Inflammatory response on injection of chitosan/GP to the brain

Types of biomaterials useful in brain repair

Biomaterials is an emerging field in the study of brain tissue engineering and repair or neurogenesis. The fabrication of biomaterials that can replicate the mechanical and viscoelastic features required by the brain, including the poroviscoelastic responses, force dissipation, and solute diffusivity are essential to be mapped from the macro to the nanoscale level under physiological conditions in order for us to gain an effective treatment for neurodegenerative diseases. This research topic has identified a critical study gap that must be addressed, and that is to source suitable biomaterials and/or create reliable brain-tissue-like biomaterials. This chapter will define and discuss the various types of biomaterials, their structures, and their function-properties features which would enable the development of next-generation biomaterials useful in brain repair.

Foreign body responses in mouse central nervous system mimic natural wound responses and alter biomaterial functions

Biomaterials hold promise for therapeutic applications in the central nervous system (CNS). Little is known about molecular factors that determine CNS foreign body responses (FBRs) in vivo, or about how such responses influence biomaterial function. Here, we probed these factors in mice using a platform of injectable hydrogels readily modified to present interfaces with different physiochemical properties to host cells. We found that biomaterial FBRs mimic specialized multicellular CNS wound responses not present in peripheral tissues, which serve to isolate damaged neural tissue and restore barrier functions. We show that the nature and intensity of CNS FBRs are determined by definable properties that significantly influence hydrogel functions, including resorption and molecular delivery when injected into healthy brain or stroke injuries. Cationic interfaces elicit stromal cell infiltration, peripherally derived inflammation, neural damage and amyloid production. Nonionic and anionic formulations show minimal levels of these responses, which contributes to superior bioactive molecular delivery. Our results identify specific molecular mechanisms that drive FBRs in the CNS and have important implications for developing effective biomaterials for CNS applications.

Cell and tissue responses at the interface with a chitosan hydrogel intended for vascular applications: in vitro and in vivo exploration

AIMS

The need for small caliber vessels to treat cardiovascular diseases has grown. However, synthetic polymers perform poorly in small-diameter applications. Chitosan hydrogels can provide a novel biological scaffold for vascular engineering. The goal of this study was to explore host cell and tissue behavior at the interface with chitosan-based scaffolds in vitro and in vivo.

METHODS AND RESULTS

in vitro, we assessed the ability of endothelial cells lining chitosan hydrogels to produce tissue factor (TF), thrombomodulin (TM) and nitric oxide. We showed that endothelial cells behave as a native endothelium since under stimulation, TF and TM expression increased and decreased, respectively. Endothelial cells seeded on chitosan produced nitric oxide, but no change was observed under stimulation. After in vivo subcutaneous implantation of chitosan hydrogels in rats, macrophage activation phenotypes, playing a crucial role in biomaterial/tissue, were explored by immunohistochemistry. Our results suggested a balance between pro- and anti-inflammatory signals since we observed an inflammatory response in favor of macrophage M2 phenotype.

CONCLUSION

in vitro exploration of endothelial cell response at the interface with chitosan hydrogel showed a functional endothelium and in vivo exploration of tissue response revealed a biointegration of chitosan hydrogels.

Biomaterials and glia: Progress on designs to modulate neuroinflammation

Microglia are multi-functional cells that play a vital role in establishing and maintaining the function of the nervous system and determining the fate of neurons following injury or neuropathology. The roles of microglia are diverse and essential to the capacity of the nervous system to recover from injury, however sustained inflammation can limit recovery and drive chronic disease processes such as neurodegenerative disorders. When assessing implantable therapeutic devices in the central nervous system, an improved lifetime of the implant is considered achievable through the attenuation of microglial inflammation. Consequently, there is a tremendous underexplored potential in biomaterial and engineered design to modulate neuroinflammation for therapeutic benefit. Several strategies for improving device compatibility reviewed here include: biocompatible coatings, improved designs in finer and flexible shapes to reduce tissue shear-related scarring, and loading of anti-inflammatory drugs. Studies about microglial cell cultures in 3D hydrogels and nanoscaffolds to assess various injuries and disorders are also discussed. A variety of other microglia-targeting treatments are also reviewed, including nanoparticulate systems, cellular backpacks, and gold plinths, with the intention of delivering anti-inflammatory drugs by targeting the phagocytic nature of microglia. Overall, this review highlights recent advances in biomaterials targeting microglia and inflammatory function with the potential for improving implant rejection and biocompatibility studies. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Microglia are the resident immune cells of the central nervous system, and thus play a central role in the neuroinflammatory response against conditions than span acute injuries, neuropsychiatric disorders, and neurodegenerative disorders. This review article presents a summary of biomaterials research that target microglia and other glial cells in order to attenuate neuroinflammation, including but not limited to: design of mechanically compliant and biocompatible stimulation electrodes, hydrogels for high-throughput 3D modelling of nervous tissue, and uptake of nanoparticle drug delivery systems. The goal of this paper is to identify strengths and gaps in the relevant literature, and to promote further consideration of microglia behaviour and neuroinflammation in biomaterial design.

