Evaluation of Nanostructured Composite Collagen–Chitosan Matrices for Tissue Engineering

Abstract

The development of suitable three-dimensional matrices for the maintenance of cellular viability and differentiation is critical for applications in tissue engineering and cell biology. The structure and composition of the extracellular matrix (ECM) has been shown to modulate cell behavior with respect to shape, movement, proliferation, and differentiation. Although collagen and chitosan have separately been proposed as in vitro ECM materials, the influence of chitosan--collagen composite matrices on cell morphology, differentiation, and function is not well studied. To this end, gel matrices of different proportions of collagen and chitosan were examined ultrastructurally and characterized for their ability to regulate cellular activity. A three-chamber system with circulating hydraulic fluids was used to evaluate the gel stability under fluid force. Results indicated that overall matrix integrity increased with the proportion of chitosan. Scanning electron microscopy indicated that the addition of chitosan greatly influences ultrastructure and changes collagen fiber cross-linking, reinforcing the structure and increasing pore size. K562 cells cultured in three-dimensional gels were examined for cell proliferation and differentiation. Although cell proliferation was inhibited with an increasing proportion of chitosan, cell function based on cytokine-release was greatly augmented. Results suggest that a hybrid chitosan--collagen matrix may have potential biological and mechanical benefits for use as a cellular scaffold.

Cell colonization in degradable 3D porous matrices

“…28 One way to overcome the heterogeneity in natural matrices uses polymers to fabricate degradable 3D porous matrices. Scaffolds generated from natural polymers such as alginates, [29][30][31] chitosan, [32][33][34][35][36][37][38] collagen, 39 GAGs and elastin, [40][41][42][43] gelatin [44][45][46] and fibrin [47][48][49] have also been used as scaffolding materials. [50][51][52] A commonly used system is collagen/GAGs; 53,54 collagen/GAG based skin equivalents are already in clinical use 41,42 and under investigation for other applications such as heart valves, vascular grafts [55][56][57][58][59][60] and vascular networks.…”

Techniques for the Isolation of High-Quality RNA from Cells Encapsulated in Chitosan Hydrogels

“…Hydrogels derived from chitosan have been extensively studied as biomaterials for tissue engineering applications due to their favorable biocompatibility, biodegradability, and capacity for tailored bioactivity. [1][2][3][4] These materials can be designed as cell delivery vehicles that crosslink in situ to encapsulate cell populations within target sites. In developing these regenerative approaches, gene expression analysis of the encapsulated cell populations by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) can provide useful information in characterizing the cellular response within the engineered microenvironments.…”

Development of Biodegradable Polyphosphazene- Nanohydroxyapatite Composite Nanofibers Via Electrospinning

“…The effort is to develop a biomaterial based scaffold which can mimic the structural properties of ECM [2]. These synthetic, biocompatible matrices should degrade within the body at a rate similar to the rate of tissue regeneration resulting in non-toxic degradation products [3]. Biodegradable polymeric nanofibers, due to their extremely high surface area, high aspect ratio and structural similarity to the ECM are generating considerable interest as scaffolds for tissue engineering [4].…”