Bioactivity of permselective PVA hydrogels with mixed ECM analogues

The presentation of multiple biological cues, which simulate the natural in vivo cell environment within artificial implants, has recently been identified as crucial for achieving complex cellular functions. The incorporation of two or more biological cues within a largely synthetic network can provide a simplified model of multifunctional ECM presentation to encapsulated cells. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the effects of simultaneously and covalently incorporating two dissimilar biological molecules, heparin and gelatin, within a PVA hydrogel. PVA was functionalized with 7 and 20 methacrylate functional groups per chain (FG/c) to tailor the permselectivity of UV photopolymerized hydrogels. Both heparin and gelatin were covalently incorporated into PVA at an equal ratio resulting in a final PVA:heparin:gelatin composition of 19:0.5:0.5. The combination of both heparin and gelatin within a PVA network has proven to be stable over time without compromising the PVA base characteristics including its permselectivity to different proteins. Most importantly, this combination of ECM analogues supplemented PVA with the dual functionalities of promoting cellular adhesion and sequestering growth factors essential for cellular proliferation. Multi-functional PVA hydrogels with synthetically controlled network characteristics and permselectivity show potential in various biomedical applications including artificial cell implants.