Designing robust chitosan-based hydrogels for stem cell nesting under oxidative stress

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Stem Cell Biology
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Hydrogels are versatile biomaterials for drug delivery and tissue engineering.
• Chitosan-based hydrogels are explored for their potential in regenerative medicine.
• Investigating scaffold effects on stem cell behavior is crucial for effective tissue regeneration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate chitosan-based hydrogels as scaffolds for human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell (hBM-MSC) proliferation.
• To assess the impact of these hydrogels on oxidative stress in hBM-MSCs.
• To determine the suitability of chitosan hydrogels for tissue engineering.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of chitosan and chitosan-gelatin hydrogels via ionic crosslinking.
• Culturing hBM-MSCs on hydrogel matrices.
• Assessing cell proliferation using DAPI staining and MTT assay.
• Measuring antioxidant gene expression (NQO1, Nrf2, HO-1) via real-time PCR.

Main Results:

• Hydrogels exhibited a porous structure and high water content.
• Toxicity studies confirmed high biocompatibility and cytocompatibility.
• Nrf2 and NQO1 gene expression were downregulated, while HO-1 was upregulated.
• The scaffolds did not impose oxidative stress on the cultured stem cells.

Conclusions:

• Chitosan-based hydrogels possess desirable properties like porosity, swelling ability, and cytocompatibility.
• These hydrogels support hBM-MSC proliferation without inducing oxidative stress.
• The developed hydrogels are promising scaffolds for stem cell applications in tissue engineering.