Synthesis and evaluation of hyaluronic acid hydrogels modified with various crosslinkers as biodegradable polymers

Hyaluronic acid (HA), a high-molecular-weight natural polysaccharide, is often used in medical devices for regenerative medicine as it can undergo biodegradation via enzymatic action in the human body. HA exhibits both viscoelasticity and high biocompatibility and has therefore been used for ocular surgery. In particular, HA-based hydrogels have been utilized as cell scaffold materials and devices in ophthalmological treatments. In this study, four hydrogels have been synthesized from HA derivatives with methacrylate groups and modified with crosslinkers such as adipic acid dihydrazide, divinyl sulfone, and dithiothreitol. Each of the synthesized hydrogels exhibits high transparency and strength as well as biodegradability in vitro. Hence, these HA-based hydrogels demonstrate potential for applications as drug delivery systems and implants. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017, 134, 45453.