Biocompatible and photocrosslinkable poly(ethylene glycol)/keratin biocomposite hydrogels.
Chenshu WangLijuan WangXiuzhen WanXuefeng JiangJiang YuanPublished in: Journal of biomaterials science. Polymer edition (2021)
A biocompatible hydrogel is ideal for tissue engineering and regeneration. In this study, methacrylated keratin (KerMA) was synthesized for the first time and then blended with poly(ethylene glycol dimethacrylate) (PEGDMA) to form hydrogel through photocrosslinking. The chemical structure, gelation time, swelling behavior, hydrophilicity, cytotoxicity, and 3D printability of PEGDMA/KerMA hydrogels were characterized and exploited. The PEGDMA/KerMA hydrogels performed good cytocompatibility, providing potential applications for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.