Synthesis and microfabrication of elastomeric biomaterials for advanced tissue engineering scaffolds

The subject of this thesis lies at the interface of microfabrication technology and advanced biomaterials synthesis and processing for use in designing and fabricating novel tissue engineered constructs. The unifying theme is to use micron and sub-micron fabrication strategies to form advanced tissue engineering scaffolds which are able to precisely control the microenvironment of cells. These efforts are organized into two thrusts; (1) materials synthesis and process development for microfluidic scaffold fabrication and (2) micro- and nanofabricated synthetic substratum for controlling cell function. In the first thrust, materials-specific processes for the fabrication of poly(glycerol-co-sebacate), a synthetic elastomeric biodegradable polyester, into three-dimensional, hepatocyte-seeded microfluidic constructs is discussed. Material advantages of natural proteins motivated the fabrication of next-generation microfluidic scaffolds using silk fibroin from the Bombyx mori as a bulk material. The need to combine the advantages of both natural proteins and synthetic polyesters motivated the synthesis and characterization of a new class of biodegradable elastomers termed poly(1,3-diamino-2-hydroxypropane-co-polyol sebacate) (APS). APS polymers are tunable and possess the advantages of both natural and synthetic polymers. APS polymers induce a favorable biomaterial-tissue response including reduced fibrous capsule formation and macrophage recruitment compared to PLGA. In vivo degradation half lives could be controlled to between approximately 6 and 100 wks by adjusting polymer composition and processing. The second thrust focuses on the interaction with cells and synthetically fabricated nanotopographic substrates for potential in vascularized tissue engineering applications.

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering.

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2008

Author dc:creator

• Bettinger, Christopher John, 1981-

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Robert Langer.

• Materials Science and Engineering.

Statement dc:rights

• M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/44390

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/44390