Carbon Dots Crosslinked Egg White Hydrogel for Tissue Engineering

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Tissue Engineering
• Regenerative Medicine

Background:

• Egg white (EW)-derived hydrogels are promising for in vitro cell culture due to their extracellular matrix-mimicking properties.
• Highly cross-linked EW hydrogels have limitations for in vivo applications due to poor dynamic tissue integration before degradation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To address the limitations of EW hydrogels for in vivo applications by introducing carbon dots (CDs) as cross-linking agents.
• To develop a CDs-crosslinked EW hydrogel (CEWH) with enhanced properties for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.

Main Methods:

• EW was cross-linked using CDs in a dilute aqueous solution to form CEWH.
• The mechanical properties, pore structure, and degradation rate of CEWH were evaluated.
• Subcutaneous implantation of CEWH was performed to assess tissue integration and biological effects.

Main Results:

• CEWH exhibited tensile strength comparable to skin tissue and a large pore structure facilitating cell infiltration.
• Subcutaneous implantation showed excellent tissue integration and a degradation rate synchronized with the hair follicle (HF) regeneration cycle.
• CEWH promoted an M2 macrophage-dominated immune microenvironment, stimulating HF regeneration from telogen to anagen phase and demonstrating wound dressing potential.

Conclusions:

• CEWH overcomes the limitations of native EW hydrogels, offering superior in vivo integration and controlled degradation.
• The study demonstrates the potential of CEWH for promoting hair follicle regeneration and serving as an effective wound dressing.
• EW, modified with CDs, presents a versatile biomaterial platform for diverse tissue engineering applications.