ROS-cleavable proline oligomer crosslinking of polycaprolactone for pro-angiogenic host response

A reactive oxygen species (ROS)-degradable scaffold is fabricated by crosslinking biocompatible, hydrolytically-degradable poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) with a ROS-degradable oligoproline peptide, KP₇K. The ROS-mediated degradability triggers favorable host responses of the scaffold including improved cell infiltration and angiogenesis in vivo, indicating its unique advantages for tissue engineering applications.