Poly(HEMA-co-MMA) Hydrogel Scaffold for Tissue Engineering with Controllable Morphology and Mechanical Properties...

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Tissue Engineering

Background:

• Poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA) is a common biomaterial, but its poor mechanical properties limit its use in tissue engineering.
• Enhancing mechanical strength and biocompatibility is crucial for developing effective soft tissue scaffolds.

Purpose of the Study:

• To fabricate poly(HEMA-co-MMA) scaffolds with tunable mechanical properties and suitable in vitro cell responses for soft tissue applications.
• To investigate the impact of varying hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) and methyl methacrylate (MMA) concentration ratios on scaffold characteristics.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of poly(HEMA-co-MMA) scaffolds with diverse HEMA and MMA ratios.
• Characterization using structural morphology, FT-IR, mechanical property testing (compressive and tensile stress/modulus), and contact angle analysis.
• In vitro assessment of human dermal fibroblast (HDF) cell adhesion and proliferation.

Main Results:

• Scaffold morphology and pore size varied with HEMA and MMA ratios.
• Mechanical properties ranged from 254.24-932.42 KPa (compressive stress) and 4.37-30.64 KPa (tensile stress), with moduli of 16.14-38.80 KPa (compressive) and 0.5-2 KPa (tensile).
• Contact angles ranged from 36.89-74.74°, indicating tunable surface hydrophilicity.
• All scaffold compositions supported good HDF cell adhesion and proliferation.

Conclusions:

• A specific HEMA and MMA concentration ratio allows for the facile fabrication of synthetic hydrogel scaffolds with improved mechanical properties.
• The developed scaffolds demonstrate suitable fibroblast cell responses, making them promising for soft tissue engineering applications.