title: Enzymatic degradation of the hydrogels based on synthetic poly(α-amino acid)s.
abstract: Biodegradable hydrogels are studied as potential scaffolds for soft tissue regeneration. In this work biodegradable hydrogels were prepared from synthetic poly(α-amino acid)s, poly(AA)s. The covalently crosslinked gels were formed by radical copolymerization of methacryloylated poly(AA)s, e.g. poly[N (5)-(2-hydroxy-ethyl)-L-glutamine-ran-L-alanine-ran-N (6)-methacryloyl-L-lysine], as a multifunctional macro-monomer with a low-molecular-weight methacrylic monofunctional monomer, e.g. 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA). Methacryloylated copolypeptides were synthesized by polymerization of N-carboxyanhydrides of respective amino acids and subsequent side-chain modification. Due to their polypeptide backbone, synthetic poly(AA)s are cleavable in biological environment by enzyme-catalyzed hydrolysis. The feasibility of enzymatic degradation of poly(AA)s alone and the hydrogels made from them was studied using elastase, a matrix proteinase involved in tissue healing processes, as a model enzyme. Specificity of elastase for cleavage of polypeptide chains behind the L-alanine residues was reflected in faster degradation of L-alanine-containing copolymers as well as of hydrogels composed of them.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Heyrovsky Sq 2, 162 06 Prague 6, Czech Republic. sedlacik@imc.cas.cz
authors.forename: Tomáš
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sedlačík
authors.forename: Hana
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Studenovská
authors.forename: František
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rypáček
mesh_terms: D000596:Amino Acids / Q000737:chemistry; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000737:chemistry*; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D002356:Cartilage / Q000473:pathology; D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents / Q000737:chemistry; D005782:Gels; D020100:Hydrogels / Q000737:chemistry*; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008689:Methacrylates / Q000737:chemistry; D008956:Models, Chemical; D009416:Nerve Regeneration; D010196:Pancreatic Elastase / Q000737:chemistry; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry; D013997:Time Factors; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000295:instrumentation
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents; D005782:Gels; D020100:Hydrogels; D008689:Methacrylates; D010455:Peptides; D011108:Polymers; C005044:hydroxyethyl methacrylate; D010196:Pancreatic Elastase