Investigating cellulose derived glycosaminoglycan mimetic scaffolds for cartilage tissue engineering applications

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-1-2018

Abstract

Articular cartilage has a limited capacity to heal and, currently, no treatment exists that can restore normal hyaline cartilage. Creating tissue engineering scaffolds that more closely mimic the native extracellular matrix may be an attractive approach. Glycosaminoglycans, which are present in native cartilage tissue, provide signalling and structural cues to cells. This study evaluated the use of a glycosaminoglycan mimetic, derived from cellulose, as a potential scaffold for cartilage repair applications. Fully sulfated sodium cellulose sulfate (NaCS) was initially evaluated in soluble form as an additive to cell culture media. Human mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) chondrogenesis in pellet culture was enhanced with 0.01% NaCS added to induction media as demonstrated by significantly higher gene expression for type II collagen and aggrecan. NaCS was combined with gelatine to form fibrous scaffolds using the electrospinning technique. Scaffolds were characterized for fibre morphology, overall hydrolytic stability, protein/growth factor interaction and for supporting MSC chondrogenesis in vitro. Scaffolds immersed in phosphate buffered saline for up to 56 days had no changes in swelling and no dissolution of NaCS as compared to day 0. Increasing concentrations of the model protein lysozyme and transforming growth factor-β3 were detected on scaffolds with increasing concentrations of NaCS (p < 0.05). MSC chondrogenesis was enhanced on the scaffold with the lowest NaCS concentration as seen with the highest collagen type II production, collagen type II immunostaining, and expression of cartilage-specific genes. These studies demonstrate the feasibility of cellulose sulfate as a scaffolding material for cartilage tissue engineering. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Identifier

85016638382 (Scopus)

Publication Title

Journal of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine

External Full Text Location

https://doi.org/10.1002/term.2331

e-ISSN

19327005

ISSN

19326254

PubMed ID

27690373

First Page

e592

Last Page

e603

Issue

1

Volume

12

Grant

DMR 1207173

Fund Ref

National Science Foundation

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