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Updated: Aug 6, 2026
Multimodal Approach to Assess Bone Regeneration and Scaffold Performance
Published on: February 13, 2026
Does Methacrylation Affect the Cytocompatibility of Chitosan Scaffolds for Oral and Bone Tissue Regeneration? A
Alana Pinto Caroso Souza1, Anderson Gomes Forte1, Fernanda Rafaela Ribeiro1
1Dental Materials Division, Department of Restorative Dentistry, Piracicaba Dental School, State University of Campinas (FOP/UNICAMP), Av. Limeira, 901, 13414-903 Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil.
Objective:
to evaluate the cytocompatibility of methacrylated chitosan (CSMA)-based biomaterials used for oral and bone tissue regeneration and whether the available evidence allows the biological effect of methacrylation to be isolated.
Methods:
This systematic review followed PRISMA guidelines and was registered on OSF. Searches were performed in PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science up to August 2025. In vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo studies evaluating CSMA-based scaffolds, hydrogels, membranes, or bioinks and reporting quantitative cytocompatibility data were included. Due to methodological heterogeneity, a structured qualitative synthesis was performed.
Results:
Fourteen studies published between 2015 and 2025 were included. Most evaluated photo-cross-linkable hydrogels or scaffolds for bone, oral, or related tissue engineering applications. The reported degree of methacrylation ranged from 13.96% to 70%, although five studies did not report this parameter. Cell viability was generally maintained above 85-100% after 24 h, with some studies showing increased metabolic activity or proliferation over longer periods, reaching approximately 200% after 7-21 days. Favorable outcomes were often observed in hybrid systems containing GelMA, collagen, graphene, nanoparticles, peptides, or exosomes; however, formulation, cell type, assay method, and photopolymerization differences limited direct attribution of these effects to methacrylation alone.
Conclusion:
CSMA-based biomaterials generally showed favorable cytocompatibility. However, because many studies used hybrid formulations and lacked formulation-matched nonmethacrylated chitosan controls, the isolated biological effect of methacrylation could not be fully determined.
