The PhD thesis concerns the development of scaffolds inspired by biology for musculoskeletal
tissue engineering. This was accomplished by chemical modification of poly-
DLy-glutamic acid (y-PGA) to reduce its water solubility for use in regenerative medicine
applications.
A series of water-insoluble modified
y-PGA polymers were synthesised, yielding materials
with varying hydrophilicity and dissolution rates. All polymers were fully characterised
using techniques such as differential scanning calorimetry, size-exclusion chromatography,
wide-angle x-ray scattering, thermogravimetric analysis, Fourier transform
infrared spectroscopy, and contact angle determination.
Following characterisation, esterified
y-PGA polymers were oriented to different degrees
above their glass transition temperatures using tensile deformation. This drawing
induced crystallisation, and thus orientation, on a molecular scale, leading to increased
mechanical properties that were calculated from tensile tests.
Synthesised polymers were found to be non-cytotoxic using the pre-clinical ISO 10993:5
test, and supported human fibroblast cell growth, as determined by LIVE/DEAD® staining.
Oriented, modified
y-PGA polymers were produced with a wide range of mechanical
properties, displaying tailorability for specific tissue engineering applications.