Sustained release of adipose-derived stem cells by thermosensitive chitosan/gelatin hydrogel for therapeutic angiogenesis

Adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) secrete several angiogenic growth factors and can be applied to treat ischemic tissue. However, transplantation of dissociated ASCs has frequently resulted in rapid cell death. Therefore, we aimed to develop a thermosensitive chitosan/gelatin hydrogel that is capable of ASC sustained release for therapeutic angiogenesis. By blending gelatin in the chitosan thermosensitive hydrogel, we significantly enhanced the viability of the encapsulated ASCs. During in vitro culturing, the gradual degradation of gelatin led to sustained release of ASCs from the chitosan/gelatin hydrogel. In vitro wound healing assays revealed significantly faster cell migration by co-culturing fibroblasts with ASCs encapsulated in chitosan/gelatin hydrogel compared to pure chitosan hydrogels. Additionally, significantly higher concentrations of vascular endothelial growth factor were found in the supernatant of ASC-encapsulated chitosan/gelatin hydrogels. Co-culturing SVEC4-10 endothelial cells with ASC-encapsulated chitosan/gelatin hydrogels resulted in significantly more tube-like structures, indicating the hydrogel's potential in promoting angiogenesis. Chick embryo chorioallantoic membrane assay and mice wound healing model showed significantly higher capillary density after applying ASC-encapsulated chitosan/gelatin hydrogel. Relative to ASC alone or ASC-encapsulated chitosan hydrogel, more ASCs were also found in the wound tissue on post-wounding day 5 after applying ASC-encapsulated chitosan/gelatin hydrogel. Therefore, chitosan/gelatin thermosensitive hydrogels not only maintain ASC survival, they also enable sustained release of ASCs for therapeutic angiogenesis applications, thereby exhibiting great clinical potential in treating ischemic diseases.

STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE

Adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) exhibit great potential to treat ischemic diseases. However, poor delivery methods lead to low cellular survival or dispersal of cells from target sites. In this study, we developed a thermosensitive chitosan/gelatin hydrogel that not only enhances the viability of the encapsulated ASCs, the gradual degradation of gelatin also result in a more porous architecture, leading to sustained release of ASCs from the hydrogel. ASC-encapsulated hydrogel enhanced in vitro wound healing of fibroblasts and tube formation of endothelial cells. It also promoted in vivo angiogenesis in a chick embryo chorioallantoic membrane assay and a mice wound model. Therefore, chitosan/gelatin hydrogel represents an effective delivery system that allows for controlled release of viable ASCs for therapeutic angiogenesis.

Advances in regenerative therapies for spinal cord injury: a biomaterials approach

Spinal cord injury results in the permanent loss of function, causing enormous personal, social and economic problems. Even though neural regeneration has been proven to be a natural mechanism, central nervous system repair mechanisms are ineffective due to the imbalance of the inhibitory and excitatory factors implicated in neuroregeneration. Therefore, there is growing research interest on discovering a novel therapeutic strategy for effective spinal cord injury repair. To this direction, cell-based delivery strategies, biomolecule delivery strategies as well as scaffold-based therapeutic strategies have been developed with a tendency to seek for the answer to a combinatorial approach of all the above. Here we review the recent advances on regenerative/neural engineering therapies for spinal cord injury, aiming at providing an insight to the most promising repair strategies, in order to facilitate future research conduction.

