2.3 In vitro release assay
In vitro release assays were performed to evaluate the amount of antibody released from the PL-based hydrogel formulations that are effectively available to inhibit recombinant KLK7. To perform this experiment, a glass mold was connected to the bottom of a 40-mL beaker and maintained at 32.5 ºC, as previously described (Akkari et al ., 2016). One milliliter of each formulation was inserted into the glass mold, and as soon as they turned into gel, the beaker was filled with 40 mL of 0.9% saline buffer. A magnetic stirrer was placed inside the beaker, and the system was maintained at 32.5 ºC for 24 hours under magnetic stirring (350 rpm). The samples were collected at different time intervals (30 minutes and 1, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 24 hours), and the same volume that was removed was replaced after each collection.
The procedure for quantifying the antibodies is presented in the supplementary material.