A methylcellulose/agarose hydrogel as an innovative scaffold for tissue engineering
Beata Niemczyk-Soczynska1, Arkadiusz Gradys1, Dorota Kolbuk1
1Institute of Fundamental Technological Research, Polish Academy of Sciences Pawinskiego 5b St., 02-106 Warsaw Poland bniem@ippt.pan.pl.
RSC Advances
|November 2, 2022
Summary
Adding agarose to methylcellulose hydrogels accelerates crosslinking for tissue engineering. This blend offers tunable properties and good biocompatibility, enhancing scaffold and cell delivery systems.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Polymer Chemistry
- Tissue Engineering
Background:
- Thermosensitive hydrogels, like methylcellulose (MC), are valuable for tissue engineering due to their in situ crosslinking properties.
- MC solutions transition from liquid to hydrogel around 37 °C, but their crosslinking rate is often too slow for optimal tissue repair applications.
- Blending MC with other substances can modify its crosslinking kinetics and material properties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of varying agarose (AGR) concentrations on the crosslinking kinetics, thermal, viscoelastic, and biological characteristics of methylcellulose (MC) hydrogels.
- To determine if AGR enhances MC crosslinking to meet tissue engineering requirements for controlled gelation.
- To assess the biocompatibility of MC-AGR hydrogels for potential use in regenerative medicine.
Main Methods:
- Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) was used to analyze thermal transitions and crosslinking onset.
- Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA) was employed to evaluate viscoelastic properties and gelation behavior.
- In vitro cytotoxicity assays were performed using L929 fibroblasts and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs).
Main Results:
- AGR addition was shown to accelerate the onset of MC crosslinking, attributed to AGR's higher water affinity.
- DSC and DMA results confirmed faster gelation kinetics with increasing AGR content.
- In vitro studies indicated that most MC-AGR hydrogel formulations were non-cytotoxic, demonstrating good biocompatibility with relevant cell lines.
Conclusions:
- Blending methylcellulose with agarose effectively accelerates hydrogel crosslinking, addressing limitations for tissue engineering applications.
- The MC-AGR system exhibits tunable thermal and viscoelastic properties, alongside favorable biocompatibility.
- These stimuli-responsive hydrogels present promising functionalities for advanced scaffold and cell delivery systems in tissue regeneration.
