title: Synthesis and characterization of a new photo-crosslinkable glycol chitosan thermogel for biomedical applications.
abstract: The major limitations of typical thermogelling polymers for practical applications are low gel stability and weak mechanical properties under physiological conditions. In this study, we have synthesized a new polysaccharide-based thermogelling polymer that can be photo-crosslinked by UV irradiation to form a mechanically resilient and elastic hydrogel. Methacrylated hexanoyl glycol chitosan (M-HGC), was synthesized by a series of chemical modifications, N-hexanoylation and N-methacrylation, of glycol chitosan (GC). Various M-HGC polymers with different methacryl group contents were synthesized and their thermogelling and photo-crosslinkable properties were evaluated. The M-HGCs demonstrated a thermo-reversible sol-gel transition behavior in aqueous solutions. The thermally-induced hydrogels could be chemically crosslinked by UV-triggered photo-crosslinking. From the cytotoxicity studies using MTT and the live/dead assay, the M-HGC hydrogels showed non-cytotoxicity. These photo-crosslinkable thermogelling M-HGC polymers may hold great promises for various biomedical applications, such as an injectable delivery system and 3D cell culture.
authors.affiliation: Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 305-764, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Ik Sung
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.affiliation: Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 305-764, Republic of Korea; Next-generation Pharmaceutical Research Center, Korea Institute of Toxicology, Daejeon 341-114, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Myeong Ok
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.affiliation: Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 305-764, Republic of Korea; College of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Tianjin University of Science & Technology, Tianjin 300-457, China.
authors.forename: Zhengzheng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 305-764, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Md
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nurunnabi
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Korea National University of Transportation, Chungju 380-702, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Sung Young
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Next-generation Pharmaceutical Research Center, Korea Institute of Toxicology, Daejeon 341-114, Republic of Korea; Human and Environmental Toxicology Program, University of Science and Technology, Daejeon 305-350, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Sun-Woong
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.affiliation: Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 305-764, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: khuh@cnu.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Kang Moo
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Huh
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity; D002645:Chickens; D048271:Chitosan / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity; D019902:Chondrocytes / Q000187:drug effects; D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity; D020100:Hydrogels; D008689:Methacrylates / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D015394:Molecular Structure; D009113:Muramidase / Q000378:metabolism; D044367:Phase Transition; D011817:Rabbits; D012212:Rheology; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; D013696:Temperature; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents; D020100:Hydrogels; D008689:Methacrylates; C118638:glycol-chitosan; D048271:Chitosan; C421864:hen egg lysozyme; D009113:Muramidase
keywords: Glycol chitosan; Photo-crosslinking; Physical crosslinking; Sol–gel transition; Thermogel