TY - JOUR
T1 - Digital light 4D printing of bioresorbable shape memory elastomers for personalized biomedical implantation
AU - Mahjoubnia, Alireza
AU - Cai, Dunpeng
AU - Wu, Yuchao
AU - King, Skylar D.
AU - Torkian, Pooya
AU - Chen, Andy C.
AU - Talaie, Reza
AU - Chen, Shi You
AU - Lin, Jian
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 Acta Materialia Inc.
PY - 2024/3/15
Y1 - 2024/3/15
N2 - Four-dimensional (4D) printing unlocks new potentials for personalized biomedical implantation, but still with hurdles of lacking suitable materials. Herein, we demonstrate a bioresorbable shape memory elastomer (SME) with high elasticity at both below and above its phase transition temperature (Ttrans). This SME can be digital light 3D printed by co-polymerizing glycerol dodecanoate acrylate prepolymer (pre-PGDA) with acrylic acid monomer to form crosslinked Poly(glycerol dodecanoate acrylate) (PGDA)-Polyacrylic acid (PAA), or PGDA-PAA network. The printed complex, free-standing 3D structures with high-resolution features exhibit shape programming properties at a physiological temperature. By tuning the pre-PGDA weight ratios between 55 wt% and 70 wt%, Ttrans varies between 39.2 and 47.2 ℃ while Young's moduli (E) range 40–170 MPa below Ttrans with fractural strain (εf) of 170 %-200 %. Above Ttrans, E drops to 1–1.82 MPa which is close to those of soft tissue. Strikingly, εf of 130–180 % is still maintained. In vitro biocompatibility test on the material shows > 90 % cell proliferation and great cell attachment. In vivo vascular grafting trials underline the geometrical and mechanical adaptability of these 4D printed constructs in regenerating the aorta tissue. Biodegradation of the implants shows the possibility of their full replacement by natural tissue over time. To highlight its potential for personalized medicine, a patient-specific left atrial appendage (LAA) occluder was printed and implanted endovascularly into an in vitro heart model. Statement of significance: 4D printed shape-memory elastomer (SME) implants particularly designed and manufactured for a patient are greatly sought-after in minimally invasive surgery (MIS). Traditional shape-memory polymers used in these implants often suffer from issues like unsuitable transition temperatures, poor biocompatibility, limited 3D design complexity, and low toughness, making them unsuitable for MIS. Our new SME, with an adjustable transition temperature and enhanced toughness, is both biocompatible and naturally degradable, particularly in cardiovascular contexts. This allows implants, like biomedical scaffolds, to be programmed at room temperature and then adapt to the body's physiological conditions post-implantation. Our studies, including in vivo vascular grafts and in vitro device implantation, highlight the SME's effectiveness in aortic tissue regeneration and its promising applications in MIS.
AB - Four-dimensional (4D) printing unlocks new potentials for personalized biomedical implantation, but still with hurdles of lacking suitable materials. Herein, we demonstrate a bioresorbable shape memory elastomer (SME) with high elasticity at both below and above its phase transition temperature (Ttrans). This SME can be digital light 3D printed by co-polymerizing glycerol dodecanoate acrylate prepolymer (pre-PGDA) with acrylic acid monomer to form crosslinked Poly(glycerol dodecanoate acrylate) (PGDA)-Polyacrylic acid (PAA), or PGDA-PAA network. The printed complex, free-standing 3D structures with high-resolution features exhibit shape programming properties at a physiological temperature. By tuning the pre-PGDA weight ratios between 55 wt% and 70 wt%, Ttrans varies between 39.2 and 47.2 ℃ while Young's moduli (E) range 40–170 MPa below Ttrans with fractural strain (εf) of 170 %-200 %. Above Ttrans, E drops to 1–1.82 MPa which is close to those of soft tissue. Strikingly, εf of 130–180 % is still maintained. In vitro biocompatibility test on the material shows > 90 % cell proliferation and great cell attachment. In vivo vascular grafting trials underline the geometrical and mechanical adaptability of these 4D printed constructs in regenerating the aorta tissue. Biodegradation of the implants shows the possibility of their full replacement by natural tissue over time. To highlight its potential for personalized medicine, a patient-specific left atrial appendage (LAA) occluder was printed and implanted endovascularly into an in vitro heart model. Statement of significance: 4D printed shape-memory elastomer (SME) implants particularly designed and manufactured for a patient are greatly sought-after in minimally invasive surgery (MIS). Traditional shape-memory polymers used in these implants often suffer from issues like unsuitable transition temperatures, poor biocompatibility, limited 3D design complexity, and low toughness, making them unsuitable for MIS. Our new SME, with an adjustable transition temperature and enhanced toughness, is both biocompatible and naturally degradable, particularly in cardiovascular contexts. This allows implants, like biomedical scaffolds, to be programmed at room temperature and then adapt to the body's physiological conditions post-implantation. Our studies, including in vivo vascular grafts and in vitro device implantation, highlight the SME's effectiveness in aortic tissue regeneration and its promising applications in MIS.
KW - 4D printing
KW - Biomedical implantation
KW - Digital light processing
KW - Personalized medicine
KW - Shape memory elastomer
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85186208957&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85186208957&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.actbio.2024.02.009
DO - 10.1016/j.actbio.2024.02.009
M3 - Article
C2 - 38354873
AN - SCOPUS:85186208957
SN - 1742-7061
VL - 177
SP - 165
EP - 177
JO - Acta Biomaterialia
JF - Acta Biomaterialia
ER -