A Transparent and Injectable Biomaterial Prepared by Mixing Collagen and Anti-Cancer Platinum Derivatives

This study presents the synthesis of a cross-linked collagen material, named platinum-containing collagen gel (PCG), which is achieved by simply mixing collagen and derivatives of an anti-cancer platinum complex. The cross-linking reagents are derivatives of cisplatin or transplatin, generated through a ligand exchange with dimethyl sulfoxide. PCG exhibits superior physical strength and transparency compared with the native collagen gel formed through spontaneous fibril formation. The versatility of PCG as a cell culture scaffold, applicable to both 2D and 3D models, with low cytotoxicity is demonstrated. Furthermore, PCG exhibits pH-responsive gel-forming properties. This enables the removal of free cross-linker by dialysis in an acidic solution and subsequent gel formation upon neutralization. This material holds promise for application in cell culture scaffolds and medical injections.