Chelation Crosslinking of Biodegradable Elastomers.

Widely present in nature and in manufactured goods, elastomers are network polymers typically crosslinked by strong covalent bonds. Elastomers crosslinked by weak bonds usually exhibit more plastic deformation. Here, chelation as a mechanism to produce biodegradable elastomers is reported. Polycondensation of sebacic acid, 1,3-propanediol, and a Schiff-base (2-[[(2-hydroxyphenyl) methylene]amino]-1,3-propanediol) forms a block copolymer that binds several biologically relevant metal ions. Chelation offers a unique advantage unseen in conventional elastomer design because one ligand binds multiple metal ions, yielding bonds of different strengths. Therefore, one polymeric ligand coordinated with different metal ions produces elastomers with vastly different characteristics. Mixing different metal ions in one polymer offers another degree of control on material properties. The density of the ligands in the block copolymer further regulates the mechanical properties. Moreover, a murine model reveals that Fe3+ crosslinked foam displays higher compatibility with subcutaneous tissues than the widely used biomaterial-polycaprolactone. The implantation sites restore to their normal architecture with little fibrosis upon degradation of the implants. The versatility of chelation-based design has already shown promise in hydrogels and highly stretchy nondegradable polymers. The biodegradable elastomers reported here would enable new materials and new possibilities in biomedicine and beyond.

Resorbable vascular grafts show rapid cellularization and degradation in the ovine carotid.

Small-diameter vascular grafts perform poorly as arterial bypasses. We developed a cell-free, resorbable graft intended to remodel in situ into a living vessel. The graft consisted of a soft electrospun poly(glycerol sebacate) (PGS) core, a PGS prepolymer (pPGS) coating, and a reinforcing electrospun poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) sheath. The core contained 4.37 ± 1.95 µm fibers and had a porosity of 66.4 ± 3.2%, giving it large pores to encourage cellular infiltration and pro-healing macrophages. The sheath contained 6.63 ± 0.89 µm fibers and had a porosity of 80.5 ± 2.1%. in vitro testing suggested that the stress achieved at arterial pressure would be 13-fold lower than the yield stress of the graft. Grafts were implanted as 7 cm carotid interpositions in two sheep. Sheep were maintained on dual antiplatelet therapy and followed with duplex ultrasound. One graft ruptured at 13 days. The second animal was euthanized with a dilated graft at 15 days. Histology showed near-total degradation of the core and a robust inflammatory response within the sheath. Little neotissue had formed within the graft wall or lumen, but the graft had become surrounded by fibroblast-rich and vascularized connective tissue. Because PCL is commonly used in resorbable grafts, this mechanical destabilization was unexpected. We speculate that the inflammatory response instigated by the rapidly degrading PGS intensified degradation of the PCL and that the large pores enabled a prolonged acute host-graft reaction which attacked the entire bulk of the material, speeding weakening. Future work will focus on how to moderate inflammation and improve remodeling of grafts in large animals.

Slow degrading poly(glycerol sebacate) derivatives improve vascular graft remodeling in a rat carotid artery interposition model.

Porous synthetic grafts made of poly (glycerol sebacate) (PGS) can transform into autologous vascular conduits in vivo upon degradation of PGS. A long-held doctrine in tissue engineering is the necessity to match degradation of the scaffolds to tissue regeneration. Here, we tested the impact of degradation of PGS and its derivative in an interposition model of rat common carotid artery (CCA). Previous work indicates a complete degradation of PGS within approximately 2 weeks, likely at the fast end of the spectrum. Thus, the derivation of PGS focuses on delay degradation by conjugating the free hydroxy groups in PGS with a long chain carboxylic acid: palmitic acid, one of the most common lipid components. We evaluated two of the resultant palmitate-PGS (PPGS) in this study: one containing 9% palmitate (9-PPGS) and the other16% palmitate (16-PPGS). 16-PPGS grafts had the highest patency. Ultrasound imaging showed that the lumens of 16-PPGS grafts were similar to CCA and smaller than 9-PPGS and PGS grafts 12 weeks post-operation. Immunohistological and histological examination showed an endothelialized lumens in all three types of grafts within 4 weeks. Inflammatory responses to 16-PPGS grafts were limited to the adventitial space in contrast to a more diffusive infiltration in 9-PPGS and PGS grafts in week 4. Examination of calponin+ and αSMA+ cells revealed that 16-PPGS grafts remodeled into a distinctive bi-layered wall, while the walls of 9-PPGS grafts and PGS grafts only had one thick layer of smooth muscle-like cells. Correspondingly, the expression of collagen III and elastin displayed an identical layered structure in the remodeled 16-PPGS grafts, in contrast to a more spread distribution in 9-PPGS and PGS grafts. All the three types of grafts exhibited the same collagen content and burst pressure after 12 weeks of host remodeling. However, the compliance and elastin content of 16-PPGS grafts in week 12 were closest to those of CCA. Overall, placing the degradation of PGS derived elastomer to a window of 4-12 weeks results in vascular conduits closer to arteries in a rat carotid artery interposition model over a 12-week observation period.

A biodegradable synthetic graft for small arteries matches the performance of autologous vein in rat carotid arteries.

