Findings on Tissue Engineering Detailed by Investigators at University of Sao Paulo [Argon Nonthermal Plasma Etching of Poly(L-lactic Acid) Films: Tunning the Local Surface Degradation and Hydrolytic Degradation Rate].

A study conducted at the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil explores the use of plasma etching to modify the surface of a biodegradable polymer called poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA). The researchers found that increasing the exposure time to plasma etching resulted in enhanced degradation of the polymer, as well as increased susceptibility to hydrolytic degradation. The study suggests that plasma etching could be a useful tool for adjusting the degradation rate of polymers, potentially allowing for the design of intracorporeal devices with controlled degradation kinetics. The research was funded by Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Sao Paulo (FAPESP) and CAPES-Pandemias. [Extracted from the article]