Development of a Thermosensitive Trimethyl Chitosan Hydrogel for in situ Tissue Engineering

Chitosan was widely studied for applications in tissue regeneration, because of its biodegradability and biocompatibility. However, its insolubility in a neutral solution and long gelation time limit its wide application in tissue engineering. In this thesis, a new chitosan-based biomaterial was synthesized, and its chemical structure and solubility were characterized. Afterwards, the gelation properties (crosslinker, crosslink time, swelling ratio, drug release and biocompatibility) of TMC material was investigated. Results show that TMC has higher water solubility than chitosan. The TMC liquid solution can transform to a hydrogel quickly at body temperature. The formed hydrogel controlled the release of the model protein. Cytotoxicity result shows the cationic TMC hydrogel brings a toxic effect on stromal cells but it may have the potential to inhibit bacteria or cancer cells, although more studied are required to confirm its potential functions. In summary, this new TMC hydrogel has a promising potential in biomedical fields.