Photo-crosslinkable N-carboxyanhydride derived polypeptides with pseudoplastic characteristics for extrusion-based 3D printing

• Grant number: 22/16427-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: February 01, 2023
• End date: January 31, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Organic Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Luiz Henrique Catalani
• Grantee: Daniel José da Silva
• 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

Polyaminoacids (PAAs) are biopolymers synthesized from amino acids that mimic peptides, showing high cytocompatibility and biodegradability suitable for developing drug delivery systems and scaffolds for regenerative medicine. This project aims to synthesize and characterize photocrosslinkable PAAs with star architecture. Star copolymers will be designed with a block containing a central hydrophilic center and a hydrophobic shell, being able to form secondary protein structures (²-sheet and ±-helix conformation). Photosensitive functional groups (acrylate and allyl groups) will be added to the PAAs to include the photocrosslinking ability. PAAs will be synthesized through ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of N-carboxyanhydrides from amino acids and characterized by different techniques, including high-resolution nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy with magic angle spin (HR-MAS NMR), matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALD-TOF), rheometry and photocrosslinking tests. It is expected that the star copolymers present rheological properties to be applied as bioink for additive manufacturing (AM) of hydrogels by 3D printing technologies based on extrusion. Furthermore, it is expected that polyelectrolytes based on PAAs with cationic and anionic amino acid blocks will be applicable in developing nanocarriers through the Layer by Layer (LbL) technique with potential ability to cross the blood-brain barrier for adequate delivery of fibroblast growth factor 17 (protein FGF-17) to the central nervous system, being of interest for treatments of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases.