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Tailored Biocompatible Polyurethane-Poly(ethylene glycol) Hydrogels as a Versatile Nonfouling Biomaterial
Alessondra T Speidel1, Phillip R A Chivers1, Christopher S Wood1
1Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, 171 77, Sweden.
Advanced Healthcare Materials
|August 18, 2022
Summary
This study presents a simple method for creating biocompatible polyurethane-poly(ethylene glycol) hydrogels. These tunable, nonfouling hydrogels show promise for long-term biomaterial applications like implants and tissue engineering.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Polymer Chemistry
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Polyurethane-based hydrogels are cost-effective, mechanically strong biomaterials.
- They are suitable for drug delivery, prosthetics, implant coatings, soft robotics, and tissue engineering.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present a simple method for synthesizing and casting biocompatible polyurethane-poly(ethylene glycol) (PU-PEG) hydrogels.
- To demonstrate tunable mechanical properties, nonfouling characteristics, and sustained tolerability for implantable applications.
Main Methods:
- A one-pot synthesis method using commercially available precursors and low-toxicity solvents.
- Tuning mechanical properties by adjusting curing concentration, resulting in shear moduli from 0.82-190 kPa.
- Evaluation against poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) for nonfouling properties and in vivo tolerability in murine implant studies.
Main Results:
- PU-PEG hydrogels exhibited tunable mechanical properties matching human soft tissues.
- Demonstrated favorable nonfouling characteristics with reduced protein and cellular adhesion compared to PDMS.
- Preliminary murine studies showed a mild foreign body response after 41 days.
Conclusions:
- The presented method offers a simplified platform for fabricating soft PU-based biomaterials.
- The hydrogels possess tunable mechanical properties, excellent biocompatibility, and sustained in vivo tolerability.
- These characteristics make them suitable for diverse long-term biomaterial applications.
