Premium
In vitro characteristics of a gelling PEGDA‐QT polymer system with model drug release for cerebral aneurysm embolization
Author(s) -
Soodak Kristen F.,
Brennecka Celeste R.,
Ver Brent L.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
journal of biomedical materials research part b: applied biomaterials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.665
H-Index - 108
eISSN - 1552-4981
pISSN - 1552-4973
DOI - 10.1002/jbm.b.32969
Subject(s) - chemistry , polymer , self healing hydrogels , chromatography , ethylene glycol , polymer chemistry , organic chemistry
A liquid‐to‐solid gelling polymer system, such as the poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate‐pentaerythritol tetrakis (3‐mercaptopropionate) (PEGDA‐QT) system, can fill cerebral aneurysms more completely than current embolization materials, reducing the likelihood of aneurysm recurrence. PEGDA‐QT gels were formulated using PEGDA of different molecular weights (PEGDA 575 and PEGDA 700 ), and their characteristics were examined in vitro . Experiments examined gel time, mass change, crosslink integrity, cytotoxicity, and protein release capabilities. In general, PEGDA 575 ‐QT gels were more hydrophobic, requiring an initiating solution with a higher pH (pH 9.5) to achieve a gel time comparable to PEGDA 700 ‐QT gels, which used an initiating solution at pH 9.19. The mass change and crosslink integrity of gels were analyzed over time after gels were submerged in 150 m M phosphate buffered saline. After 380 days, PEGDA 575 ‐QT gels achieved a maximum mass increase of 72% due to water uptake, while PEGDA 700 ‐QT gels doubled their initial mass (100% increase) by 165 days. Compression tests showed that PEGDA 700 ‐QT gels hydrolyzed more quickly than PEGDA 575 ‐QT gels. Cytotoxicity assays showed that in general, PEGDA 575 ‐QT negatively affected cell growth, while PEGDA 700 ‐QT gels promoted cell viability. Sustained, controlled release of lysozyme, a 14.3 kDa protein, was achieved over an 8‐week period when loaded into PEGDA 700 ‐QT gels, but PEGDA 575 ‐QT gels did not show sustained release. These studies show that although they are similar in composition, these PEGDA‐QT gel formulations behave considerably differently. Although PEGDA 700 ‐QT gels swell more and degrade faster than PEGDA 575 ‐QT gels, their cytocompatibility and protein release characteristics may prove to be more beneficial for in vivo aneurysm treatment. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 101B: 1477–1488, 2013.