(116ba) Development of Biodegradable Hydrogels for Drug Delivery and Tissue Engineering Applications

Biodegradable hydrogels are becoming a biomaterial of choice for tissue engineering (TE) and drug delivery applications. The hydrophilic nature of the hydrogels can mimic that of natural tissue when in the hydrated state, and also provide better biocompatibility than other polymer systems. Here, biodegradable hydrogels have been prepared from macromers synthesized through a condensation reaction between a diacrylate and amine. Degradation and mechanical testing studies have been carried out to determine the potential for TE applications, specifically replacing the growth plate when injuries occur. Current biodegradable polymers are versatile, but limited by pre-programmed degradation profiles. This is due to the inability to modulate the degradation once it is applied (e.g., implant, subcutaneous injection, etc.). The incorporation of magnetic nanoparticles allows heating of the films by an external alternating magnetic field, which can therefore affect many of the other properties of the polymer, specifically the degradation rate. Thus, the drug release can be controlled by altering the degradation rate through remote heating of the nanoparticles. Degradable hydrogels with and without iron oxide nanoparticles (and drugs) were successfully prepared, and the heating, degradation, and drug release properties were studied.