Nanostructured degradable macroporous hydrogel scaffolds with controllable internal morphologies via reactive...

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Tissue Engineering

Background:

• Controlling hydrogel scaffold architecture is crucial for biomedical applications like tissue engineering and drug delivery.
• Existing fabrication methods often involve harsh conditions or multi-step processes incompatible with cells.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a cell-friendly, single-step method for creating micro/nanostructured hydrogels with tunable morphologies.
• To investigate the impact of hydrogel morphology on swelling, degradation, mechanics, cell responses, and protein release.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a reactive electrospinning technique using hydrazide and aldehyde-functionalized poly(oligo ethylene glycol methacrylate) (POEGMA) with poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO).
• Varied concentrations and molecular weights of PEO and POEGMA to achieve diverse morphologies (fibers, beaded fibers, bead networks).
• Employed dynamic covalent hydrazone crosslinks for monolithic hydrogel stability in aqueous environments.

Main Results:

• Fabricated hydrogel scaffolds with controlled nanoscale and microscale morphologies.
• Demonstrated independent tuning of swelling, degradation, and mechanics by controlling gel morphology.
• Showcased systematic alteration of cell proliferation and protein release kinetics based on scaffold morphology, with optimal cell proliferation in small fibers and slowest protein release in bead networks.

Conclusions:

• The reactive electrospinning method offers a versatile platform for fabricating customizable hydrogel scaffolds.
• Morphology control at both nano and micro scales enables tailored hydrogel properties for specific biomedical applications.
• This approach facilitates single-step cell and protein loading, enhancing cell viability and controlling release profiles.