Bioactive Hydrogels: Design and Characterization of Cellulose-Derived Injectable Composites

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Regenerative Medicine

Background:

• Cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) are versatile, renewable materials with potential in biomedical applications.
• TEMPO-mediated oxidation is a key method for producing CNFs.
• Incorporating inorganic components like calcium phosphates (CaP) can enhance hydrogel properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and characterize injectable hydrogels based on TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanofibers (TOCNFs) embedded with CaP and CaP-GO.
• To evaluate the potential of these hydrogels for bone tissue regeneration.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of TOCNFs-based hydrogels with CaP and CaP-GO.
• Rheological characterization to assess mechanical properties and crosslinking.
• Injection tests to evaluate injectability.
• SEM and XRD analysis to study mineralization.
• In vitro cytotoxicity tests using SAOS-2 cells.

Main Results:

• Inorganic particles acted as physical crosslinkers, improving mechanical properties.
• Hydrogels demonstrated injectability with low required forces (1.5-4.4 N).
• CaP and CaP-GO accelerated mineralization, with stability up to 28 days.
• No cytotoxic effects were observed on SAOS-2 cells.

Conclusions:

• TOCNFs-based hydrogels embedded with CaP and CaP-GO exhibit enhanced physicochemical properties.
• These hydrogels maintain injectability and bioactivity, making them suitable for bone tissue regeneration.
• The addition of inorganic phases allows for modulation of hydrogel properties for specific applications.