Human decellularized and crosslinked pericardium coated with bioactive molecular assemblies.

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Tissue Engineering
• Cardiovascular Research

Background:

• Decellularized human pericardium is a promising biomaterial for cardiovascular applications.
• Crosslinking is used to improve the mechanical properties of decellularized pericardium.
• Understanding the impact of crosslinking agents on cell viability is crucial for tissue regeneration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effects of glutaraldehyde and genipin crosslinking on decellularized human pericardium.
• To assess the impact of different coatings on cell viability on crosslinked pericardium.
• To determine optimal conditions for enhancing endothelialization of pericardial grafts.

Main Methods:

• Uniaxial tensile testing to assess mechanical properties.
• Multiphoton microscopy to analyze collagen structure.
• MTS assay to measure human umbilical vein endothelial cell viability.
• Evaluation of coatings including fibrin mesh, heparin, and fibronectin.

Main Results:

• Glutaraldehyde crosslinking significantly decreased cell viability.
• Genipin crosslinking, particularly weak crosslinking, increased cell viability.
• Fibrin and/or fibronectin coatings substantially improved cell viability on both native and crosslinked pericardium.
• Optimal cell viability was achieved with weak genipin crosslinking combined with fibrin and fibronectin coating.

Conclusions:

• Genipin is a superior crosslinking agent to glutaraldehyde for decellularized pericardium regarding cell viability.
• Fibrin and fibronectin coatings effectively promote endothelial cell attachment and viability.
• This study presents a method to enhance the biocompatibility of pericardial grafts for improved in vivo endothelialization.