Thiolene- and Polycaprolactone Methacrylate-Based Polymerized High Internal Phase Emulsion (PolyHIPE) Scaffolds for...

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Tissue Engineering

Background:

• Highly porous polymers of high internal phase emulsion (PolyHIPEs) offer advantages for tissue engineering scaffolds.
• Current PolyHIPEs often use non-degradable monomers, limiting clinical applications.
• Thiol-ene chemistry presents a route to biodegradable, photocurable PolyHIPEs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop novel biodegradable PolyHIPEs using thiol-ene chemistry and polycaprolactone (PCL) for tissue engineering scaffolds.
• To investigate the influence of PCL molecular architecture on PolyHIPE properties.
• To assess the biocompatibility of the developed PCL-based PolyHIPEs.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of PolyHIPEs via photoinitiated thiol-ene click reaction using three-arm PCL methacrylate (3PCLMA) or four-arm PCL methacrylate (4PCLMA).
• Characterization of PolyHIPE porosity and structure.
• Biocompatibility assessment using human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs) and MG-63 cells via DNA quantification.

Main Results:

• Successful fabrication of PCL-based PolyHIPEs using thiol-ene chemistry.
• Demonstrated ability of PolyHIPEs to support cell attachment and viability.
• No significant difference observed between 3PCLMA and 4PCLMA formulations in supporting cell growth.

Conclusions:

• Biodegradable PCL-based PolyHIPEs can be fabricated using photoinitiated thiol-ene chemistry.
• These materials show potential as scaffolds for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.
• The developed PolyHIPEs are biocompatible and support cell growth.