Poly(gamma-glutamic acid)-sulfonate (gamma-PGA-S) hydrogel, with fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-2 activity was investigated as a novel, next-generation tissue-engineering material. gamma-PGA-net-gamma-PGA-S72 (S72-netgel) was prepared with gamma-PGA-S and gamma-PGA-S72 (72% sulfonated gamma-PGA) to provide the high mobility of gamma-PGA-S72 for FGF-2 activity. Cell adhesion and proliferation activities were evaluated on gamma-PGA and gamma-PGA-S hydrogels along with S72-netgels. Both cell adhesion and proliferation activities of gamma-PGA and gamma-PGA-S hydrogels were low. In contrast, S72-netgels had high cell adhesion and proliferation activities, because of their low swelling ratios and high sulfonic acid group concentrations. Furthermore, S72-netgels had high FGF-2 activity, because gamma-PGA-S72 retained FGF-2 activity when incorporated into S72-netgels. S72-netgels should be useful as next-generation tissue-engineering material containing FGF-2 activity.
(c) 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.