Method and material for enhanced tissue-biomaterial integration

A hydrogel produced by the method comprising the following steps:

• (e) providing an exposed extracellular matrix;
• (f) priming the extracellular matrix by treating with a priming agent to create a primed extracellular matrix;
• (g) adding to the primed extracellular matrix a solution of a polymerizable agent;
• and
• (h) reacting the primed extracellular matrix and polymerizable agent to create a hydrogel covalently bound to the extracellular matrix;
• wherein
• said extracellular matrix comprises a plurality of tyrosine residues, said priming step comprises oxidizing said extracellular matrix, said priming agent comprises an oxidizing agent, said primed extracellular matrix comprises a plurality of tyrosyl radicals, said polymerizable agent comprises an acrylate group reactable with said tyrosyl radicals, and said reacting step comprises binding said polymerizable agent to the tyrosyl radicals and crosslinking said polymerizable agent.

A method of forming a hydrogel covalently bound to a cartilage tissue, comprising the steps of:

• (a) exposing a plurality of tyrosine residues disposed in a plurality of collagen fibers further disposed in a cartilage tissue by treating the tissue with a glycanase to remove a plurality of polysaccharides;
• (b) oxidizing the tyrosine residues, by treating with a hydrogen peroxide solution and a source of ultraviolet light, to produce a plurality of tyrosyl groups in the collagen;
• (c) adding a polymerizable agent comprising one or more acrylate groups;
• and
• (d) reacting the tyrosyl groups and the polymerizable agent to create a hydrogel covalently bound to the collagen.

A hydrogel produced by the method comprising the following steps:

• (e) providing an exposed extracellular matrix;
• (f) priming the extracellular matrix by treating with a priming agent to create a primed extracellular matrix;
• (g) adding to the primed extracellular matrix a solution of a polymerizable agent;
• and
• (h) reacting the primed extracellular matrix and polymerizable agent to create a hydrogel covalently bound to the extracellular matrix;
• wherein,
• said extracellular matrix comprises a plurality of amino groups, said priming agent comprises a compound with an aldehyde group and a carrier compound with an amino group, said priming step comprises reacting said priming agent with said extracellular matrix to covalently bind said extracellular matrix and said priming agent, said primed extracellular matrix consists of said extracellular matrix covalently bound to said priming agent, and said reacting step consists of covalently binding said polymerizable agent to said primed extracellular matrix and crosslinking said polymerizable agent.