Degradable polyesters such as PLGA have been critical in advancing the field of tissue engineering and drug delivery. However, the lack of functionality in such polymers imparts deficiencies in their use for multiple applications. The current presentation will describe our work in bridging the gap between natural materials which are multifunctional but expensive and synthetic materials that can be made in large scales but have poor functionality. We have developed a modular biodegradable polyester platform that has the potential to bridge this performance gap. In this presentation we will describe the design rationale for the platform and demonstrate their use for fabricating drug-loaded low modulus 3D printed scaffolds for sustained drug delivery.<br/>3D printing of low modulus polymers is useful since it is possible to create personalized drug-loaded scaffolds but is challenging to accomplish because soft materials deform and collapse easily resulting in low shape fidelity. We have designed polyesters with covalent and non-covalent crosslinking units that enable 3D printing of low modulus materials such that they would allow shear-thinning while printing and shape fidelity after printing. Enhancement of printing quality without sacrificing the softness of the scaffold by the introduction of physical crosslinks is important for the stability of the encapsulated therapeutics. In addition, incorporation of functional groups that allow for interactions with the therapeutic provides sustained release for determined periods.

N-functionalized biodegradable polyesters as a platform for fabricating low modulus therapeutic eluting 3D printed scaffolds

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ACS Spring 2023

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