title: A synthetic elastomer based on acrylated polypropylene glycol triol with tunable modulus for tissue engineering applications.
abstract: As strategies for manipulating cellular behaviour in vitro and in vivo become more sophisticated, synthetic biomaterial substrates capable of reproducing critical biochemical and biophysical properties (or cues) of tissue micro-environments will be required. Cytoskeletal tension has been shown to be highly deterministic of cell fate decisions, yet few synthetic biomaterials are capable of modulating cytoskeletal tension of adhered cells through variations in stiffness, at least in the ranges applicable to tissue properties (e.g., 1-100 kPa), whilst also possessing other required properties, such as biodegradability, biocompatibility and processability. In this paper we describe a non-cytotoxic polymer system based on acrylated polypropylene glycol triol (aPPGT). This new elastomer system has tunable elastic moduli, is degradable, can be easily surface modified and can be manufactured into porous three dimensional scaffolds or micropatterned substrates. We demonstrate that the PPGT substrates can modulate hMSC morphology, growth, and differentiation, and that they can produce similar outcomes as observed for a non-degradable polyacrylamide substrate, confirming their utility as a degradable elastomer for tissue engineering and other biomedical applications.
authors.affiliation: Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN), University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: James E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Hudson
authors.forename: Jessica E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Frith
authors.forename: Bogdan C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Donose
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rondeau
authors.forename: Richard J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Mills
authors.forename: Ernst J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Wolvetang
authors.forename: Gary P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Brooke
authors.forename: Justin J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Cooper-White
mesh_terms: D000179:Acrylates / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D050156:Adipogenesis / Q000187:drug effects; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016923:Cell Death / Q000187:drug effects; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D024042:Collagen Type I / Q000494:pharmacology; D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents / Q000494:pharmacology; D055119:Elastic Modulus / Q000187:drug effects*; D020724:Elastomers / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D008875:Middle Aged; D039902:Multipotent Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D010012:Osteogenesis / Q000187:drug effects; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011409:Propylene Glycols / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017154:Stromal Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D013499:Surface Properties / Q000187:drug effects; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods*; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds / Q000737:chemistry; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000179:Acrylates; D024042:Collagen Type I; D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents; D020724:Elastomers; D011108:Polymers; D011409:Propylene Glycols; D014157:Transcription Factors; C012504:polypropylene glycol