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Copolymers composed of hyaluronic acid (HA) and poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) were prepared to create temperature-sensitive injectable gels for use in controlled drug delivery applications. Semi-telechelic PNIPAAm, with amino groups at the end of each main chain, was synthesized by radical polymerization using 2-aminoethanethiol hydrochloride (AESH) as the chain transfer agent, and was then grafted onto the carboxyl groups of HA using carbodiimide chemistry. The result of the thermo-optical analysis revealed that the phase transition of the PNIPAAm-grafted HA solution occurred at around 30~33 o C. As the graft yield of PNIPAAm onto the HA backbone increased, the HA-g-PNIPAAm copolymer solution exhibited sharper phase transition. The short chain PNIPAAm-grafted HA (M w = 6,100) showed a narrower temperature range for optical turbidity changes than the long chain PNIPAAm-grafted HA (M w = 13,100). PNIPAAm-grafted HA exhibited an increase in viscosity above 35 o C, thus allowing the gels to maintain their shape for 24 h after in vivo administration. From the in vitro riboflavin release study, the HA-g-PNIPAAm gel showed a more sustained release behavior when the grafting yield of PNIPAAm onto the HA backbone was increased. In addition, BSA released from the PNIPAAm-g-HA gels showed a maximum concentration in the blood 12 h after being injected into the dorsal surface of a rabbit, followed by a sustained release profile after 60 h.

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A gelatin/hyaluronic acid (GH) sponge has been fabricated by freeze-drying and cross-linking. The GH sponge was insoluble when cross-linked with 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide. The morphologies of sponges were investigated using a field emission scanning electron microscope. The porosity of the GH sponge increased with hyaluronic acid content. The GH sponge was biodegradable, as evidenced by implantation in Wistar rat subcutaneous connective tissue. Fibroblasts infiltrated into the sponge matrix, and regenerated collagen in the matrix to a level of 25% by 15 days after surgery. The GH73 sponge induced an acute inflammatory response compared with the GH91 sponge. This inflammatory response could have been stimulated by the presence of hyaluronic acid up to Day 10, as it decreased afterwards. The C-reactive protein of blood samples also indicated the same result. The blood tests and histological results show that GH sponges have good biocompatibility and low antigenicity for tissue engineering scaffolds.