were able to engineer a microneedle patch based on TADOT-GelMA into microneedles which could penetrate porcine cardiac tissue, proving the potential for this biomaterial as a platform for cardiac repair applications. The conductive and mechanical characteristics of the TADOT-GelMA microneedles can allow it to serve as a delivery platform to be combined with other cardiac repair solutions.