Characterization of pore structure in biologically functional poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate)-poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PHEMA-PEGDA).

Amelia Zellander, Chenlin Zhao, Mrignayani Kotecha, Richard Gemeinhart, Melissa Wardlow, Jeremiah Abiade, Michael Cho

Index: PLoS ONE 9(5) , e96709, (2014)

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Abstract

A copolymer composed of poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA) and poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) (PHEMA-PEGDA) is structurally versatile. Its structure can be adjusted using the following porogens: water, sucrose, and benzyl alcohol. Using phase separation technique, a variety of surface architectures and pore morphologies were developed by adjusting porogen volume and type. The water and sucrose porogens were effective in creating porous and cytocompatible PHEMA-PEGDA scaffolds. When coated with collagen, the PHEMA-PEGDA scaffolds accommodated cell migration. The PHEMA-PEGDA scaffolds are easy to produce, non-toxic, and mechanically stable enough to resist fracture during routine handling. The PHEMA-PEGDA structures presented in this study may expedite the current research effort to engineer tissue scaffolds that provide both structural stability and biological activity.