Biodegradable elastomeric scaffolds for soft tissue engineering

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2003

Authors

Pego, AP (Author) Other; Poot, AA (Author) Other; Grijpma, DW (Author) Other; Feijen, J (Author) Other

Journal

Title: Journal of Controlled Release

Vol. 87

Pages: 69-79

ISSN: 0168-3659

Publisher: Elsevier

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 127 Citations

Scopus - 148 Citations

Scientific classification

FOS: Natural sciences > Chemical sciences

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-008-NGZ

DOI: 10.1016/s0168-3659(02)00351-6

Abstract (EN): Elastomeric copolymers of 1,3-trimethylene carbonate (TMC) and epsilon-caprolactone (CL) and copolymers of TMC and D,L-lactide (DLLA) have been evaluated as candidate materials for the preparation of biodegradable scaffolds for soft tissue engineering. TMC-DLLA copolymers are amorphous and degrade more rapidly in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) of pH 7.4 at 37 degreesC than (semi-crystalline) TMC-CL copolymers. TMC-DLLA with 20 or 50 mol% TMC loose their tensile strength in less than 5 months and are totally resorbed in 11 months. In PBS, TMC-CL copolymers retain suitable mechanical properties for more than a year. Cell seeding studies show that rat cardiomyocytes and human Schwarm cells attach and proliferate well on the TMC-based copolymers. TMC-DLLA copolymers with either 20 or 50 mol% of TMC are totally amorphous and very flexible, making them excellent polymers for the preparation of porous scaffolds for heart tissue engineering. Porous structures of TMC-DLLA copolymers were prepared by compression molding and particulate leaching techniques. TMC-CL (co)polymers were processed into porous two-ply tubes by means of salt leaching (inner layer) and fiber winding (outer layer) techniques. These grafts, seeded with Schwann cells, will be used as nerve guides for the bridging of large peripheral nerve defects.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 11