Autologous veins are the most widely used grafts for bypassing small arteries in coronary and peripheral arterial occlusive diseases. However, they have limited availability and cause donor-site morbidity. Here, we report a direct comparison of acellular biodegradable synthetic grafts and autologous veins as interposition grafts of rat carotid arteries, which is a good model for clinically relevant small arteries. Notably, extensive but transient infiltration of circulating monocytes at day 14 in synthetic grafts leads to a quickly-resolved inflammation and arterial-like tissue remodeling. The vein graft exhibits a similar inflammation phase except the prolonged presence of inflammatory monocytes. The walls of the remodeled synthetic graft contain many circumferentially aligned contractile non-proliferative smooth muscle cells (SMCs), collagen and elastin. In contrast, the walls of the vein grafts contain disorganized proliferating SMCs and thicken over time, suggesting the onset of stenosis. At 3 months, both grafts have a similar patency, extracellular matrix composition, and mechanical properties. Furthermore, synthetic grafts exhibit recruitment and re-orientation of newly synthesized collagen fibers upon mechanical loading. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of a biodegradable synthetic vascular graft with a performance similar to an autologous vein in small artery grafting.

Quickening: Translational design of resorbable synthetic vascular grafts.

Traditional tissue-engineered vascular grafts have yet to gain wide clinical use. The difficulty of scaling production of these cell- or biologic-based products has hindered commercialization. In situ tissue engineering bypasses such logistical challenges by using acellular resorbable scaffolds. Upon implant, the scaffolds become remodeled by host cells. This review describes the scientific and translational advantages of acellular, synthetic vascular grafts. It surveys in vivo results obtained with acellular synthetics over their fifty years of technological development. Finally, it discusses emerging principles, highlights strategic considerations for designers, and identifies questions needing additional research.

Long-Term Functional Efficacy of a Novel Electrospun Poly(Glycerol Sebacate)-Based Arterial Graft in Mice.

Many surgical interventions for cardiovascular disease are limited by the availability of autologous vessels or suboptimal performance of prosthetic materials. Tissue engineered vascular grafts show significant promise, but have yet to achieve clinical efficacy in small caliber (<5 mm) arterial applications. We previously designed cell-free elastomeric grafts containing solvent casted, particulate leached poly(glycerol sebacate) (PGS) that degraded rapidly and promoted neoartery development in a rat model over 3 months. Building on this success but motivated by the need to improve fabrication scale-up potential, we developed a novel method for electrospinning smaller grafts composed of a PGS microfibrous core enveloped by a thin poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) outer sheath. Electrospun PGS-PCL composites were implanted as infrarenal aortic interposition grafts in mice and remained patent up to the 12 month endpoint without thrombosis or stenosis. Many grafts experienced a progressive luminal enlargement up to 6 months, however, due largely to degradation of PGS without interstitial replacement by neotissue. Lack of rupture over 12 months confirmed sufficient long-term strength, due primarily to the persistent PCL sheath. Immunohistochemistry further revealed organized contractile smooth muscle cells and neotissue in the inner region of the graft, but a macrophage-driven inflammatory response to the residual polymer in the outer region of the graft that persisted up to 12 months. Overall, the improved surgical handling, long-term functional efficacy, and strength of this new graft strategy are promising, and straightforward modifications of the PGS core should hasten cellular infiltration and associated neotissue development and thereby lead to improved small vessel replacements.

Synthesis and biocompatibility of a biodegradable and functionalizable thermo-sensitive hydrogel.

Injectable thermal gels are a useful tool for drug delivery and tissue engineering. However, most thermal gels do not solidify rapidly at body temperature (37°C). We addressed this by synthesizing a thermo-sensitive, rapidly biodegrading hydrogel. Our hydrogel, poly(ethylene glycol)-co-poly(propanol serinate hexamethylene urethane) (EPSHU), is an ABA block copolymer comprising A, methoxy poly ethylene glycol group and B, poly (propanol L-serinate hexamethylene urethane). EPSHU was characterized by gel permeation chromatography for molecular weight and (1)H NMR and Fourier transformed infrared for structure. Rheological studies measured the phase transition temperature. In vitro degradation in cholesterol esterase and in Dulbecco's phosphate buffered saline (DPBS) was tracked using the average molecular weight measured by gel permeation chromatography. LIVE/DEAD and resazurin reduction assays performed on NIH 3T3 fibroblasts exposed to EPSHU extracts demonstrated no cytotoxicity. Subcutaneous implantation into BALB/cJ mice indicated good biocompatibility in vivo. The biodegradability and biocompatibility of EPSHU together make it a promising candidate for drug delivery applications that demand carrier gel degradation within months.

Effect of size, surface charge, and hydrophobicity of poly(amidoamine) dendrimers on their skin penetration.

The barrier functions of the stratum corneum and the epidermal layers present a tremendous challenge in achieving effective transdermal delivery of drug molecules. Although a few reports have shown that poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimers are effective skin-penetration enhancers, little is known regarding the fundamental mechanisms behind the dendrimer-skin interactions. In this Article, we have performed a systematic study to better elucidate how dendrimers interact with skin layers depending on their size and surface groups. Franz diffusion cells and confocal microscopy were employed to observe dendrimer interactions with full-thickness porcine skin samples. We have found that smaller PAMAM dendrimers (generation 2 (G2)) penetrate the skin layers more efficiently than the larger ones (G4). We have also found that G2 PAMAM dendrimers that are surface-modified by either acetylation or carboxylation exhibit increased skin permeation and likely diffuse through an extracellular pathway. In contrast, amine-terminated dendrimers show enhanced cell internalization and skin retention but reduced skin permeation. In addition, conjugation of oleic acid to G2 dendrimers increases their 1-octanol/PBS partition coefficient, resulting in increased skin absorption and retention. Here we report that size, surface charge, and hydrophobicity directly dictate the permeation route and efficiency of dendrimer translocation across the skin layers, providing a design guideline for engineering PAMAM dendrimers as a potential transdermal delivery vector.