Poly(hydroxyethyl methacrylate)-based macroporous hydrogels with disulfide cross-linker

Biodegradable supermacroporous PHEMA cryogels were produced by combining two cross-linkers, poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate and a newly developed disulfide water soluble crosslinker, N,N'-bis(methacryloyl)-L-cystine. The biodegradable PHEMA cryogels were prepared with gel fraction yields up to 70% and were characterized by highly interconnected pores of micrometer size and good mechanical stability. When subjected to reductive agents like DTT, the biodegradable PHEMA cryogels disintegrated into small pieces. The rate of disintegration was controlled by the crosslinking density in the cryogels and the DTT concentration.