# Engineering Adaptive Immune Responses from Hydrogel Scaffolds to Promote Tissue Regeneration

> **NIH NIH R01** · DUKE UNIVERSITY · 2022 · $639,403

## Abstract

Summary
Biomaterial scaffolds represent a promising approach for material-based tissue regeneration. We previously
developed microporous annealed particle (MAP) hydrogels - a flowable, microparticle-based hydrogel in which
neighboring hydrogel particles are linked in situ to form a porous scaffold that accelerates wound healing.
Recently, we found that a relatively simple modification to the crosslinker peptide from L-enantiomer to D-
enantiomer resulted in substantial skin regeneration and that this regeneration only occurs when the adaptive
immune system is intact. Further investigation revealed that although D-chiral peptides were poor activators of
macrophage innate immune signaling, D-chiral peptides within MAP (D-MAP) elicited significant antigen-specific
immunity. In this proposal, we will further investigate the ability of our D-MAP material to activate the adaptive
immune system and lead to skin tissue regeneration. Aim 1 will focus on further understanding any role of the
innate immune system and the ability of MAP scaffold microstructure to dictate macrophage phenotype. Aim 2
will focus on testing our hypothesis that the adaptive immune system is activated by our material and leads to
regenerative wound healing. Aim 3 will investigate other biomaterial approaches to present D-peptides and
further control immune system activation.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10343752
- **Project number:** 5R01AI152568-03
- **Recipient organization:** DUKE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Joel H Collier
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $639,403
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-03-02 → 2025-02-28

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10343752

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10343752, Engineering Adaptive Immune Responses from Hydrogel Scaffolds to Promote Tissue Regeneration (5R01AI152568-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10343752. Licensed CC0.

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