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The effect of hypoxia on thermosensitive poly( N ‐vinylcaprolactam) hydrogels with tunable mechanical integrity for cartilage tissue engineering
Author(s) -
Lynch Brandon,
Crawford Kristopher,
Baruti Omari,
Abdulahad Asem,
Webster Martial,
Puetzer Jennifer,
Ryu Chang,
Bonassar Lawrence J.,
Mendenhall Juana
Publication year - 2017
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.33705
Subject(s) - self healing hydrogels , hyaluronic acid , tissue engineering , cartilage , materials science , biomaterial , biomedical engineering , fourier transform infrared spectroscopy , chemistry , biophysics , polymer chemistry , chemical engineering , nanotechnology , anatomy , medicine , engineering , biology
Abstract Cartilage repair presents a daunting challenge in tissue engineering applications due to the low oxygen conditions (hypoxia) affiliated in diseased states. Hence, the use of biomaterial scaffolds with unique variability is imperative to treat diseased or damaged cartilage. Thermosensitive hydrogels show promise as injectable materials that can be used as tissue scaffolds for cartilage tissue regeneration. However, uses in clinical applications are limited to due mechanical stability and therapeutic efficacy to treat diseased tissue. In this study, several composite hydrogels containing poly( N ‐vinylcaprolactam) (PVCL) and methacrylated hyaluronic acid (meHA) were prepared using free radical polymerization to produce PVCL‐ graft ‐HA (PVCL‐ g ‐HA) and characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance, and scanning electron microscopy. Lower critical solution temperatures and gelation temperatures were confirmed in the range of 33–34°C and 41–45°C, respectively. Using dynamic sheer rheology, the temperature dependence of elastic ( G ′) and viscous ( G ″) modulus between 25°C and 45°C, revealed that PVCL‐ g ‐HA hydrogels at 5% (w/v) concentration exhibited the moduli of 7 Pa ( G ′) to 4 Pa ( G ″). After 10 days at 1% oxygen, collagen production on PVCL‐ g ‐HA hydrogels was 153 ± 25 μg/mg (20%) and 106 ± 18 μg/mg showing a 10‐fold increase compared to meHA controls. These studies show promise in PVCL‐ g ‐HA hydrogels for the treatment of diseased or damaged articular cartilage. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 105B: 1863–1873, 2017.