Incorporation of chitosan in biomimetic gelatin/chondroitin-6-sulfate/hyaluronan cryogel for cartilage tissue engineering

Chang-Yi Kuo; Chih-Hao Chen; Chien-Yu Hsiao; Jyh-Ping Chen

doi:10.1016/j.carbpol.2014.10.056

Incorporation of chitosan in biomimetic gelatin/chondroitin-6-sulfate/hyaluronan cryogel for cartilage tissue engineering

Carbohydr Polym. 2015 Mar 6:117:722-730. doi: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2014.10.056. Epub 2014 Oct 30.

Authors

Chang-Yi Kuo¹, Chih-Hao Chen², Chien-Yu Hsiao³, Jyh-Ping Chen⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, Chang Gung University, Kwei-San, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan, ROC.
² Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, Chang Gung University, Kwei-San, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan, ROC; Craniofacial Research Center, Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University, College of Medicine, Kwei-San, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan, ROC.
³ Research Center for Industry of Human Ecology, Chang Gung University of Science and Technology, Kwei-San, Tao-Yuan 333, Taiwan, ROC.
⁴ Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, Chang Gung University, Kwei-San, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan, ROC; Research Center for Industry of Human Ecology, Chang Gung University of Science and Technology, Kwei-San, Tao-Yuan 333, Taiwan, ROC. Electronic address: jpchen@mail.cgu.edu.tw.

PMID: 25498693
DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2014.10.056

Abstract

We prepare an elastic macroporous gelatin/chondoitin-6-sulfate/hyaluronan (GCH) cryogel scaffold mimic the composition of cartilage extracellular matrix for cartilage tissue engineering. By incorporating chitosan in the cryogel to replace 20% gelatin, a GCH-chitosan cryogel was also synthesized and compared with GCH cryogel for scaffold mechanical properties and chondrocytes response. The GCH-chitosan cryogel has larger pores, higher ultimate strain (stress) and elastic modulus, and lower stress relaxation percentage than the GCH cryogel. Both cryogels show a highly elastic property with a loss tangent around 0.1, but chitosan incorporation increases the storage modulus (elasticity). Chondrocytes proliferate and redifferentiate in cryogels; chitosan diminishes cell proliferation but up-regulates glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) and type II collagen (COL II) secretion. Implantation of a chondrocytes/GCH-chitosan cryogel construct in a full-thickness articular cartilage defect regenerates cartilage with positive stainings for GAGs and COL II and an elastic modulus similar to the native cartilage.

Keywords: Cartilage tissue engineering; Chitosan; Chondroitin sulfate; Cryogel; Gelatin; Hyaluronan.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Biomimetic Materials / pharmacology*
Cartilage, Articular / cytology*
Cartilage, Articular / drug effects
Cartilage, Articular / metabolism
Cell Proliferation / drug effects
Chondroitin Sulfates / chemistry*
Cryogels / chemistry*
Elasticity
Gelatin / chemistry*
Glycosaminoglycans / metabolism
Hyaluronic Acid / chemistry*
Porosity
Rabbits
Tissue Engineering*
Tissue Scaffolds / chemistry

Substances

Cryogels
Glycosaminoglycans
Gelatin
Hyaluronic Acid
Chondroitin Sulfates