Crosslinked hyaluronan with a protein‐like polymer: Novel bioresorbable films for biomedical applications

Abstract In this work, novel hydrogel films based on hyaluronan (HA) chemically crosslinked with the α,β‐poly(N‐2‐hydroxyethyl) (2‐aminoethylcarbamate)‐D,L‐aspartamide (PHEA–EDA) were produced by solution casting method. The goal was to exploit both the biological key role of HA in tissue repair and regeneration, and the versatility of a synthetic protein‐like polymer as the PHEA–EDA, in order to obtain biomaterials with physicochemical and biological properties suitable for a clinical use. By varying the molar ratio between the PHEA–EDA amino groups and HA carboxyl groups, three different films were obtained and characterized. Particularly FTIR, swelling, hydrolysis, and enzymatic degradation studies were performed. In addition, the cytocompatibility of HA/PHEA–EDA hydrogel films was evaluated using human derm fibroblasts, by means of MTT and trypan blue exclusion assays. The high swelling capability, the long‐term hydrolysis resistance, and the resistance to hyaluronidase greater than that of only HA, together with the cell compatibility, have suggested the potential application of these novel HA‐based hydrogel films in the biomedical field of tissue engineering. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res, 2008