Repetitive Biomimetic Self-healing of Ca(2+)-Induced Nanocomposite Protein Hydrogels

Sci Rep. 2016 Aug 22:6:30804. doi: 10.1038/srep30804.

Abstract

Self-healing is a capacity observed in most biological systems in which the healing processes are autonomously triggered after the damage. Inspired by this natural behavior, researchers believed that a synthetic material possessing similar self-recovery capability could also be developed. Albeit various intrinsic self-healing systems have been developed over the past few decades, restriction on the biocompatibility due to the required synthetic conditions under extreme pH and with poisonous cross-linker significantly limits their application in biomedical field. In this study, a highly biocompatible nanocomposite protein hydrogel with excellent biomimetic self-healing property is presented. The self-healing protein gel is made by inducing calcium ions into the mixture of heat-induced BSA nano-aggregates and pristine BSA molecules at room temperature and under physiological pH due to the ion-mediated protein-protein association and the bridging effect of divalent Ca(2+) ions. The as-prepared protein hydrogel shows excellent repetitive self-healing properties without using any external stimuli at ambient condition. Such outstanding self-recovery performance was quantitatively evaluated/validated by both dynamic and oscillatory rheological analysis. Moreover, with the presence of calcium ions, the self-healing behavior can be significantly facilitated/enhanced. Finally, the superior biocompatibility demonstrated by in vitro cytotoxicity analysis suggests that it is a promising self-healing material well-suited for biomedical applications.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • A549 Cells
  • Biocompatible Materials / chemistry
  • Biomimetic Materials / chemistry*
  • Biomimetic Materials / pharmacology
  • Calcium
  • Cell Survival / drug effects
  • Humans
  • Hydrogels / chemistry*
  • Hydrogels / pharmacology
  • Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
  • Nanocomposites / chemistry
  • Rheology
  • Serum Albumin, Bovine / chemistry*

Substances

  • Biocompatible Materials
  • Hydrogels
  • Serum Albumin, Bovine
  • Calcium