LAUSR

Synthetic and functional grafts are a great alternative to conventional grafts. They can provide a physical support and the precise signaling for cells to heal damaged tissues. In this study, a novel RGD peptide end-functionalized poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(lactic acid)-b-poly(globalide)-b-poly(lactic acid)-b-poly(ethylene glycol) (RGD-PEG-PLA-PGl-PLA-PEG-RGD) was synthetized and used to prepare functional scaffolds. The PGl inner block was obtained by enzymatic ring-opening polymerization of globalide. The outer PLA blocks were obtained by ring-opening polymerization of both, L-lactide or a racemic mixture, initiated by the the α-ω-telechelic polymacrolactone. The presence of PGl inner block enhanced the toughness of PLA-based scaffolds, with an increase of the elongation at break up to 300% when the longer block of PGl was used. PLA-PGl-PLA copolymer was coupled with α-ω-telechelic PEG diacids by esterification reaction. PEGylation provided hydrophilic scaffolds as the contact angle was reduced from 114° to 74.8°. That difference improved the contact between the scaffolds and the culture media. Moreover, the scaffolds were functionalized with RGD peptides at the surface significantly enhancing the adhesion and proliferation of bone marrow-derived primary mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSC) and MC3T3-E1 cell lines in vitro. These results place this multifunctional polymer as a great candidate for the preparation of temporary grafts. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.