Fish Collagen-Based Bilayer Composite Scaffold Functionalized With Fibrin/Hydroxyapatite/Sodium Citrate for...

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Tissue Engineering
• Regenerative Medicine

Background:

• Osteochondral defects (OCDs) pose significant clinical challenges, requiring advanced biomaterials for cartilage and subchondral bone regeneration.
• Conventional scaffolds often face limitations like immunogenicity, poor bioactivity, and inadequate structural integration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a novel bilayer scaffold derived from fish collagen for osteochondral tissue engineering.
• To assess the scaffold's physicochemical properties, biocompatibility, and regenerative potential in vitro and in vivo.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a bilayer scaffold using fish collagen (Catla catla), incorporating collagen/fibrin for cartilage and collagen/sodium citrate/hydroxyapatite for bone, cross-linked with citric acid.
• Physicochemical characterization, in vitro cell studies (MG-63, MC3T3-E1), and in vivo implantation in rat femoral trochlear OCDs.
• Evaluation through porosity, degradation, swelling, bio-mineralization, cell proliferation, gene expression, radiographic, and histological analyses.

Main Results:

• The scaffold exhibited optimal porosity, degradation, swelling, and bio-mineralization properties.
• In vitro studies demonstrated high biocompatibility, enhanced alkaline phosphatase activity, and significant calcium deposition.
• In vivo studies showed substantial bone and cartilage regeneration, with complete defect closure by 12 weeks and well-organized osteochondral repair.

Conclusions:

• The fish collagen-based bilayer scaffold demonstrates excellent potential for osteochondral tissue engineering.
• This novel scaffold effectively supports both cartilage and subchondral bone regeneration, offering a promising solution for OCD treatment.