A Biomimetic Reverse Thermal Gel for 3-Dimensional Neural Tissue Engineering

Injuries to the nervous system, associated with permanent functional loss, often result in irregularly shaped lesions. With an aim to develop surgical implantation that fits to irregular shapes of injuries, we synthesised a biomimetic reverse thermal gel (or thermo-responsive gel). We initially synthesizedpoly( serinolhexamethylene urea)-co-poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PSHU-NIPAAm) and subsequently conjugated a pentapeptide, Gly-Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser(GRGDS) (PSHU-NIPAAm-GRGDS), which showed ideal temperature-dependent thermal gelling properties. We investigated3D neuronal growth capacity of PSHU-NIPAAm-GRGD Sousing PC12 cell. The concentration of the gels significantly affected cellular behaviour, where a greater degree of proliferation was observed with lower gel concentration. Cellular assays demonstrated enhanced cell viability and differentiation in PSHU-NIPAAm-GRGDS compared to non-functionalized PSHU-NIPAAm.