A Novel Human-Like Collagen Hydrogel Scaffold with Porous Structure and Sponge-Like Properties

Abstract

Abstract:The aim of this research was to prepare a novel sponge-like porous hydrogel scaffold based on human-like collagen (HLC) that could be applied in cartilage tissue regeneration. In this study, bovine serum albumin (BSA) was used as a porogen to prepare the porous hydrogel, which had not been previously reported. Glutamine transaminase (TGase) was used as the cross-linker of the hydrogel, because it could catalyze the cross-linking of BSA. During the crosslinking process, BSA and HLC were mixed together, which affected the cross-linking of HLC. When the cross-linking was completed, the non-crosslinked section formed pores. The microstructure, porosity, swelling properties, and compressive properties of the hydrogel were studied. The results showed that the pore size of the hydrogel was between 100 and 300 µm, the porosity reached up to 93.43%, and the hydrogel had rapid water absorption and suitable mechanical properties. Finally, we applied the hydrogel to cartilage tissue engineering through in vitro and in vivo research. The in vitro cell experiments suggested that the hydrogel could promote the proliferation and adhesion of chondrocytes, and in vivo transplantation of the hydrogel could enhance the repair of cartilage. In general, the hydrogel is promising as a tissue engineering scaffold for cartilage.

Development of biodegradable membranes for the delivery of a bioactive chitosan‐derivative on cartilage defects: A preliminary investigation

“…In fact, the results obtained by swelling tests pointed out that, when immersed in PBS, the membranes rapidly swell and adsorb considerable liquid amounts immediately after soaking (Figure a). These results are in line with recent research studies stressing the importance of the porosity of polymeric scaffolding materials for cartilage repair applications and pointing out the importance of porous materials to guide the regeneration of a functional tissue (Browe et al, ; Nava, Draghi, Giordano, & Pietrabissa, ; Song et al, ). One of the advantages of the proposed system is that membranes formulation can be tailored to deliver variable amounts of the bioactive polysaccharide CTL at the lesioned site.…”

“…This is also evident from the higher G′ values obtained for the stress‐sweep measurements in the case of C3M and corresponding hydrogels with respect to CTL 2% formulation. In line with these results, it has been recently reported that the swelling behavior of scaffolding materials for cartilage applications is influenced by the cross‐linking degree of polymer‐composing scaffolds (Song et al, ) and by material composition (Liao, Qu, Chu, Zhang, & Qian, ). During the swelling of the CTL‐based membranes, a dimensional increase can be observed from the first minutes (Figure b); the evaluation of the expansion upon hydration pointed out that, already during the first 20 min, an increase of membranes size in the range of 19–34% occurred (Figure b).…”

Fabrication of High-Strength and Porous Hybrid Scaffolds Based on Nano-Hydroxyapatite and Human-Like Collagen for Bone Tissue Regeneration

“…On the contrary, if the pore size is too large, this may affect the mechanical property of scaffolds and the production of extracellular matrix on scaffolds [35,36]. Hence, the pore sizes of the nHD scaffolds were suitable for bone tissue engineering application, which were in accordance with previous studies about bone regeneration scaffolds [34,37]. Furthermore, the porosities of the composite scaffolds are also crucial elements for fabricating suitable scaffolds for bone tissue regeneration [34].…”

It’s All in the Delivery: Designing Hydrogels for Cell and Non-viral Gene Therapies

“…13,14 Whereas hydrogel designs largely depend on the location of implantation (e.g., tissue type to be repaired or type of stem cell to be delivered), several design parameters can be manipulated to mimic the native ECM and consequently function to promote new tissue formation and stem cell engraftment (Figure 1). 15,16 On the most fundamental level, hydrogels should define a 3D space for tissue formation, as the 3D architecture can support the infiltration and assembly of host cells into structures and induce gene expression programs associated with normal growth or development. Cell seeding and infiltration of the hydrogel scaffold can be facilitated by micron-scale porosity and/or cell-mediated degradation cues introduced into the hydrogel design.…”