{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,15]],"date-time":"2026-07-15T16:53:23Z","timestamp":1784134403209,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":32,"publisher":"AIP Publishing","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,21]],"date-time":"2026-01-21T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1768953600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/100000070","name":"National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["R21 EB030834"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["R21 EB030834"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100000070","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/100000050","name":"National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["R01 HL160540"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["R01 HL160540"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100000050","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/100023581","name":"National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["GRFP DGE1840340"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["GRFP DGE1840340"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100023581","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["pubs.aip.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,1]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic condition characterized by recurrent gastrointestinal inflammation that requires long-term therapeutic intervention. While anti-TNF-\u03b1 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are effective in maintaining remission in IBD, systemic delivery is associated with immunosuppression, poor targeting efficiency, and high cost. To address these limitations, we developed a synthetic mucin-based hydrogel for localized delivery of TNF-\u03b1-targeting mAbs. Mucins are heavily glycosylated biopolymers that naturally bind antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory proteins, making them well-suited for local biologic drug delivery at mucosal sites. Synthetic mucin-based hydrogels were formed by cross-linking mucin harvested from porcine small intestine with a 4-arm PEG-thiol and loaded with mAbs to evaluate biocompatibility, antibody release kinetics, and therapeutic efficacy. In vitro studies confirmed cytocompatibility of mucin-based hydrogels and demonstrated diffusion-dependent release of full-length IgG antibodies, with enhanced release under proteolytic conditions simulating the gastrointestinal environment. Moreover, mucin-based hydrogels alone were found to modulate macrophage activation in a stiffness dependent manner and dampen inflammation in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated macrophages. Treatment of LPS-stimulated macrophages with mAb-loaded hydrogels reduced pro-inflammatory cytokine production and macrophage activation, confirming retention of mAb bioactivity. Compared to antibodies administered in solution, in vivo biodistribution studies revealed greater absorption of antibodies when loaded in mucin-based hydrogels and administered via enema in trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid-induced colitis mice, likely due to enhanced adhesion to mucosal epithelium and slowed intestinal clearance. This study demonstrates the potential of mucin-based hydrogels as a platform for local mAb delivery in IBD, enabling targeted immunosuppression while minimizing systemic exposure.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1063\/5.0297897","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,21]],"date-time":"2026-01-21T13:42:07Z","timestamp":1769002927000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1063\/aip-crossmark-policy-page","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Synthetic mucus biomaterials enable localized therapeutic antibody delivery in inflammatory bowel disease"],"prefix":"10.1063","volume":"10","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9717-0812","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Taj","family":"Yeruva","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Fischell Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland , College Park, Maryland 20742,","place":["USA"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sydney","family":"Yang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Fischell Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland , College Park, Maryland 20742,","place":["USA"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0007-0303-2605","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Michele","family":"Kaluzienski","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Fischell Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland , College Park, Maryland 20742,","place":["USA"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Rebecca","family":"Louisthelmy","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Fischell Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland , College Park, Maryland 20742,","place":["USA"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0004-2678-9529","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Shadin","family":"Doski","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Fischell Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland , College Park, Maryland 20742,","place":["USA"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3560-9751","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Katharina","family":"Maisel","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Fischell Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland , College Park, Maryland 20742,","place":["USA"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6811-1327","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Gregg A.","family":"Duncan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Fischell Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland , College Park, Maryland 20742,","place":["USA"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"317","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,21]]},"reference":[{"issue":"3","key":"2026012108420028600_c1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"514","DOI":"10.1172\/JCI30587","article-title":"The fundamental basis of inflammatory bowel disease","volume":"117","year":"2007","journal-title":"J. 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