New injectable gel shows promise as voice loss treatment

McGill team develops hydrogel that outlasted current treatments in a preclinical study, a step toward reducing the need for repeat procedures

McGill University researchers have engineered a new hydrogel that shows early promise as a treatment for people with vocal cord injuries.

Voice loss is often permanent when scarring forms on the vocal cords. Current injectable treatments break down quickly, which can force patients to get repeated procedures that can further damage the delicate tissue.

In a preclinical study published in the journal Biomaterials, the scientists report that their new gel resisted breakdown for weeks in lab and animal tests, outlasting current injectable materials and giving vocal cords a better chance to heal.

The gel is made from natural tissue proteins processed into a powder and converted into a gel. To make it last longer, the team used a process called click chemistry.

“This process is what makes our approach unique,” said co-senior author Maryam Tabrizian, professor in McGill’s Department of Biomedical Engineering and Canada Research Chair (Tier 1) in Nanomedicine and Regenerative Medicine.

It acts like a molecular glue, locking the material together so it doesn’t fall apart too quickly once injected.”

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