Synthesis and characterization of highly crosslinked hyaluronan hydrogels

POLY 539

Newell R Washburn, washburn@andrew.cmu.edu1, Sidi A Bencherif, sabenche@andrew.cmu.edu2, Abiraman Srinivasan, abiraman@andrew.cmu.edu3, Jeffrey Hollinger4, Ferenc Horkay, horkay@helix.nih.gov5, and Krzysztof Matyjaszewski, km3b@andrew.cmu.edu2. (1) Departments of Chemistry and Biomedical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, 4400 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15217, (2) Department of Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon University, 4400 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, (3) Department of Biomedical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, (4) BTEC, CMU, 5000 Forbes Ave, Pittsburgh, 15213, (5) Laboratory of Integrative and Medical Biophysics, National Institutes of Health, NICHD, 13 South Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892
The synthesis and characterization of hydrogels based on hyaluronic acid is presented. Bacteria-derived hyaluronic acid was functionalized with methacrylate groups using glycidyl methacrylate and methacrylic anhydride in buffered saline solution and co-solvents of buffer and dimethylformamide. As determined by 1H NMR spectroscopy, the fraction of functionalized monomers ranging from 14% to greater than 90%. Hydrogels were photocrosslinked and their mechanical properties were characterized by uniaxial compression testing. The hydrogels having 14% degree of methacrylation were quite soft, with a Young's modulus of 17 kPa, while the gels having 90% degree of methacrylation had moduli in excess of 100 kPa. To assess biocompatibility of methacrylated hyaluronic acid, C2C12 cells were cultured on gels crosslinked with 4 mM RGD peptide that was coupled via a vinyl PEG linker. Cells proliferated rapidly on the hydrogels and were found to produce a mineralized matrix after 28 days in culture.
 

Scaffolds and Matrices for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine Applications
8:30 AM-11:40 AM, Wednesday, August 22, 2007 Westin Boston Waterfront -- Grand Ballroom B, Oral

Division of Polymer Chemistry

The 234th ACS National Meeting, Boston, MA, August 19-23, 2007