Methods for forming regional tissue adherent barriers and drug delivery systems

Abstract

Methods are provided for forming hydrogel barriers in situ that adhere to tissue and prevent the formation of post-surgical adhesions or deliver drugs or other therapeutic agents to a body cavity. The hydrogels are crosslinked, resorb or degrade over a period of time, and may be formed by free radical polymerization initiated by a redox system or thermal initiation, or electrophilic-neutrophilic mechanism, wherein two components of an initiating system are simultaneously or sequentially poured into a body cavity to obtain widespread dispersal and coating of all or most visceral organs within that cavity prior to gelation and polymerization of the regional barrier. The hydrogel materials are selected to have a low stress at break in tension or torsion, and so as to have a close to equilibrium hydration level when formed.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application is a continuation application of co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 10 / 266,980, filed on Oct. 8, 2002, which in turn is a continuation application of U. S. application Ser. No. 09 / 134, 748, filed on Aug. 14, 1998, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,514,534, which are hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] The present invention relates to methods of forming polymeric barriers to prevent post-surgical tissue adhesion and the use of such barriers to deliver drugs. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] The formation of post-surgical adhesions involving organs of the peritoneal cavity and the peritoneal wall is a frequent and undesirable result of abdominal surgery. Surgical trauma to the tissue caused by handling and drying results in release of a serosanguinous (proteinaceous) exudate that tends to collect in the pelvic cavity. If the exudate is not absorbed or lysed within a short time following the surgery,...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0030] It is another object of this invention to provide in situ formation of regional barriers by macromer solutions at concentrations close to equilibrium hydration levels, to reduce or prevent post-surgical adhesion formation.

[0031] It is a further object of the present invention to provide methods that enable a surgeon to create a regional barrier with little reliance on skill and accuracy of placement, thereby overcoming some of the significant drawbacks of previously known local adhesion prevention barriers.

[0036] Preferably, the barrier does not undergo significant hydration, and is selected to have a low stress at break in tension or torsion, so as to not adversely affect normal physiological function of visceral organs within the region of application. The barrier also may contain a drug or other therapeutic agent.

Problems solved by technology

The formation of post-surgical adhesions involving organs of the peritoneal cavity and the peritoneal wall is a frequent and undesirable result of abdominal surgery.

Surgical trauma to the tissue caused by handling and drying results in release of a serosanguinous (proteinaceous) exudate that tends to collect in the pelvic cavity.

Numerous previously known methods have been developed to attempt to eliminate adhesion formation, but with limited success.

None of the methods described in those articles has been cost effective and efficacious in in vivo studies.

The regional effect is particularly useful because, although iatrogenic injury is associated with adhesion formation, it is often difficult to predict all of the sites that may have been traumatized or exposed to ischemia during surgery.

For example, during open surgical procedures, tissue often may be subjected to long periods of desiccation and surgical handling.

Unfortunately, most drugs administered in this fashion have a limited residence time at the site of instillation and are rapidly cleared.

Also, delivery problems attributable to ischemia may reduce the effectiveness of the drugs.

In addition, adhesions may develop not only due to surgical insults, but also due to a variety of pathologies and etiologies that may not be addressed using a pharmacological approach.

These previously known materials, however, have been used primarily in academic contexts and have not been developed as commercial products.

These barriers, however, may have limited efficacy due to migration of the barriers from a local implantation site.

Moreover, these barriers do not provide the regional effect observed with pharmacological barriers.

These liquid barriers are rapidly cleared from a body cavity after instillation and thus may not be effective in preventing adhesions.

This material has been found to have only limited efficacy, however, because the barrier tends to migrate from the application site.

The materials described, however, are not covalently polymerized, do not have mechanical integrity and do not bind to tissue.

Such materials also may interfere with normal wound healing during the postoperative period.

The water solubility of that gel system, however, enhances clearing and migration of the barrier.

The resulting thermoreversible gels are not covalently crosslinked and have no mechanical integrity, thus making the barrier readily susceptible to displacement from the application site.

The foregoing materials have shown limited efficacy in clinical trials.

A serious drawback of such systems is the biodegradability and absorbability of such barriers.

Because there is no clear mechanism for the degradation of these ionically crosslinked materials, the barriers may remain biostable for uncertain periods of time and adversely impact the patient's health.

A similar disadvantage exists with respect to the barrier system described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,266,326 to Barry et al.

Moreover, the high molecular weight of the alginates used (upwards of 200,000 Da) do not allow filtration through the kidneys.

The inability to eventually biodegrade the material is considered a major drawback.

While covalent crosslinking of these materials may prolong residence time of the barrier within a body cavity, because the barriers are not formed in situ they do not adhere to the tissues within the body cavity and present a risk of migration.

However, methods used in the preparation of these hydrogels, and conversion of these hydrogels to useful articles, are not suitable for forming these materials in situ in contact with living tissues.

These materials, however, require external energy sources for transformation.

Such concentrations of hydrogel are unsuitable for regional barrier formation for several reasons, including: 1.

The structural integrity of the hydrogels formed at the foregoing concentrations may result in adverse effects similar to those seen from adhesions themselves, for example, due to the mobility restrictions that may result on visceral organs.

Thus, formation of regional barriers at such concentrations may lead to postoperative pain and bowel obstructions.

Since such hydrogels have been observed to have an equilibrium water content in the range of 2-8%, the additional hydration of a large hydrogel mass in the abdominal or pelvic cavity may constrict and deform organs and tissue and thus have adverse effects.

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