Novel multiarm PEG-based hydrogels for tissue engineering

• Published in: Journal of biomedical materials research. Part A Vol. 92A; no. 3; pp. 979 - 987
• Main Authors: Tan, Huaping, DeFail, Alicia J., Rubin, J. Peter, Chu, Constance R., Marra, Kacey G.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company 01.03.2010; Wiley-Blackwell
• Subjects: Adipocytes - cytology; adipose tissue engineering; biodegradable hydrogel; Biological and medical sciences; Biotechnology; Cell Adhesion; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gardenia; genipin; Health. Pharmaceutical industry; Humans; Hydrogels; Industrial applications and implications. Economical aspects; Medical sciences; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; Miscellaneous; multiarm poly(ethylene glycol); Polyethylene Glycols; Surgery (general aspects). Transplantations, organ and tissue grafts. Graft diseases; Technology. Biomaterials. Equipments; Tissue Engineering; Ethylene glycol; Injectable form; Adipose tissue; Tissue engineering; genipin; Crosslink agent; multiarm poly(ethylene glycol); Ethylene oxide polymer; Cyclic ether polymer; biodegradable hydrogel; Cell adhesion; Biomaterial; Hydrogel; adipose tissue engineering; Biomedical engineering
• ISSN: 1549-3296; 1552-4965; 1552-4965
• DOI: 10.1002/jbm.a.32438

Injectable scaffolds are promising substrates for regenerative medicine applications. In this study, multiarm amino‐terminated poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) hydrogels were crosslinked with genipin, a compound naturally derived from the gardenia fruit. Four‐ and eight‐arm amino‐terminated PEG hydrogels crosslinked with varying concentrations of genipin were characterized. Both surface and cross‐sectional structures of PEG‐based hydrogels were observed by scanning electron microscopy. In vitro gelation time, water uptake, swelling, and weight loss of PEG hydrogels in phosphate buffered saline at 37°C were studied. The results showed that the eight‐arm PEG demonstrated a much slower gelation time compared with the four‐arm PEG, which may be due to the differing structures of the multiarm PEG hydrogels, which in turn affects the ability of genipin to react with the amine groups. Human adipose‐derived stem cells were seeded onto the four‐ and eight‐arm PEG hydrogels in vitro to assess the biological performance and applicability of the gels as cell carriers. The four‐arm PEG hydrogel resulted in enhanced cell adhesion when compared with the eight‐arm PEG hydrogel. Overall, these characteristics provide a potential opportunity for multiarm PEG hydrogels as injectable scaffolds in a variety of tissue engineering applications. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res, 2010