Applications of Collagen in Medical Devices

Abstract

Collagen is the most abundant natural protein found in living systems. While there is a whole family of different collagen types, each differing in sequence, the properties that make this protein so attractive as the building blocks for medical devices, are reflected largely by the unique fibrillar structure of the molecule, as well as defined functional regions that interact with the surrounding cells and other matrix components. As a commercial medical product, collagen can be part of the natural tissue used in the device, or it can be fabricated as a reconstituted product from animal or recombinant sources. Both types of uses have distinct properties that convey advantages and disadvantages to the end product. This review examines the chemistry and biology of collagen and describes some well-documented examples of collagen-based medical devices produced in one or other of these formats.

Studies of Novel Hyaluronic Acid-collagen Sponge Materials Composed of Two Different Species of Type I Collagen

“…The swelling ratio was a simulative test for that form-stability of sponge materials under physiological conditions. In general, the swelling ratio of materials decreases as the extent of cross-linking increases [25]. The swelling ratios significantly ( p<0.05) reduced when the ratio of BF collagen increased.…”

“…The EDC cross-linking system is frequently used in the porous collagen materials [5,9,11,14,15], which has shown better biocompatibility than glutaraldehyde (GA) [9]. In principle, the EDC cross-linking takes place by the reaction between carboxyl groups of glutamic acid and aspartic acid and generated stable amide bonds [9,11,[13][14][15]24,25]. A previous study [26] indicated that the biostability of materials could not be enhanced by external glutamic acid addition.…”

“…Improved mechanical properties as well as reduced in vitro or in vivo biodegradation rate were noted. A biostable sponge material not only prolonged the implantation time, but also reduced the amount of chronic inflammation and delay in wound healing due to excessive hydrolysis [25]. Based on the reason mentioned, B5P0HA, B4P1HA or B3P2HA should be suitable candidates for biomaterials.…”

Enhancing cell migration in shape-memory alginate–collagen composite scaffolds: In vitro and ex vivo assessment for intervertebral disc repair

“…(19) Collagen has been successfully employed in hydrogel form or as cell culture substrates with several collagen-based matrices for tissue regeneration in commercial use. (20) However, collagen-based constructs are inherently mechanically weak and are susceptible to shrinkage as they cannot withstand the forces exerted due to cell contraction. (21,22) To alleviate such limitations, we chose to combine collagen as a biological coating agent on covalently crosslinked alginate structure, which provides mechanical reinforcement.…”

Effects of photochemical crosslinking on the microstructure of collagen and a feasibility study on controlled protein release

“…Nevertheless, its development as a drug delivery device has been overshadowed by advances in synthetic polymers in the past decade owing to its low dimensional and mechanical stability and rapid swelling properties [2]. As a result, modification processes such as crosslinking [13] are usually employed to improve the physicochemical properties of collagen-based structures.…”