Enzymatically degradable heparin-polyethylene glycol gels with controlled mechanical properties

A new class of biodegradable materials was prepared by combining polyethylene glycol, heparin, and a matrix metalloproteinase-cleavable peptide sequence into a well-defined hydrogel network which mimics native extracellular matrices in its ability to provide mechanical support and chemical signals as well as elicit a dynamic reciprocal response.