Rapid Prototyping (RP) techniques have been recently investigated for the production of bioactive and bioresorbable scaffolds for tissue engineering. The possibility to design and create customized scaffolds with complex shape is the main advantage displayed by RP techniques. In this work, we evaluated the suitability of composite collagen/poly(ethylene glycol)-based hydrogels (Coll/PEG) to be processed by means of stereolitography, an RP technique which builds three-dimensional objects, starting from a CAD model, following exposure of a photosensitive solution to an ultraviolet laser beam. Coll/PEG-based hydrogels, with different weight ratios between the two components (i.e., Type I collagen and poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate) were synthesized in a two-step process, which involved the physical entrapment of collagen in a PEG network, followed by the crosslinking of collagen and PEG. The hydrogels were then characterized in terms of swelling capability, dynamic-mechanical properties, morphology, collagen content and degradation rate. The production of hydrogels possessing a complex shape (e.g., meniscus-like) was finally investigated by means of stereolitography. The results demonstrated that the developed hydrogels might be useful platforms for the creation of novel scaffolds for several tissue engineering applications, provided that the photopolymerization-based production is optimized in terms of biocompatibility of the starting materials (e.g., the photoinitiator and the crosslinking agent used). Interestingly, through a proper design of the stereolitographic process, it might be possible to produce Coll/PEG-based patient-specific scaffolds.
Composite Collagen/Poly(ethylene glycol)-based Hydrogels for the Creation of Complex Scaffolds through Stereolitography
MADAGHIELE, Marta;DEMITRI, CHRISTIAN;MONTAGNA, FRANCESCO;SANNINO, Alessandro;MAFFEZZOLI, Alfonso
2009-01-01
Abstract
Rapid Prototyping (RP) techniques have been recently investigated for the production of bioactive and bioresorbable scaffolds for tissue engineering. The possibility to design and create customized scaffolds with complex shape is the main advantage displayed by RP techniques. In this work, we evaluated the suitability of composite collagen/poly(ethylene glycol)-based hydrogels (Coll/PEG) to be processed by means of stereolitography, an RP technique which builds three-dimensional objects, starting from a CAD model, following exposure of a photosensitive solution to an ultraviolet laser beam. Coll/PEG-based hydrogels, with different weight ratios between the two components (i.e., Type I collagen and poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate) were synthesized in a two-step process, which involved the physical entrapment of collagen in a PEG network, followed by the crosslinking of collagen and PEG. The hydrogels were then characterized in terms of swelling capability, dynamic-mechanical properties, morphology, collagen content and degradation rate. The production of hydrogels possessing a complex shape (e.g., meniscus-like) was finally investigated by means of stereolitography. The results demonstrated that the developed hydrogels might be useful platforms for the creation of novel scaffolds for several tissue engineering applications, provided that the photopolymerization-based production is optimized in terms of biocompatibility of the starting materials (e.g., the photoinitiator and the crosslinking agent used). Interestingly, through a proper design of the stereolitographic process, it might be possible to produce Coll/PEG-based patient-specific scaffolds.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
