Synthesis of Crosslinkable Poly(ester amide)s for Cell Encapsulation and Delivery
Abstract
Tissue engineering using adipose-derived stromal cells (ASCs) shows promise for soft tissue regeneration. Biodegradable polymers are potential biomaterials as they support the growth and delivery of cells. Specifically, poly(ester amide)s (PEAs) are a class of biodegradable polymers with tunable structures that have been shown to exhibit low cytotoxicity and support the growth of various cell types. This thesis involved the development of new water soluble amino acid-based PEAs with crosslinkable moieties to enable formation of hydrogel scaffolds for ASC encapsulation. These hydrophilic phenylalanine-based and alanine-based PEAs were synthesized by solution polycondensation and photo-crosslinked into a series of hydrogels with and without poly(ethylene glycol) dimethacrylate, methacrylated chondroitin sulphate or decellularized adipose tissue, and hydrogel properties including gel content, equilibrium water content, and swelling were examined. ASC viability and adipogenesis were studied in selected PEA hydrogels, and the overall results demonstrated the potential of these new water soluble PEAs as biomaterials for adipose tissue engineering, as they provided a supportive environment for ASCs survival and adipogenic differentiation in culture.