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Synthesis and fabrication of a degradable poly( N ‐isopropyl acrylamide) scaffold for tissue engineering applications
Author(s) -
Galperin Anna,
Long Thomas J.,
Garty Shai,
Ratner Buddy D.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
journal of biomedical materials research part a
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.849
H-Index - 150
eISSN - 1552-4965
pISSN - 1549-3296
DOI - 10.1002/jbm.a.34380
Subject(s) - materials science , polycaprolactone , self healing hydrogels , tissue engineering , acrylamide , atom transfer radical polymerization , polymer chemistry , chemical engineering , dispersity , polymer , swelling , polymerization , isopropyl , composite material , organic chemistry , copolymer , biomedical engineering , chemistry , medicine , engineering
Biodegradable poly( N ‐isopropyl acrylamide) (polyNIPAM) hydrogels with controlled molecular weight of the parent polymer and its degradation products were synthesized by atom transfer radical polymerization in the presence of a polycaprolactone‐based di‐chlorinated macroinitiator and polycaprolactone dimethacrylate. The phase transition temperature, swelling, hydrolytic degradability, and mechanical properties at 25 and 37°C were explored. A cytocompatibility study showed good NIH3T3 cell response over 5 days culture on the surface of the hydrogels, demonstrated by a consistent increase in cell proliferation detected by an Alamar Blue assay. MTT [3‐(4,5‐dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl)‐2,5‐diphenyltetrazolium bromide] results suggested that the hydrogels and their degradation products in the concentration range of 1–25 mg/mL were not cytotoxic to NIH3T3 cells. A sphere‐templating technique was utilized to fabricate biodegradable polyNIPAM scaffolds with monodisperse, pore size. Scaffolds with pore diameter of 48 ± 6 μm were loaded with A‐10 smooth muscle cells and then warmed to 37°C entrapping cells in pores approximately 40 μm in diameter, a size we have found to be optimal for angiogenesis and biointegration. Due to their degradable nature, tunable molecular weight, highly interconnected morphology, thermally controlled monodisperse pore size, and temperature‐induced volume expansion–contraction, the polyNIPAM‐based scaffolds developed in this work will be valuable in tissue engineering. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 101A: 775–786, 2013.