Poly‐l‐Lactic Acid Nanofiber–Polyamidoamine Hydrogel Composites: Preparation,Properties, and Preliminary Evaluation as Scaffolds for Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Culturing
1. Department of Chemistry ‘‘G. Ciamician’’ and INSTM UdR of Bologna, University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy;2. Department of Molecular Medicine, Center for Health Technologies (CHT), INSTM UdR of Pavia, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy;3. Dipartimento di Chimica, Università degli Studi di Milano and INSTM – UdR Milano, 20133 Milano, Italy;4. Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy;5. Interuniversity Institute of Myology and Department of Public Health, Experimental and Forensic Medicine, Division of Human Anatomy, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy;6. Translational Cardiomyology Laboratory, Department of Development and Regeneration, KUL University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium;7. Department of Industrial Engineering (DIN) and Advanced Mechanics and Materials – Interdepartmental Center, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy;8. Laboratory of Nanotechnology, Department of Occupational Medicine, Toxicology and Environmental Risks, Salvatore Maugeri Foundation, IRCCS, Pavia, Italy;9. Health Sciences and Technologies – Interdepartmental Center for Industrial Research (HST‐ICIR), University of Bologna, Ozzano dell'Emilia, Italy
Abstract:
Electrospun poly‐l ‐lactic acid (PLLA) nanofiber mats carrying surface amine groups, previously introduced by nitrogen atmospheric pressure nonequilibrium plasma, are embedded into aqueous solutions of oligomeric acrylamide‐end capped AGMA1, a biocompatible polyamidoamine with arg‐gly‐asp (RGD)‐reminiscent repeating units. The resultant mixture is finally cured giving PLLA‐AGMA1 hydrogel composites that absorb large amounts of water and, in the swollen state, are translucent, soft, and pliable, yet as strong as the parent PLLA mat. They do not split apart from each other when swollen in water and remain highly flexible and resistant, since the hydrogel portion is covalently grafted onto the PLLA nanofibers via the addition reaction of the surface amine groups to a part of the terminal acrylic double bonds of AGMA1 oligomers. Preliminary tested as scaffolds, the composites prove capable of maintaining short‐term undifferentiated cultures of human pluripotent stem cells in feeder‐free conditions.
