SGER: Elastomeric and biodegradable scaffolds to tissue engineer ligaments

Northwestern University, Evanston IL

Investigators

Abstract

0240381 Ameer The proposed work will focus on understanding how to control the strength, degradation, and elastomeric properties of a novel copolymer of glycerol and sebacic acid and on testing the feasibility of using this copolymer as a scaffold to grow ligament-like tissues in vitro under dynamic culture conditions. The long term goal is to develop a model system for replacing the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), the most commonly injured ligament in the knee. It is hypothesized that a biodegradable scaffold with elastomeric properties similar to those of ligament will promote ligament tissue formation by facilitating cyclic stretching of the cell/scaffold construct and inducing cellular and extracellular matrix alignment. The specific aims are to: 1) Synthesize and characterize biodegradable copolymer scaffolds that are based on the condensation of glycerol and a diacid and 2) evaluate fibroblast infiltration and the production of extracellular matrix (collagen and elastin) on the scaffolds synthesized under Aim 1. Tools and techniques to be used include chemical synthesis, standard chemical and mechanical characterization of polymeric materials, time degradation studies, cell adhesion and proliferation assays, biochemical assays of extracellular matrix components and bioreactor design to effect cyclic stretching.