Synthesis, physiochemical characterization, and biocompatibility of a chitosan/dextran-based hydrogel for postsurgical adhesion prevention

An amine-functionalized succinyl chitosan and an oxidized dextran were synthesized and mixed in aqueous solution to form an in situ chitosan/dextran injectable, surgical hydrogel for adhesion prevention. Rheological characterization showed that the rate of gelation and moduli were tunable based on amine and aldehyde levels, as well as polymer concentrations. The CD hydrogels have been shown to be effective post-operative aids in prevention of adhesions in ear, nose, and throat surgeries and abdominal surgeries in vivo. In vitro biocompatibility testing was performed on CD hydrogels containing one of two oxidized dextrans, an 80 % oxidized (CD-100) or 25 % (CD-25) oxidized dextran. However, the CD-100 hydrogel showed moderate cytotoxicity in vitro to Vero cells. SC component of the CD hydrogel, however, showed no cytotoxic effect. In order to increase the biocompatibility of the hydrogel, a lower aldehyde level hydrogel was developed. CD-25 was found to be non-cytotoxic to L929 fibroblasts. The in vivo pro-inflammatory response of the CD-25 hydrogel, after intraperitoneal injection in BALB/c mice, was also determined by measuring serum TNF-α levels and by histological analysis of tissues. TNF-α levels were similar in mice injected with CD-25 hydrogel as compared to the negative saline injected control; and were significantly different (P < 0.05) as compared to the positive, lipopolysaccharide, injected control. Histological examination revealed no inflammation seen in CD hydrogel injected mice. The results of these in vitro and in vivo studies demonstrate the biocompatibility of the CD hydrogel as a post-operative aid for adhesion prevention.

Biomaterials for spinal cord repair

Spinal cord injury (SCI) results in permanent loss of function leading to often devastating personal, economic and social problems. A contributing factor to the permanence of SCI is that damaged axons do not regenerate, which prevents the re-establishment of axonal circuits involved in function. Many groups are working to develop treatments that address the lack of axon regeneration after SCI. The emergence of biomaterials for regeneration and increased collaboration between engineers, basic and translational scientists, and clinicians hold promise for the development of effective therapies for SCI. A plethora of biomaterials is available and has been tested in various models of SCI. Considering the clinical relevance of contusion injuries, we primarily focus on polymers that meet the specific criteria for addressing this type of injury. Biomaterials may provide structural support and/or serve as a delivery vehicle for factors to arrest growth inhibition and promote axonal growth. Designing materials to address the specific needs of the damaged central nervous system is crucial and possible with current technology. Here, we review the most prominent materials, their optimal characteristics, and their potential roles in repairing and regenerating damaged axons following SCi.

Heparin crosslinked chitosan microspheres for the delivery of neural stem cells and growth factors for central nervous system repair

An effective paradigm for transplanting large numbers of neural stem cells after central nervous system (CNS) injury has yet to be established. Biomaterial scaffolds have shown promise in cell transplantation and in regenerative medicine, but improved scaffolds are needed. In this study we designed and optimized multifunctional and biocompatible chitosan-based films and microspheres for the delivery of neural stem cells and growth factors for CNS injuries. The chitosan microspheres were fabricated by coaxial airflow techniques, with the sphere size controlled by varying the syringe needle gauge and the airflow rate. When applying a coaxial airflow at 30 standard cubic feet per hour, ∼300μm diameter spheres were reproducibly generated that were physically stable yet susceptible to enzymatic degradation. Heparin was covalently crosslinked to the chitosan scaffolds using genipin, which bound fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2) with high affinity while retaining its biological activity. At 1μgml(-1) approximately 80% of the FGF-2 bound to the scaffold. A neural stem cell line, GFP+RG3.6 derived from embryonic rat cortex, was used to evaluate cytocompatibility, attachment and survival on the crosslinked chitosan-heparin complex surfaces. The MTT assay and microscopic analysis revealed that the scaffold containing tethered FGF-2 was superior in sustaining survival and growth of neural stem cells compared to standard culture conditions. Altogether, our results demonstrate that this multifunctional scaffold possesses good cytocompatibility and can be used as a growth factor delivery vehicle while supporting neural stem cell attachment and survival.

