莱斯大学研究员通过化学交联改性polyNiPAAm的方法合成一种可降解骨再生支架材料，这种材料克服以往热成水凝胶在成凝胶时明显脱水收缩的缺点。正是这种新型凝胶材料在成凝胶时可以保持尺寸稳定性，所以有望应用于骨再生支架，相当于骨生长的模具，可以使骨生长按照预设的形状进行生长，而且当骨生长时，一种分解酶伴随分泌，可以降解这种骨支架材料。详情请看参考原文，如下：
参考文献：Biomacromolecules, 2014, 15 (5), pp 1788–1796
标题：Synthesis and Characterization of Injectable, Biodegradable, Phosphate-Containing, Chemically Cross-Linkable, Thermoresponsive Macromers for Bone Tissue Engineering
作者：Brendan M. Watson †, F. Kurtis Kasper †, Paul S. Engel ‡, and Antonios G. Mikos *†
摘要：Novel, injectable, biodegradable macromer solutions that form hydrogels when elevated to physiologic temperature via a dual chemical and thermo-gelation were fabricated and characterized. A thermogelling, poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)-based macromer with pendant phosphate groups was synthesized and subsequently functionalized with chemically cross-linkable methacrylate groups via degradable phosphate ester bonds, yielding a dual-gelling macromer. These dual-gelling macromers were tuned to have transition temperatures between room temperature and physiologic temperature, allowing them to undergo instantaneous thermogelation as well as chemical gelation when elevated to physiologic temperature. Additionally, the chemical cross-linking of the hydrogels was shown to mitigate hydrogel syneresis, which commonly occurs when thermogelling materials are raised above their transition temperature. Finally, degradation of the phosphate ester bonds of the cross-linked hydrogels yielded macromers that were soluble at physiologic temperature. Further characterization of the hydrogels demonstrated minimal cytotoxicity of hydrogel leachables as well as in vitro calcification, making these novel, injectable macromers promising materials for use in bone tissue engineering.