title: Macroporous Hydrogels Composed Entirely of Synthetic Polypeptides: Biocompatible and Enzyme Biodegradable 3D Cellular Scaffolds.
abstract: Synthetic polypeptides are a class of bioinspired polymers with well demonstrated biocompatibility, enzyme biodegradability, and cell adhesive properties, making them promising materials for the preparation of macroporous hydrogels as 3D cellular scaffolds. Three-dimensional macroporous hydrogels composed entirely of biocompatible and enzyme biodegradable synthetic polypeptides have thus been prepared. Under cryoconditions, macroporous hydrogels in the form of macroporous cryogels were prepared using a single copolymer component through direct EDC/sulfo-NHS zero-length cross-linking between poly(l-glutamic acid) (PLG) and poly(l-lysine) (PLL) residues on a PLG-r-PLL random copolypeptide chain. The resulting macroporous cryogels were found to contain large interconnected pores (≥100 μm) highly suitable for tissue engineering applications. Tuning the relative ratios of the amino acid components could result in cryogels with very different pore structures, swelling, and mechanical properties, suitable for developing gels for a range of possible soft tissue engineering applications. These cryogels were shown to be enzymatically biodegradable and demonstrated excellent biocompatibility, cell attachment and cell proliferation profiles with mammalian fibroblast (NIH-3T3) cells, demonstrating the appeal of these novel cryogels as highly suitable cellular scaffolds.
authors.affiliation: Polymer Science Group, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, and §Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Melbourne , Parkville, Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia.
authors.forename: Steven J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Shirbin
authors.affiliation: Polymer Science Group, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, and §Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Melbourne , Parkville, Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia.
authors.forename: Fatemeh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Karimi
authors.affiliation: Polymer Science Group, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, and §Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Melbourne , Parkville, Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia.
authors.forename: Nicholas Jun-An
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.affiliation: Polymer Science Group, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, and §Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Melbourne , Parkville, Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia.
authors.forename: Daniel E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Heath
authors.affiliation: Polymer Science Group, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, and §Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Melbourne , Parkville, Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia.
authors.forename: Greg G
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Qiao
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000737:chemistry*; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D059985:Cryogels / Q000737:chemistry; D020100:Hydrogels / Q000737:chemistry*; D008422:Materials Testing; D051379:Mice; D041681:NIH 3T3 Cells; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry*; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*; D016062:Porosity; D023822:Tissue Engineering; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D059985:Cryogels; D020100:Hydrogels; D010455:Peptides; D011108:Polymers