Hyaluronic acid gels with tunable properties by conjugating with a synthetic copolymer

Abstract

Recently, injectable hydrogels became particularly attractive as biomaterials for tissue engineering and drug delivery applications. The intrinsic drug-loading capability of polysaccharide-based hydrogels and their potential use as drug delivery systems can be combined with more sophisticated techniques in order to develop effective approaches for controlled release of bioactive agents. The objective of this study was to design and to test hydrogels based on conjugated hyaluronic acid with a new synthetic copolymer, in order to further development their potential for injectable drug delivery applications. The synthesized materials, obtained by using a grafting-to strategy, were analyzed in terms of rheological properties, swelling behavior, contact angle and thermal properties, and the effects of their chemical composition on various properties were assessed. A good structure recovery property and a shear-thinning thixotropic behavior were identified by the rheological tests. The developed hydrogels showed potential as promising injectable biomaterials.