Degradable glycine-based photo-polymerizable polyphosphazenes for use as scaffolds for tissue regeneration

Photo-polymerizable scaffolds are designed and prepared via short chain poly(organo)phosphazene building blocks bearing glycine allylester moieties. The polyphosphazene was combined with a trifunctional thiol and divinylester in various ratios, followed by thiol-ene photo-polymerization to obtain porous matrices. Degradation studies under aqueous conditions showed increasing rates in correlation with the polyphosphazene content. Preliminary cell studies show the non-cytotoxic nature of the polymers and their degradation products, as well as the cell adhesion and proliferation of adipose-derived stem cells.