Degradable block polyurethanes from nontoxic building blocks as scaffold materials to support cell growth and proliferation.

Abstract

Linear degradable polyurethanes were prepared and proposed for tissue engineering applications. Biocompatible segments were selected for the synthesis to promote their integration with the biological environment. Physicochemical and morphological characterization (SEC, DSC, DMTA, AFM) revealed that the properties of these polymeric systems can be easily tuned by varying the nature and the composition of the constituent segments. In vitro biological assays (citotoxicity, fibroblast adhesion, and proliferation) showed that all polymers are not toxic, promoting the adhesion and proliferation of fibroblast cells, with slight differences depending on the material hydrophilicity.