Three-dimensional microchannels in biodegradable polymeric films for control orientation and phenotype of vascular smooth muscle cells.

The poor mechanical strength and vasoactivity of current small-diameter tissue engineered blood vessels (TEBVs) remain unsolved problems. Given the plasticity of smooth muscle cells (SMCs), 1 of the main limitations of current scaffolding techniques is the difficulty in controlling SMC phenotype shifts in vitro. A synthetic phenotype allows the cells to rapidly proliferate and produce extracellular matrix (ECM), whereas a shift to contractile phenotype with organized ECM ultimately provides a functional blood vessel.

Adhesion contact dynamics of 3T3 fibroblasts on poly (lactide-co-glycolide acid) surface modified by photochemical immobilization of biomacromolecules.

A simple and effective method of biomacromolecule immobilization on biomaterial surface for direct tuning of biophysical parameters such as the initial cell deformation rate, degree of cell spreading and adhesion kinetics is important for tissue engineering. The photochemical immobilization of azide-chitosan (Az-CS) on poly (lactide-co-glycolide) acid (PLGA) is applied here. Chitosan immobilization on PLGA through the photoactive azide group further facilitates subsequent grafting of other biocompatible biomacromolecules like gelatin (Gel) through the active amine groups on CS.

Foldable micropatterned hydrogel film made from biocompatible PCL-b-PEG-b-PCL diacrylate by UV embossing.

Foldable hydrogel films with micropatterns measuring 480 microm by 45 microm by 54 microm by 2 cm (width of microchannel by width of microwall by height of wall by length of pattern) were made by UV embossing of a block copolymer of polycaprolactone (PCL) and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), specifically PCL-b-PEG-b-PCL-diacrylate (DA), with a polydimethylsiloxane mold. The mold was treated with Ar/CF(4) plasma to simultaneously promote microchannel filling and demolding, and the glass substrate was modified with 3-(trimethoxysilyl) propyl acrylate to promote hydrogel adhesion to avoid delamination of the gel during demolding. The micropatterned hydrogel film was detached from the glass substrate by freeze-drying.

Interaction between O-carboxymethylchitosan and dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine bilayer.

O-carboxylmethylchitosan (OCMCS), a chitosan derivative, has emerged as a strong polymeric biomembrane perturbant. In this study, the interaction between OCMCS and dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPPC) was examined with cross-polarization microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and the surface pressure-area isotherms techniques. Cross-polarized light images showed that OCMCS induced the fusion of small DPPC multilamellar vesicles (MLV) to form large lamellar structures.

Cell viability of chitosan-containing semi-interpenetrated hydrogels based on PCL-PEG-PCL diacrylate macromer.

Chitosan-modified biodegradable hydrogels were prepared by UV irradiation of solutions in mild aqueous acidic media of poly(caprolactone)-co-poly(ethylene glycol)-co-poly(caprolactone) diacrylate (PCL-PEG-PCL-DA) and chitosan. Hydrogels obtained were characterized using FT-IR, DSC, TGA and XPS. FT-IR, TGA and DSC revealed the semi-interpenetrating polymer network structure formed in the hydrogel.

Novel photopolymerizable biodegradable triblock polymers for tissue engineering scaffolds: synthesis and characterization.

For use in micro-patterned scaffolds in tissue engineering, novel diacrylated triblock macromers (PLA-b-PCL-b-PLA, PGA-b-PCL-b-PGA and PCL-b-PEO-b-PCL) were synthesized and characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) and gel permeation chromatography (GPC). All diacrylated polymers were designed as triblock copolymers and involved biodegradable blocks of relatively non-polar epsilon-caprolactone (CL) and polar monomers such as glycolide (GA), lactide (LA) or ethylene oxide (EO). All triblock polymers were prepared in molecular weights of a few kilo daltons via the anionic ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of the corresponding lactide, glycolide or caprolactone using stannous octoate [Sn(Oct)(2)] as catalyst.