Abstract
Stereolithography multifunctional hydrogels for tissue reconstructionAdditive manufacturing has given new horizons to tissue engineering, allowing the construction of sophisticated structures and controlled material porosity that was unattainable via conventional processes. The development of biofunctional hydrogels using these additive manufacturing processes has allowed for significant improvements in cellular behaviour. However, the elaboration of hydrogels by additive manufacturing remains truly challenging. Thus, the objective of this thesis was to propose new hydrogels by stereolithography for the design of medical devices. As to expand the range of hydrogels, several polymers were developed and adapted to stereolithography such as (i) hybrid hydrogels based on gelatin and poly(trimethylene carbonate), (ii) synthetic hydrogels of polyoxazoline and (iii) thermoresponsive hydrogels for 4D printing. The controlled ring-opening polymerization of carbonates and oxazolines combined with the functionalization of both natural and synthetic polymers, allowed for the modulation of these hydrogels’ mechanical properties from kPa (soft tissues) to MPa (cartilage) scales. Based on these different (co)polymers, several complex architectures were constructed by stereolithography. These 3D objects demonstrated excellent cellular viability. This study shows highly promising results for the use of such polymers in tissue engineering, with a particularly promising perspective for the reconstruction of complex and anisotropic tissue such as the intervertebral disc. These results are already being used in industrial projects in the biomedical field and pave the way for new lines of research.