Carrageenan hydrogel as a scaffold for skin-derived multipotent stromal cells delivery

Abstract

Carrageenan is a thermoreversible polymer of natural origin widely used in food and pharmaceutical industry that presents a glycosaminoglycan-like structure. Herein, we show that kappa-type carrageenan extracted by a semi-refined process from the red seaweed Kappaphycus alvarezii displayed both chemical and structural properties similar to a commercial carrageenan. Moreover, both extracted carrageenan hydrogel and commercial carrageenan hydrogel can serve as a scaffold for in vitro culture of human skin-derived multipotent stromal cells, demonstrating considerable potential as cell-carrier materials for cell delivery in tissue engineering. Skin-derived multipotent stromal cells cultured inside the carrageenan hydrogels showed a round shape morphology and maintained their growth and viability for at least one week in culture. Next, the effect of the extracted carrageenan hydrogel loaded with human skin-derived multipotent stromal cells was evaluated in a mouse model of full-thickness skin wound. Macroscopic and histological analyses revealed some pointed ameliorated features, such as reduced inflammatory process, faster initial recovery of wounded area, and improved extracellular matrix deposition. These results indicate that extracted carrageenan hydrogel can serve as a scaffold for in vitro growth and maintenance of human SD-MSCs, being also able to act as a delivery system of cells to wounded skin. Thus, evaluation of the properties discussed in this study contribute to a further understanding and specificities of the potential use of carrageenan hydrogel as a delivery system for several applications, further to skin wound healing.

The skin regeneration potential of a pro-angiogenic secretome from human skin-derived multipotent stromal cells

“…Human SD-MSCs were isolated and characterized by immunophenotyping and multilineage differentiation potential as previously described. 20,26 The cells were maintained in culture until the sixth passage, and then, the SD-MSC-CM was collected. SD-MSC cultures remained viable and phenotypically unchanged before and after CM collections (Supplementary Figure S1).…”

“…18,19 Considering its potential, we previously used CG hydrogels in association with SD-MSC to treat skin lesions on a murine model of wound healing. 20 The combination of CG and SD-MSC were able to reduce inflammation, accelerate recovery, and increase the deposition of extracellular matrix at wounded area. 20 Similarly, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) hydrogel is one of the most commonly used synthetic polymers for wound dressings and drug delivery.…”

“…20 The combination of CG and SD-MSC were able to reduce inflammation, accelerate recovery, and increase the deposition of extracellular matrix at wounded area. 20 Similarly, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) hydrogel is one of the most commonly used synthetic polymers for wound dressings and drug delivery. 21,22 PVA is a water soluble, non-toxic, biodegradable, and biocompatible polymer, which can form hydrogels via chemical or physical crosslinking, and it is also widely used in blends with other polymers and composites.…”

Polymeric Hydrogel Systems as Emerging Biomaterial Platforms to Enable Hemostasis and Wound Healing

“…Carrageenan (CA), an anionic sulfated polysaccharide extracted from edible red seaweeds, comprises long linear chains of d ‐anhydrogalactose and d ‐galactose and, based on sulfonic groups number, it is categorized into Kappa ( κ ), Iota (ι), and Lambda ( λ )‐carrageenan. [ 138 ] Among those, κ CA has been found to be a promising candidate for tissue engineering applications owing to its resemblance to natural glycosaminoglycans, mechanical strength and excellent gel forming ability. [ 139 ] κ CA containing one negatively charged sulfated group (OSO 3 − ) per disaccharide is known to produce rigid and strong gels in the presence of monovalent cations (e.g., potassium ions) owing to strong ionic interactions between the ions and sulfate groups.…”

Supramolecular Hydrogels for Protein Delivery in Tissue Engineering

“…This architecture resembles the native extracellular matrix (ECM) in tissues. As such, hydrogels have been also highly considered for TE applications where they can hold cells [4] and provide mechanical support [5]. In addition, the properties of hydrogels offer various possibilities for the controlled considered for TE applications where they can hold cells [4] and provide mechanical support [5].…”