Novel Citric Acid‐Based Biodegradable Elastomers for Tissue Engineering

Tissue engineering often requires the use of a three dimensional scaffold for cells to grow on and differentiate properly. Generally, the ideal scaffold should be biocompatible, biodegradable, allow for proper cell loading, be cell-responsive and regulate the cell multiplication and differentiation, and possess mechanical and physical properties that are suitable for the target application. As many tissues in the body have elastomeric properties, successful tissue engineering of these requires the development of compliant biodegradable scaffolds. Despite the recognized importance of mechanical stimuli on tissue development, there has been a dearth of research into the design and evaluation of elastomeric biodegradable scaffolds. The few materials that have been reported in the literature require complex and costly synthesis procedures, which translate into higher manufacturing costs and hinder the commercial and clinical implementation of tissue engineering. Herein we describe the synthesis and characterization of a novel biodegradable elastomer, poly(1,8-octanediol-co-citric acid) (POC), that has potential for use in tissue engineering, in particular the engineering of small-diameter blood vessels. Development of materials for this application is important as cardiovascular disease affecting blood vessels is the principal cause of death in the U.S.A. POC has the following advantages: non-toxic monomers, relatively simple synthesis that can be carried out under mild conditions without addition of toxic catalysts or crosslinking reagents (making it a good candidate for drug delivery and cost-effective scale-up), controllable mechanical and biodegradation properties, easy processing, and inherent surface affinity for various cell types.