Thermoresponsive, in situ cross-linkable hydrogels based on N-isopropylacrylamide: fabrication, characterization and mesenchymal stem cell encapsulation.

ABSTRACT: Hydrogels that solidify in response to a dual, physical and chemical, mechanism upon temperature increase were fabricated and characterized. The hydrogels were based on N-isopropylacrylamide, which renders them thermoresponsive, and contained covalently cross-linkable moieties in the macromers. The effects of the macromer end group, acrylate or methacrylate, and the fabrication conditions on the degradative and swelling properties of the hydrogels were investigated. The hydrogels exhibited higher swelling below their lower critical solution temperature (LCST). When immersed in cell culture medium at physiological temperature, which was above their LCST, hydrogels showed constant swelling and no degradation over 8 weeks, with the methacrylated hydrogels showing greater swelling than their a

SUBMITTER: Klouda L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3050091 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature