1 research outputs found
Hyperbranched Polyester Hydrogels with Controlled Drug Release and Cell Adhesion Properties
Hyperbranched
polyesters (HPE) have a high efficiency to encapsulate
bioactive agents, including drugs, genes, and proteins, due to their
globe-like nanostructure. However, the use of these highly branched
polymeric systems for tissue engineering applications has not been
broadly investigated. Here, we report synthesis and characterization
of photocrosslinkable HPE hydrogels with sustained drug release characteristics
for cellular therapies. These HPE can encapsulate hydrophobic drug
molecules within the HPE cavities due to the presence of a hydrophobic
inner structure that is otherwise difficult to achieve in conventional
hydrogels. The functionalization of HPE with photocrosslinkable acrylate
moieties renders the formation of hydrogels with a highly porous interconnected
structure and mechanically tough network. The compressive modulus
of HPE hydrogels was tunable by changing the crosslinking density.
The feasibility of using these HPE networks for cellular therapies
was investigated by evaluating cell adhesion, spreading, and proliferation
on hydrogel surface. Highly crosslinked and mechanically stiff HPE
hydrogels have higher cell adhesion, spreading, and proliferation
compared to soft and complaint HPE hydrogels. Overall, we showed that
hydrogels made from HPE could be used for biomedical applications
that require spatial control of cell adhesion and controlled release
of hydrophobic clues