Tamara Bernadette Aigner designed a set of biocompatible and biodegradable
poly(organophosphazenes). In order to tailor their biological and chemical properties she
further modified these macromolecules by adding functional moieties via thiol-ene chemistry.
The author used the same photochemistry for crosslinking to obtain a mechanically stable
network. She further altered the degradation rate of the matrix as well as the mechanical
properties by adding blending agents and created a porous matrix which is necessary for cell
invasion and communication by a newly developed photocrosslinking particulate-leaching method.
Thus a modular hybrid system was established which is able to adapt to different
microenvironments based upon tissue type.
