Reactive hydroxyapatite fillers for pectin biocomposites.

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Tissue Engineering
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Injectable hydrogels are promising for minimally-invasive cell delivery.
• Developing biocompatible and tunable hydrogel systems remains a challenge.
• Pectin and hydroxyapatite offer potential as natural and bioactive components.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize a novel injectable biocomposite hydrogel using pectin and hydroxyapatite.
• To investigate the tunable properties and injectability of the hydrogel for cell immobilization.
• To evaluate the suitability of the hydrogel for tissue regeneration applications.

Main Methods:

• Internal gelation method for hydrogel synthesis.
• Compositional variation to tune gelling kinetics and rheological properties.
• Texture analysis for needle extrusion assessment.
• Cell viability assays (L929 fibroblasts) post-immobilization.

Main Results:

• Successfully produced injectable pectin-hydroxyapatite biocomposite hydrogels.
• Tunable gelling and rheological properties achieved by varying composition.
• Hydrogels demonstrated successful extrusion through needles (20 G to 30 G).
• Entrapped L929 fibroblasts showed high cell viability after immobilization.

Conclusions:

• The developed pectin-hydroxyapatite hydrogels are suitable for minimally-invasive cell delivery.
• Tunable properties and biocompatibility make them promising for cell immobilization in tissue regeneration.
• The hydrogel system supports cell survival and function, indicating potential therapeutic applications.