Achievement

IGERT researchers have developed viable scaffolds with controlled pore opening for tissue engineering applications. Biodegradable hydrogel systems were used to create composite scaffolds that demonstrated controlled pore opening with degradation. An outer matrix material was used to provide mechanical support while the porogen microparticles degraded to open a porous network for cell ingrowth. Viability studies showed that the cells exhibited high viability and were able to grow throughout the scaffolds. These systems are ideal for tissue engineering applications. These results have resulted in three journal publications between investigators in Chemical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering and the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Kentucky and Shriners Hospitals for Children