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Molecularly engineered metal-based bioactive soft materials - Neuroactive magnesium ion/polymer hybrids
Lijie Sun1, Min Wang1, Shuo Chen1
1State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fiber and Polymer Materials, International Joint Laboratory for Advanced Fiber and Low-dimension Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, North Renmin Road 2999, Shanghai 201620, China.
Acta Biomaterialia
|December 27, 2018
Summary
Researchers developed a novel bioactive soft material by integrating magnesium ions (Mg2+) with polymers, creating a stable, injectable scaffold. This new material effectively promotes nerve cell growth and gene expression for regenerative medicine applications.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Regenerative Medicine
- Polymer Chemistry
Background:
- Bioactive soft materials guiding cell behavior are crucial for regenerative medicine.
- Integrating biomacromolecules with polymers is a common strategy, but biomacromolecules are sensitive to processing conditions.
- Metal ions offer a stable alternative for imparting bioactivity to polymers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To design and exemplify a new class of bioactive soft materials based on metal ion-polymer molecular integration.
- To investigate the neuroactivity and cell-guiding properties of a magnesium ion-polymer hybrid (PGSM-Mg).
- To establish a general strategy for creating stable, processable bioactive soft materials.
Main Methods:
- Synthesized a poly(glycerol-sebacate-maleate) (PGSM) polymer matrix.
- Incorporated magnesium ions (Mg2+) into the PGSM matrix via complexation, confirmed by XPS and FTIR.
- Fabricated injectable materials and 3D scaffolds from the PGSM-Mg hybrid.
- Evaluated biodegradability, Mg2+ release, and Schwann cell (SC) adhesion, proliferation, and gene expression compared to controls (PLGA, PGS, PGSM).
Main Results:
- PGSM-Mg demonstrated firm Mg2+ incorporation and facile processing into injectable materials and 3D scaffolds.
- The PGSM-Mg hybrid exhibited adequate biodegradability and sustained Mg2+ release, conferring neuroactivity.
- PGSM-Mg scaffolds significantly enhanced SC adhesion, proliferation, and expression of neural genes (NGF, NTF3) compared to PLGA scaffolds.
Conclusions:
- Molecular integration of metal ions, like Mg2+, into polymers provides a stable and effective method to create bioactive soft materials.
- The PGSM-Mg hybrid shows promise as a biomimetic material for nerve tissue engineering due to its enhanced cell response.
- This metal ion-polymer coupling strategy offers a versatile and generalizable approach for developing advanced bioactive materials for biomedical applications.
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