The long term objectives of this proposal are to develop polymeric scaffolds for tissue engineering based on linear-dendritic block copolymers that self-assemble into nanofibrous hydrogels and to gain experience with the investigative techniques of tissue engineering. The materials developed in this material would be unique in that their porosity permits the culture of cells / tissues for which shape differentiation is important and their structure permits the incorporation of peptides and other molecules at the surface that serve to promote cell behavior. These materials would be applied to nerve tissue culture, which would impact treatments for nerve tissue disorders, such as Parkinson's disease or spinal chord injuries. New synthetic routes into linear-dendritic block copoloymers are outlined in which the linear module is hydrophobic PLA and the dendritic module is polypropylene imine). The exterior of the dendron will be functionalized with peptides that affect nerve cell binding and differentiation, and the linkage between the dendron and PLA segments will be functionalized with methacrylate groups capable of undergoing photocrosslinking. Methods are outlined to characterize the assembly of the polymers into hydrogels and the efficacy of the materials in tissue culture.
