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Biomimetic fibrin-hyaluronan hydrogels for nucleus pulposus regeneration
Zhen Li1, Keren Mevorat Kaplan, Abraham Wertzel
1AO Research Institute Davos, Davos, Switzerland.
Aim:
To develop a biomimetic polymeric injectable hydrogel that can support nucleus pulposus (NP) regeneration.
Materials & Methods:
Natural polymer-based hydrogels were synthesized using fibrinogen (FBG) and hyaluronic acid (HA), conjugated by a novel two-step procedure. Bovine NP cells were cultured in FBG-HA conjugate-based 3D beads in vitro and in a nucleotomized organ culture model.
Results:
FBG-HA conjugate-based hydrogels prepared with 235 KDa HA at a FBG/HA w/w ratio of 17:1 showed superior gel stability and mechanical properties and markedly increased glycosaminoglycan synthesis compared with a FBG/HA mixture-based hydrogels or fibrin gels. Gene-expression levels of NP markers were maintained in vitro. In organ culture, NP cells seeded in FBG-HA conjugate-based hydrogels showed better integration with native NP tissue compared with fibrin gels. Moreover, FBG-HA conjugate-based hydrogels restored compressive stiffness and disc height after nucleotomy under dynamic load.
Conclusion:
Specific FBG-HA conjugate-based hydrogels may be suitable as injectable materials for minimally invasive, biological NP regeneration.
