MORE | Spring 2018

Bioresponsive Copolymers of Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) with Enzyme-Dependent Lower Critical Solution Temperatures

Enzyme-degradable hydrogels are desirable for drug delivery and tissue engineering applications because they mimic biological systems. The aim of the project was to synthesize and characterize injectable, bioresponsive and bioresorbable poly(NIPAAm)-based copolymers with enzyme-degradable side chains. These copolymers may be useful for applications such as enzyme-triggered drug delivery and bioresorbable scaffolds for tissue engineering. The copolymers synthesized and characterized are poly(NIPAAm-co-GAPGLV-NH2), poly(NIPAAm-co-GAPGLL-NH2), and poly(NIPAAm-co-GAPGLF-NH2). The structure of the copolymers was characterized by NMR before and after enzyme degradation. The lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of the polymers was measured before and after enzymatic degradation in two different standard buffer solutions.