A pH-driven genipin gelator to engineer decellularized extracellular matrix-based tissue adhesives
Akihiro Nishiguchi1, Tetsushi Taguchi1
1Polymers and Biomaterials Field, Research Center for Functional Materials, National Institute for Materials Science, 1-1 Namiki, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0044 Japan.
Acta Biomaterialia
|July 1, 2021
Summary
New decellularized extracellular matrix (dECM) tissue adhesives utilize a pH-driven genipin-based gelator (GeniPEG) for rapid hydrogel formation. These dECM hydrogels show enhanced tissue adhesion and biocompatibility, offering potential for organ-specific surgical applications.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Tissue Engineering
- Surgical Adhesives
Background:
- Decellularized extracellular matrix (dECM) shows promise for tissue adhesives due to biocompatibility and regenerative potential.
- Limited availability of dECM as a tissue adhesive is due to the lack of effective gelators for hydrogel formation.
- Existing crosslinking methods may not be optimal for dECM-based adhesives.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop novel dECM-based tissue adhesives with enhanced properties.
- To synthesize a pH-responsive genipin-based gelator for efficient dECM hydrogel formation.
- To evaluate the adhesive strength, biocompatibility, and applicability of the developed hydrogels.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of genipin-terminated 4 arm-poly(ethylene glycol) (GeniPEG) based on genipin's pH-dependent reactivity.
- Formation of dECM-based hydrogels by mixing GeniPEG and dECM at an optimal pH, inducing rapid crosslinking.
- Assessment of tissue adhesive strength using porcine aorta tissue and comparison with free genipin crosslinking.
- Evaluation of GeniPEG's applicability to various dECM types (urinary bladder, heart, liver, pancreas, small intestine).
- In vivo implantation studies to assess biocompatibility and biodegradability.
Main Results:
- GeniPEG rapidly formed dECM-based hydrogels within seconds via dECM crosslinking and GeniPEG self-crosslinking.
- Hydrogels crosslinked with GeniPEG demonstrated significantly greater tissue adhesive strength compared to those crosslinked with genipin.
- The GeniPEG gelator proved effective with diverse dECM sources, including urinary bladder, heart, liver, pancreas, and small intestine.
- In vivo studies confirmed the biocompatibility and biodegradability of the dECM-GeniPEG hydrogels.
Conclusions:
- A novel dECM-based tissue adhesive utilizing a pH-driven GeniPEG gelator has been successfully developed.
- The developed hydrogels exhibit superior tissue adhesive strength and broad dECM applicability.
- These dECM-GeniPEG hydrogels present a promising solution for organ-specific tissue adhesives, potentially improving minimally invasive surgery outcomes.
