Poly (vinyl alcohol) modification of low acyl gellan hydrogels for applications in tissue regeneration

The aim of this research was to control the mechanical properties of gellan through the addition of a secondary polymer network, for use as an alternative to current tissue regeneration techniques. Cartilage and skin are complex structures, and a complex structure would therefore be required in order to closely mimic their mechanical properties. In this research, the gellan gels were strengthened through the addition of Poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA), as the secondary polymer. Compressive strength and compressive stiffness were both increased with the addition on PVA, until 10-15% (w/w). This research has shown that gellan and PVA are phase separated, and the decrease on mechanical strength and stiffness is strongly affected by the polymer overlap concentration, occurring at 14% (w/w).