Chitosan and Pectin Hydrogels for Tissue Engineering and In Vitro Modeling

Abstract

Hydrogels are fascinating biomaterials that can act as a support for cells, i.e., a scaffold, in which they can organize themselves spatially in a similar way to what occurs in vivo. Hydrogel use is therefore essential for the development of 3D systems and allows to recreate the cellular microenvironment in physiological and pathological conditions. This makes them ideal candidates for biological tissue analogues for application in the field of both tissue engineering and 3D in vitro models, as they have the ability to closely mimic the extracellular matrix (ECM) of a specific organ or tissue. Polysaccharide-based hydrogels, because of their remarkable biocompatibility related to their polymeric constituents, have the ability to interact beneficially with the cellular components. Although the growing interest in the use of polysaccharide-based hydrogels in the biomedical field is evidenced by a conspicuous number of reviews on the topic, none of them have focused on the combined use of two important polysaccharides, chitosan and pectin. Therefore, the present review will discuss the biomedical applications of polysaccharide-based hydrogels containing the two aforementioned natural polymers, chitosan and pectin, in the fields of tissue engineering and 3D in vitro modeling.

In Vitro and In Vivo Biocompatibility Assessment of a Thermosensitive Injectable Chitosan-Based Hydrogel for Musculoskeletal Tissue Engineering

“…Thus, in this study, we decided to analyze a natural scaffold in in vitro and in vivo models. Our choice of a natural hydrogel to deliver a local cell-based therapy, instead of a synthetic system, was derived directly from both the above-mentioned characteristics and the well-known property of natural polymers to establish better interaction with living cells, given their ECM-like tissue composition [ 23 , 30 , 31 ]. The impact of hydrogels’ mechanical properties as tissue engineering scaffolds on encapsulated cells can be significant.…”

“…Chitosan (Ch) is a cationic polymer derived from crustacean shells that has good hydrophilicity, biocompatibility, and biodegradability [ 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 ]. Ch in association with a weak base, such as beta-glycerophosphate (βGP) functioning as a gelling agent, can form thermosensitive injectable hydrogels able to gel at a temperature range between 32 and 37 °C [ 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 ], thus having precise in situ applicability in vivo. In combination with βGP, we also enriched the hydrogel with sodium hydrogen carbonate (SHC) [ 24 ] to reinforce its mechanical properties and stability [ 20 , 21 , 22 , 25 ].…”

The Evolution of Technology‐Driven In Vitro Models for Neurodegenerative Diseases

“…Both polymers are widely used in the biomedical field as they are characterized by high biocompatibility, biodegradability, low toxicity, adhesive properties, and antibacterial properties. [ 93 ] Alginate is an algae‐derived polymer, readily available at low cost and one of the most widely used polymers for 3D culture systems. Alginate hydrogels are crosslinked in various ways and mimic many of the natural characteristics of the ECM.…”

“…By fusing together these two approaches, it is possible to overcome the drawbacks inherent each technique, achieving better results. [ 158 ] There are three main possibilities: [ 74 , 75 , 76 , 77 , 78 , 79 , 80 , 81 , 82 , 83 , 84 , 85 , 86 , 87 , 88 , 89 , 90 , 91 , 92 , 93 , 94 , 95 , 96 , 97 , 98 , 99 , 100 , 101 , 102 , 103 , 104 , 105 , 106 , 107 , 108 , 109 , 110 , 111 , 112 , 113 , 114 , 115 , 116 , 117 , 118 , 119 , 120 , 121 , 122 , 123 , 124 , 125 , 126 ,…”

pH-sensing hybrid hydrogels for non-invasive metabolism monitoring in tumor spheroids

“…Hybrid hydrogels, characterized by the synergistic interaction of two or more biopolymers, provide the opportunity of covering a wider range of physicochemical features [ 15 , 16 ]. Among this class of materials, a natural polymer-based hydrogel, composed of chitosan and pectin, has been successfully used for cell embedding and culturing [ [17] , [18] , [19] ]. Chitosan is a linear natural cationic polysaccharide derived from chitin that is found in crustaceans’ exoskeletons and fungi, and pectin a linear, highly available, biodegradable and non-toxic, anionic plant heteropolysaccharide [ 20 ].…”