A Photoclick Thiol‐Ene Collagen‐Based Hydrogel Platform for Skeletal Muscle Tissue Engineering

UV-cured collagen-based hydrogels hold promise in skeletal muscle regeneration due to their soft elastic properties and porous architecture. However, the complex triple helix conformation of collagen environmental conditions, i.e., molecular oxygen, pose risks reaction controllability, wet-state integrity, reproducibility. To address this challenge, a photoclick hydrogel platform is presented through an oxygen-insensitive thiol-ene between 2-iminothiolane (2IT)-functionalized type I multiarm, nonhomopolymerizable norbornene-terminated polyethylene glycol (PEG). UV-induced network formation demonstrated by oscillatory time sweeps on reacting mixture, so that significantly increased storage moduli are measured adjusted depending photoinitiator concentration. Variations PEG functionality (4-arm 8-arm) content generate with native stiffness (Ec = 1.3 ± 0.2‒11.5 0.9 kPa), diffusion-controlled swelling behavior erosion-driven degradability. In vitro, no cytotoxic effect detected C2C12 murine myoblasts, while myogenic differentiation successfully accomplished hydrogel-seeded cells then low serum culture medium. vivo, 7 d subcutaneous implantation selected rats reveal higher cell infiltration, blood vessel formation, denser tissue interface compared clinical gold standard matrix (Mucograft, trademark Geistlich Biomaterials). These results, therefore, support applicability further development for regeneration.