Injectable stress relaxation gelatin-based hydrogels with positive surface charge for adsorption of aggrecan and facile cartilage tissue regeneration

Journal of Nanobiotechnology

Xin Qi¹  Wei-Jie Cai²  Kai-Yang Wang²  Jian Ding²  Wei-Yuan Xiao³  Zhi-Wei Li³  Xiang-Yun Jin³  Yu-Hui Ma⁴ 

[1] Department of Orthopaedics, Shanghai Pudong Hospital, Fudan University Pudong Medical Center, No.2800 Gongwei Road, Huinan Town, Pudong, Shanghai, China;Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People’s Hospital, NO. 600, Yishan Rd, 200233, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China;Department of Orthopedic Trauma, Department of Orthopedics, School of Medicine, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 200127, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China;Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People’s Hospital, NO. 600, Yishan Rd, 200233, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China;

关键词: Hydrogel;    Polylysine;    Aggrecan adsorption;    Dynamic covalent bond;    Cartilage tissue engineering;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12951-021-00950-0

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundCartilage injury and pathological degeneration are reported in millions of patients globally. Cartilages such as articular hyaline cartilage are characterized by poor self-regeneration ability due to lack of vascular tissue. Current treatment methods adopt foreign cartilage analogue implants or microfracture surgery to accelerate tissue repair and regeneration. These methods are invasive and are associated with the formation of fibrocartilage, which warrants further exploration of new cartilage repair materials. The present study aims to develop an injectable modified gelatin hydrogel.MethodThe hydrogel effectively adsorbed proteoglycans secreted by chondrocytes adjacent to the cartilage tissue in situ, and rapidly formed suitable chondrocyte survival microenvironment modified by ε-poly-L-lysine (EPL). Besides, dynamic covalent bonds were introduced between glucose and phenylboronic acids (PBA). These bonds formed reversible covalent interactions between the cis−diol groups on polyols and the ionic boronate state of PBA. PBA-modified hydrogel induced significant stress relaxation, which improved chondrocyte viability and cartilage differentiation of stem cells. Further, we explored the ability of these hydrogels to promote chondrocyte viability and cartilage differentiation of stem cells through chemical and mechanical modifications.ResultsIn vivo and in vitro results demonstrated that the hydrogels exhibited efficient biocompatibility. EPL and PBA modified GelMA hydrogel (Gel-EPL/B) showed stronger activity on chondrocytes compared to the GelMA control group. The Gel-EPL/B group induced the secretion of more extracellular matrix and improved the chondrogenic differentiation potential of stem cells. Finally, thus hydrogel promoted the tissue repair of cartilage defects.ConclusionModified hydrogel is effective in cartilage tissue repair.

【 授权许可】

CC BY