Thiol-ene Clickable Poly(glycidol) Hydrogels for Biofabrication

In this study we introduce linear poly(glycidol) (PG), a structural analog of poly(ethylene glycol) bearing side chains at each repeating unit, as polymer basis for bioink development. We prepare allyl- and thiol-functional linear PG that can rapidly be polymerized to a three-dimensionally cross-linked hydrogel network via UV mediated thiol-ene click reaction. Influence of polymer concentration and UV irradiation on mechanical properties and swelling behavior was examined. Thiol-functional PG was synthesized in two structural variations, one containing ester groups that are susceptible to hydrolytic cleavage, and the other one ester-free and stable against hydrolysis. This allowed the preparation of degradable and non-degradable hydrogels. Cytocompatibility of the hydrogel was demonstrated by encapsulation of human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs). Rheological properties of the hydrogels were adjusted for dispense plotting by addition of high molecular weight hyaluronic acid. The optimized formulation enabled highly reproducible plotting of constructs composed of 20 layers with an overall height of 3.90 mm.