pH-Responsive Hydrogel Delivers Integrin-Targeting Peptides for Intrauterine Adhesion Treatment | Research

The takeaway

A pH-responsive hyaluronic acid hydrogel delivering integrin α5β1-targeting peptides facilitated lesion-localized anti-fibrotic therapy for intrauterine adhesions by modulating macrophage polarization.

Smart delivery at disease site
The hydrogel releases anti-fibrotic peptides only at inflamed, acidic adhesion sites — treating disease precisely where it occurs

What the researchers found

pH-responsive HA hydrogel delivers integrin α5β1-targeting peptides at acidic lesion sites, modulating macrophage M1→M2 polarization to reduce fibrosis and restore uterine tissue in IUA models.

Why it matters

IUA causes female infertility. A hydrogel that delivers anti-fibrotic peptides precisely at adhesion sites could restore fertility.

How the study worked

HA hydrogel design with pH-responsive release, integrin α5β1-targeting peptide incorporation, macrophage polarization studies, and IUA animal model evaluation.

What this study cannot tell us

Preclinical. Human uterine environment more complex. Hydrogel placement requires hysteroscopy.

How to read the evidence

Preclinical study with responsive delivery and mechanism characterization.

When this study was published

Published in 2025.

The bigger picture

Lesion-responsive peptide delivery represents precision medicine for fibrotic diseases — therapy activates only where needed.

Questions still open

Could this approach treat other fibrotic conditions (liver, kidney)?
How long does the hydrogel remain active in the uterine cavity?
Would this improve IVF success rates in IUA patients?

Common questions

How does this treat infertility?

Intrauterine adhesions (scar tissue) prevent pregnancy. This hydrogel releases anti-scarring peptides at the exact adhesion sites, reducing fibrosis and restoring the uterine lining for potential pregnancy.

Why is pH-responsive delivery important?

Inflamed adhesion sites are more acidic than healthy tissue. The hydrogel uses this pH difference to release peptides only at disease sites, not healthy areas — precision therapy.

Read the original research

A pH-responsive hyaluronic acid hydrogel facilitates lesion-localized integrin α5β1 agonism to attenuate osteopontin signaling and fibrosis in intrauterine adhesions.

Acta biomaterialia

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Ji, Wanqing; Wen, Jiaming; Tong, Nian; Guo, Fang; Zheng, Jie; Wen, Xuejun; Liu, Jie; Zhang, Ning; Hou, Bo. (2026). A pH-responsive hyaluronic acid hydrogel facilitates lesion-localized integrin α5β1 agonism to attenuate osteopontin signaling and fibrosis in intrauterine adhesions.. Acta biomaterialia. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actbio.2026.03.001