Assessment of aliphatic poly(ester-carbonate-urea-urethane)s potential as materials for biomedical application

Selected mechanical and biological properties of biodegradable elastomeric poly(ester-carbonate-urea-urethane)s (PECUUs) point towards their potential to be applied as scaffolds in tissue engineering. Here we explore their medical applicability taking into account their hemocompatibility and cytotoxicity. The influence of the ester monomer (derivatives of adipic and succinic acids), as well as diisocyanate type (IPDI and HDI) on the investigated PECUUs properties is presented. The presence of aliphatic diisocyanates, cyclic IPDI or linear HDI, governs the adhesion of Candida cells to these polymers offering the possibility to control the biofilm formation on their surface. In comparison to the linear form, cyclic diisocyanates with pentamethylene succinate or adipate fragments had two to three times lower biofilm mass formation on their surface. Reduced hemoglobin release from red blood cells observed during incubation of tested polymers with human erythrocytes suspension indicates their potential biocompatibility with human tissues. PECUUs were also able to support the growth of human keratinocytes HaCaT on their surface when coated with collagen. In effect, IPDI derivatives might possess a high potential for use in biomedical applications.