Macroporous hydrogel formed by high internal phase emulsion-templating and their applications in tissue engineering

• Main Author: Oh, Bernice Hui Lin
• Other Authors: Alexander Bismarck
• Format: Theses and Dissertations
• Language: English
• Published: 2014
• Subjects: DRNTU::Engineering::Materials::Biomaterials; DRNTU::Engineering::Bioengineering
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/61836
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

This thesis reports and discusses the development of several multifunctional biopolymers to be used in a cleaner approach for producing high porosity macroporous polymers by high internal phase emulsion (HIPE) templating for application as tissue engineering scaffolds. The aim is to identify and create biocompatible polymers that can self-stabilize high internal phase emulsions, be self-crosslinkable and also act simultaneously as the matrix for the macroporous polymers after removal of the templating phase and aqueous solvent, thereby obviating the need of additional stabilizers and crosslinkers, which may be harmful for the cells. In this thesis, different chitosan and gelatin based thermoresponsive biopolymers were synthesized and characterized, and their ability to self-stabilize HIPEs were studied. By varying the emulsification conditions, different foams properties were formed which were characterized and their use in cell culture was investigated. The systems described here identify a new strategy for the easy fabrication of safe and injectable biocompatible scaffolds for tissue engineering.