A new method for the preparation of biomedical hydrogels comprised of extracellular matrix and oligourethanes

This paper reports a new method to modify hydrogels derived from the acellular extracellular matrix (ECM) and consequently to improve their properties. The method is comprised of the combination of liquid precursors derived from hydrolyzed acellular small intestinal submucosa (hECM) and water-soluble oligourethanes that bear protected isocyanate groups, synthesized from poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI). The results demonstrate that the reactivity of oligourethanes, along with their water solubility, properly induce simultaneously the polymerization of type I collagen and its crosslinking. The polymerization rate and the gel network parameters such as fiber diameter, porosity, crosslinking degree, mechanics, swelling, in vitro degradation and cell proliferation, keep a direct relationship with the oligourethane concentration. Consequently, the hybrid hydrogels formulated with 15 wt.% of oligourethane exhibit enhanced storage modulus and degradation resistance, while maintaining the cell viability and impeding the fibroblast-induced contraction in comparison with the hECM hydrogels without oligourethanes. Therefore, this method is adequate to prepare novel hydrogels where the adjustment of the crosslinking degree controls the materials structure and their properties. This new method offers advantages for regulating the features of ECM-derived templates, thereby extending their possibilities for tissue engineering (TE) applications.