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Thesis
Biomimetic aggrecan based on a polyacrylic acid (PAA) core and chondroitin sulfate (CS) bristles
Master of Science (M.S.), Drexel University
Jun 2010
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17918/etd-3328
Abstract
Lower back pain is a chronic condition affecting more than 60% of the US population annually. One of the leading causes of lower back pain is thought to be intervertebral disc degeneration, a condition that occurs due to the loss of the proteoglycan aggrecan in the inner nucleus pulposus region of the disc. This results in a loss of charged chondroitin sulfate chains from the disc, leading to impaired mechanical function. Severe degeneration follows with damage caused to the central annulus fibrosus region, eventually leading to disc herniation. End stage treatments such as spinal fusion are invasive, traumatic and expensive. An early, minimally invasive technique that addresses early stage degeneration through an injection of biomimetic aggrecan could potentially reduce the costs of treatments, while preventing further degeneration. This work describes the synthesis of a biomimetic aggrecan consisting of a synthetic polyacrylic acid polymer core with bio-based chondroitin sulfate bristles. The synthetic polymer core serves as an enzymatically resistant backbone for the molecule. The fabrication of the biomimetic bottle brush structure is achieved by a grafting to polymerization technique, with an analysis of the effect of processing conditions, including the effects of ionic concentration, temperature and reactant ratios. The morphological properties of the polymer have been studied using TEM (Transmission Electron Microscopy), and the physical properties such as viscosity measured by rheometry. Thermal properties were measured using Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC). The polymer was tagged with a fluorescing agent and analyzed by fluorescence microscopy.
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Details
- Title
- Biomimetic aggrecan based on a polyacrylic acid (PAA) core and chondroitin sulfate (CS) bristles
- Creators
- Nandita Ganesh - DU
- Contributors
- Michele Marcolongo (Advisor) - Drexel University (1970-)
- Awarding Institution
- Drexel University
- Degree Awarded
- Master of Science (M.S.)
- Publisher
- Drexel University; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Resource Type
- Thesis
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Science, and Health Systems (1997-2026); Drexel University
- Other Identifier
- 3328; 991014632072704721