RT info:eu-repo/semantics/article
T1 Synthesis and Characterization of Macroporous Thermosensitive Hydrogels from Recombinant Elastin-Like Polymers
A1 Martín, Laura
A1 Alonso, Matilde
A1 Girotti, Alessandra
A1 Arias, F. Javier
A1 Rodríguez-Cabello, J. Carlos
AB Multifunctional bioactive chemically cross-linked elastin-like polymers (ELPs) have been prepared as three-dimensional scaffolds for tissue engineering. The salt-leaching/gas-foaming technique was found suitable to prepare highly porous biodegradable hydrogels based on this novel material type. The porosity can be controlled by the amount of sodium hydrogen carbonate incorporated during the cross-linking reaction, whereas the mean pore size is determined by the salt particle size. The gas-foaming process, which involves immersion in a citric acid solution after the cross-linking, facilitates pore interconnectivity and allows a grooved surface essential for cell colonization. Due to the thermoresponsive nature of the ELPs, their physical properties are strongly influenced by the temperature of the aqueous medium. The feasibility to obtain tridimensional scaffolds for tissue engineering has been studied by testing the adhesion and spreading of endothelial cells into the porous ELP hydrogels. The methods and structures described herein provide a starting point for the design and synthesis of macroporous multifunctional elastin-like hydrogels with potential broad applicability.
PB ACS publications
SN 1525-7797
YR 2009
FD 2009
LK https://uvadoc.uva.es/handle/10324/82811
UL https://uvadoc.uva.es/handle/10324/82811
LA eng
NO Biomacromolecules 2009, 10, 11, 3015–3022
DS UVaDOC
RD 17-feb-2026