Injectable in situ forming poly(l-glutamic acid) hydrogels for cartilage tissue engineering
Shifeng Yan1, Xin Zhang, Kunxi Zhang
1Department of Polymer Materials, Shanghai University, 333 Nanchen Road, Shanghai 200444, People's Republic of China. yansf@staff.shu.edu.cn jbyin@oa.shu.edu.cn.
Journal of Materials Chemistry. B
|April 9, 2020
Summary
Novel injectable hydrogels made from poly(l-glutamic acid) (PLGA) demonstrate potential for cartilage tissue engineering. These self-crosslinking biomaterials support cell viability and promote cartilage formation in vivo.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Regenerative Medicine
- Tissue Engineering
Background:
- Injectable, in situ forming hydrogels are advantageous for regenerative medicine applications.
- Poly(l-glutamic acid) (PLGA) based hydrogels offer tunable properties for biomedical use.
Purpose of the Study:
- To design and investigate novel injectable poly(l-glutamic acid) hydrogels for cartilage tissue engineering.
- To explore the self-crosslinking mechanism and properties of PLGA-ADH and PLGA-CHO hydrogels.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of adipic dihydrazide (ADH)-modified PLGA (PLGA-ADH) and aldehyde-modified PLGA (PLGA-CHO).
- Characterization of hydrogel properties including gelation time, swelling, mechanical strength, morphology, and degradation.
- In vitro assessment of chondrocyte viability and cytocompatibility.
- In vivo evaluation of injectability, gel formation, stability, cell infiltration, and ectopic cartilage formation.
Main Results:
- Hydrogel properties (gelation, swelling, mechanical, degradation) are influenced by solid content, NH2/CHO ratio, and PLGA-CHO oxidation degree.
- Encapsulated rabbit chondrocytes exhibited high viability and cytocompatibility.
- In vivo studies demonstrated injectability, rapid gelation, mechanical stability, cell ingrowth, and ectopic cartilage formation.
Conclusions:
- The developed PLGA hydrogel system is a promising injectable cell delivery carrier for cartilage regeneration.
- This novel biomaterial holds potential for various tissue engineering applications requiring in situ forming hydrogels.
