Low methacrylated poly(glycerol sebacate) for soft tissue engineering

Abstract

Tissue engineering for soft tissue has made great advances in recent years, though there are still challenges to overcome. The main problem is that autologous tissue implants have not given good results since approximately 60% of tissue is lost or absorbed after implantation. The main strategy to overcome this issue has been the development of biomaterials capable of regenerating damaged tissue and mimicking the host environment. Biopolymers have been widely used for their biocompatibility and hydrophilicity, but they lack structural stability and mechanical properties suitable for the replacement of soft tissue. Synthetic polymers can overcome the drawbacks faced by biopolymers, with synthetic elastomers being of particular interest since they have mechanical properties and elastic moduli close to those of soft tissue. We focused on the physiochemical and biological characterization of poly(glycerol sebacate) methacrylate (PGS-M), and its application in the fabrication of scaffolds for soft tissue through the addition of methacrylate groups to improve its mechanical properties. PGS-M is a relatively new polymer that has not been widely used in soft tissue engineering. Our results confirm that its physicochemical characteristics make it a promising material for tissue engineering to fabricate scaffolds using various techniques like emulsion templating, 3D printing, and soft stereolithography.