Synthesis and characterization of photocrosslinkable and functionalizable polypeptides for 3D print

• Grant number: 20/15986-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate (Direct)
• Start date: August 01, 2021
• Status: Discontinued
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Organic Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Luiz Henrique Catalani
• Grantee: Raphael Colonese Vlasman
• Host Institution: Instituto de Química (IQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 18/13492-2 - Synthetic and natural scaffolds applied to regenerative medicine, AP.TEM

Abstract

Additive manufacturing has been growing as a key tool for the development of the biomaterial field. However, with the area's rapid progress, new materials are required with properties suitable both to the printing process and for the desired medical use. For this objective, this project aims to synthesize a family of photocrosslinkable polypeptides derived from glutamate, lysine, serine, hydroxyproline, and glycine for use as resin in DLP printing systems, using N-carboxyanhydride ring-opening polymerization. The synthesis will be done to produce linear and star polymers of the above-mentioned monomers to better control its rheological properties. These polymers will be made photocrosslinkable with the addition of unsaturated moieties, namely acrylate derivatives for the alcohols and/or amine bearing polypeptides and allyl derivatives for the carboxylate bearing ones. It is also intended to conjugate the polymers with small bioactive peptides, RGD and BMP-2, using EDC (1-Ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide) amidation and thiol-ene reaction, respectively, to make the material bioactive. The insertion of unsaturated will be associated with the study of its capability of photocrosslinking and the mechanical properties of the obtained materials for the validation of its use as a printing resin. Besides that, it is expected at the end of the project to conduct biological studies to asse ss in vitro responses (adhesion and cytotoxicity) of the produced hydrogel with and without the conjugated peptides. (AU)