Phenylboronic acid or benzeneboronic acid, abbreviated as PhB(OH)₂ where Ph is the phenyl group C₆H₅-, is a boronic acid containing a phenyl substituent and two hydroxyl groups attached to boron. Phenylboronic acid is a white powder and is commonly used in organic synthesis
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Although injectable [[hydrogel]]s show promise for promoting healing of [[lesion]]s and health of surrounding [[tissue]], enabling cellular [[ingrowth]] and restoring [[neural tissue]] continue to be challenging. 
Hu et al. hypothesized that these challenges arise in part from the mismatch of composition, stiffness and [[viscoelasticity]] between the hydrogel and the brain [[parenchyma]], and tested this [[hypothesis]] by developing and evaluating a self-healing hydrogel that not only mimicked the composition, but also the stiffness and viscoelasticity of native [[brain parenchyma]]. The hydrogel was crosslinked by dynamic boronate ester bonds between [[phenylboronic acid]] grafted [[hyaluronic acid]] (HA-PBA) and dopamine grafted [[gelatin]] (Gel-Dopa). This HA-PBA/Gel-Dopa hydrogel could be injected into a lesion [[cavity]] in a shear-thinning manner with rapid [[hemostasis]], high tissue [[adhesion]] and efficient self-healing. They tested this in an [[in vivo]] [[mouse model]] of brain lesions and found the multi-functional injectable hydrogel to support neural cell [[infiltration]], decrease [[astrogliosis]] and glial [[scar]]s, and close the lesions. The results suggest a role for [[extracellular matrix]]-mimicking [[viscoelasticity]] in [[brain lesion]] healing, and motivate additional [[experimentation]] in larger [[animal]]s as the technology progresses towards potential application in humans
((Hu Y, Jia Y, Wang S, Ma Y, Huang G, Ding T, Feng D, Genin GM, Wei Z, Xu F. An ECM-Mimicking, Injectable, Viscoelastic Hydrogel for Treatment of Brain Lesions. Adv Healthc Mater. 2022 Nov 18:e2201594. doi: 10.1002/adhm.202201594. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 36398536.)).
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