A novel polyurethane-based biodegradable elastomer as a promising material for skeletal muscle tissue engineering

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Tissue Engineering
• Polymer Chemistry

Background:

• Skeletal muscle tissue engineering requires scaffolds with specific elastic, biodegradable, and biocompatible properties.
• Existing materials may not fully replicate the dynamic loading and microenvironment of native muscle tissue.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a novel biodegradable polyurethane-fibrinogen (PU-Fib) elastomer as a scaffold for skeletal muscle tissue engineering.
• To assess the material's suitability for supporting myoblast behavior under dynamic culture conditions.

Main Methods:

• Synthesized PU-Fib elastomers via step-wise condensation polymerization.
• Characterized chemical, thermal, viscoelastic, mechanical, and biodegradation properties.
• Cultured C2C12 mouse myoblasts on PU-Fib films under uniaxial cyclic stretch for 21 days.

Main Results:

• PU-Fib demonstrated chemically compatible interactions and suitable viscoelastic properties compared to PCL.
• Myoblasts proliferated well on PU-Fib films, showing alignment and expression of myogenic markers (myogenin, myosin heavy chain).
• High myoblast viability was maintained on the PU-Fib elastomeric films under biomimetic dynamic culture.

Conclusions:

• Biodegradable PU-Fib elastomers are a promising scaffold material for skeletal muscle tissue engineering.
• The PU-Fib material effectively supports myoblast proliferation, alignment, and differentiation in a dynamic, biomimetic environment.
• This material holds potential for developing functional skeletal muscle constructs.