Key Points
- To develop mechanically robust, non-cell-adhesive vascular scaffolds using modular ureido-pyrimidinone supramolecular polymer blends for in situ tissue engineering.
- Blended end-functionalized or chain-extended UPy-polycaprolactone (UPy-PCL or CE-UPy-PCL) with UPy-poly(ethylene glycol) (UPy-PEG) at a 90:10 ratio.
- Evaluated in vitro mechanical integrity and cell adhesion properties across polymer blends.
- Implanted electrospun CE-UPy-PCL/UPy-PEG vascular scaffolds into a rat aortic interposition model to assess in vivo host cell infiltration.
- CE-UPy-PCL scaffolds maintained structural and mechanical stability when mixed with UPy-PEG, whereas standard UPy-PCL blends exhibited poor mechanical integrity.
- Scaffolds incorporating 10% UPy-PEG significantly prevented in vitro cell adhesion and reduced cellular infiltration following aortic implantation in rats.
Structured PICO
PPopulationAortic interposition rat model and in vitro cell adhesion models
IInterventionElectrospun vascular scaffolds made of chain-extended UPy-polycaprolactone (CE-UPy-PCL) mixed with UPy-poly(ethylene glycol) (UPy-PEG) at a 90:10 ratio
OOutcomeMechanical stability and cell infiltrationsurrogate
Supramolecular biomaterials combining CE-UPy-PCL and UPy-PEG can create mechanically stable vascular grafts that prevent unwanted cell adhesion in vivo.