Hierarchically designed agarose and poly(ethylene glycol) interpenetrating network hydrogels for cartilage tissue engineering.

ABSTRACT: A new method for encapsulating cells in interpenetrating network (IPN) hydrogels of superior mechanical integrity was developed. In this study, two biocompatible materials-agarose and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) diacrylate-were combined to create a new IPN hydrogel with greatly enhanced mechanical performance. Unconfined compression of hydrogel samples revealed that the IPN displayed a fourfold increase in shear modulus relative to a pure PEG-diacrylate network (39.9 vs. 9.9 kPa) and a 4.9-fold increase relative to a pure agarose network (8.2 kPa). PEG and IPN compressive failure strains were found to be 71% ± 17% and 74% ± 17%, respectively, while pure agarose gels failed around 15% strain. Similar mechanical property improvements were seen when IPNs-encapsulated chondrocytes, and LIVE/DE

SUBMITTER: DeKosky BJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2988644 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature