Jianwen Xu

High performance shape memory polymer networks based on rigid nanoparticle cores

Smart materials that can respond to external stimuli are of widespread interest in biomedical science. Thermal-responsive shape memory polymers, a class of intelligent materials that can be fixed at a temporary shape below their transition temperature (Ttrans) and thermally triggered to resume their original shapes on demand, hold great potential as minimally invasive self-fitting tissue scaffolds or implants. The intrinsic mechanism for shape memory behavior of polymers is the freezing and activation of the long-range motion of polymer chain segments below and above Ttrans, respectively. Both Ttrans and the extent of polymer chain participation in effective elastic deformation and recovery are determined by the network composition and structure, which are also defining factors for their mechanical properties, degradability, and bioactivities. Such complexity has made it extremely challenging to achieve the ideal combination of a Ttrans slightly above physiological temperature, rapid and complete recovery, and suitable mechanical and biological properties for clinical applications. Here we report a shape memory polymer network constructed from a polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane nanoparticle core functionalized with eight polyester arms. The cross-linked networks comprising this macromer possessed a gigapascal-storage modulus at body temperature and a Ttrans between 42 and 48 °C. The materials could stably hold their temporary shapes for > 1 year at room temperature and achieve full shape recovery ≤ 51 °C in a matter of seconds. Their versatile structures allowed for tunable biodegradability and biofunctionalizability. These materials have tremendous promise for tissue engineering applications.

In vivo tissue responses to thermal-responsive shape memory polymer nanocomposites.

To explore the safe use of thermal-responsive shape memory polymers (SMPs) as minimally invasive tissue scaffolds, we recently developed a class of biodegradable POSS-SMP nanocomposites exhibiting stable temporary shape fixing and facile shape recovery within a narrow window of physiological temperatures. The materials were covalently crosslinked from star-branched building blocks consisting a bioinert polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) core and 8 degradable poly(D,L-lactide) (PLA) arms. Here we examine the degradation profiles and immunogenicity of POSS-SMPs as a function of the PLA arm lengths using a rat subcutaneous implantation model. We show that POSS-SMPs elicited a mild foreign body type immune response upon implantation. The degradation rates of POSS-SMPs, both in vitro and in vivo, inversely correlated with the length of the PLA chains within the crosslinked amorphous network. Upon in vivo degradation of POSS-SMPs, a second acute inflammatory response was elicited locally, and the inflammation was able to resolve over time without medical interventions. One year after the implantation of POSS-SMPs, no pathologic abnormalities were detected from the vital/scavenger organs examined. These minimally immunogenic and biodegradable SMPs are promising candidates for scaffold-assisted tissue repair where both facile surgical delivery and controlled degradation of the scaffold are desired for achieving optimal short-term and long-term clinical outcomes.

Renaissance of aliphatic polycarbonates: New techniques and biomedical applications

Aliphatic polycarbonates were discovered a long time ago, with their conventional applications mostly limited to low molecular weight oligomeric intermediates for copolymerization with other polymers. Recent developments in polymerization techniques have overcome the difficulty in preparing high molecular weight aliphatic polycarbonates. These in turn, along with new functional monomers, have enabled the preparation of a wide range of aliphatic polycarbonates with diverse chemical compositions and structures. This review summarizes the latest polymerization techniques for preparing well-defined functional aliphatic polycarbonates, as well as the new applications of those aliphatic polycarbonates, esecially in the biomedical field.

Sustained and localized in vitro release of BMP-2/7, RANKL, and tetracycline from FlexBone, an elastomeric osteoconductive bone substitute

We tested the hypothesis that synthetic composites containing a high percentage of osteoconductive biominerals well‐integrated with a hydrophilic polymer matrix can be engineered to provide both the structural and biochemical framework of a viable synthetic bone substitute. FlexBone, an elastic hydrogel‐mineral composite exhibiting excellent structural integration was prepared by crosslinking poly(2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate) hydrogel in the presence of 25 wt% nanocrystalline hydroxyapatite and 25 wt% tricalcium phosphate. Biologically active factors tetracycline, BMP‐2/7, and RANKL that stimulate bone formation and remodeling were encapsulated into FlexBone during polymerization or via postpolymerization adsorption. SEM and dynamic mechanical analyses showed that the encapsulation of tetracycline (5.0 wt%) did not compromise the structural integrity and compressive behavior of FlexBone, which could withstand repetitive megapascal‐compressive loadings and be securely press‐fitted into critical femoral defects. Dose‐dependent, sustained in vitro release of tetracycline was characterized by spectroscopy and bacterial inhibition. A single dose of 40 ng BMP‐2/7 or 10 ng RANKL pre‐encapsulated with 50 mg FlexBone, released over 1 week, was able to induce local osteogenic differentiation of myoblast C2C12 cells and osteoclastogenesis of macrophage RAW264.7 cells, respectively. With a bonelike structural composition, useful surgical handling characteristics, and tunable biochemical microenvironment, FlexBone provides an exciting opportunity for the treatment of hard‐to‐heal skeletal defects with minimal systemic side effects.

Bioorthogonally cross-linked hydrogel network with precisely controlled disintegration time over a broad range

Hydrogels with predictable degradation are highly desired for biomedical applications where timely disintegration of the hydrogel (e.g., drug delivery, guided tissue regeneration) is required. However, precisely controlling hydrogel degradation over a broad range in a predictable manner is challenging due to limited intrinsic variability in the degradation rate of liable bonds and difficulties in modeling degradation kinetics for complex polymer networks. More often than not, empirical tuning of the degradation profile results in undesired changes in other properties. Here we report a simple but versatile hydrogel platform that allows us to formulate hydrogels with predictable disintegration time from 2 to >250 days yet comparable macroscopic physical properties. This platform is based on a well-defined network formed by two pairs of four-armed polyethylene glycol macromers terminated with azide and dibenzocyclooctyl groups, respectively, via labile or stable linkages. The high-fidelity bioorthogonal reaction between the symmetric hydrophilic macromers enables robust cross-linking in water, phosphate-buffered saline, and cell culture medium to afford tough hydrogels capable of withstanding >90% compressive strain. Strategic placement of labile ester linkages near the cross-linking site within this superhydrophilic network, accomplished by adjustments of the ratio of the macromers used, enables broad tuning of the disintegration rates precisely matching with the theoretical predictions based on first-order linkage cleavage kinetics. This platform can be exploited for applications where a precise degradation rate is targeted.

Thermal Responsive Shape Memory Polymers for Biomedical Applications

Abstract Chemo-responsive shape-memory polymers have launched an exciting field and made significant breakthroughs in the development of stimulus-responsive materials for engineering applications. This chapter introduces the basic mechanisms and theories behind the chemo-responsive shape-memory effect (SME) in polymeric materials. In addition, a number of typical application examples are presented to reveal the potential of utilizing the softening-, swelling-, and dissolving-induced SMEs, either individually or jointly, in biomedical engineering.