Treatment of penetrating brain injury in a rat model using collagen scaffolds incorporating soluble Nogo receptor

Injuries and diseases of the central nervous system (CNS) have the potential to cause permanent loss of brain parenchyma, with severe neurological consequences. Cavitary defects in the brain may afford the possibility of treatment with biomaterials that fill the lesion site while delivering therapeutic agents. This study examined the treatment of penetrating brain injury (PBI) in a rat model with collagen biomaterials and a soluble Nogo receptor (sNgR) molecule. sNgR was aimed at neutralizing myelin proteins that hinder axon regeneration by inducing growth cone collapse. Scaffolds containing sNgR were implanted in the brains of adult rats 1 week after injury and analysed 4 weeks or 8 weeks later. Histological analysis revealed that the scaffolds filled the lesion sites, remained intact with open pores and were infiltrated with cells and extracellular matrix. Immunohistochemical staining demonstrated the composition of the cellular infiltrate to include macrophages, astrocytes and vascular endothelial cells. Isolated regions of the scaffold borders showed integration with surrounding viable brain tissue that included neurons and oligodendrocytes. While axon regeneration was not detected in the scaffolds, the cellular infiltration and vascularization of the lesion site demonstrated a modification of the injury environment with implications for regenerative strategies.

Protein polymer MRI contrast agents: Longitudinal analysis of biomaterials in vivo

Despite recent advances in tissue engineering to regenerate biological function by combining cells with material supports, development is hindered by inadequate techniques for characterizing biomaterials in vivo. Magnetic resonance imaging is a tomographic technique with high temporal and spatial resolution and represents an excellent imaging modality for longitudinal noninvasive assessment of biomaterials in vivo. To distinguish biomaterials from surrounding tissues for magnetic resonance imaging, protein polymer contrast agents were developed and incorporated into hydrogels. In vitro and in vivo images of protein polymer hydrogels, with and without covalently incorporated protein polymer contrast agents, were acquired by magnetic resonance imaging. T(1) values of the labeled gels were consistently lower when protein polymer contrast agents were included. As a result, the protein polymer contrast agent hydrogels facilitated fate tracking, quantification of degradation, and detection of immune response in vivo. For the duration of the in vivo study, the protein polymer contrast agent-containing hydrogels could be distinguished from adjacent tissues and from the foreign body response surrounding the gels. The hydrogels containing protein polymer contrast agent have a contrast-to-noise ratio 2-fold greater than hydrogels without protein polymer contrast agent. In the absence of the protein polymer contrast agent, hydrogels cannot be distinguished by the end of the gel lifetime.

Biomaterial design strategies for the treatment of spinal cord injuries

The highly debilitating nature of spinal cord injuries has provided much inspiration for the design of novel biomaterials that can stimulate cellular regeneration and functional recovery. Many experts agree that the greatest hope for treatment of spinal cord injuries will involve a combinatorial approach that integrates biomaterial scaffolds, cell transplantation, and molecule delivery. This manuscript presents a comprehensive review of biomaterial-scaffold design strategies currently being applied to the development of nerve guidance channels and hydrogels that more effectively stimulate spinal cord tissue regeneration. To enhance the regenerative capacity of these two scaffold types, researchers are focusing on optimizing the mechanical properties, cell-adhesivity, biodegradability, electrical activity, and topography of synthetic and natural materials, and are developing mechanisms to use these scaffolds to deliver cells and biomolecules. Developing scaffolds that address several of these key design parameters will lead to more successful therapies for the regeneration of spinal cord tissue.

Biocompatibility Evaluation of Chitosan-based Injectable Hydrogels for the Culturing Mice Mesenchymal Stem Cells In Vitro

A thermosensitive polymer can be held liquid before being injected to deliver living cells or therapeutic agents and formed monolithic gels when injected in vivo. In this study, chitosan-based thermosensitive hydrogels were prepared, characterized and the biocompatibility for culturing mice bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSC) on 2D films and within 3D hydrogel were investigated. The gelation temperature and biocompatibility could be modulated by addition hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC) to chitosan—glycerophosphate (CH—GP) formulation. The CH—GP—HEC liquid solution can turn into gel at body temperature and has highly compatible with BMSC. Therefore, the CH—GP—HEC gel could be used as an attractive injected in-situ forming scaffold for future applications of delivering biologically active therapeutics for tissue engineering filed.

A novel controlled local drug delivery system for inner ear disease

PURPOSE

Our goal is to develop a novel drug delivery system that can potentially improve clinical outcomes compared to current methods of dosing drugs such as dexamethasone or gentamicin. This system focuses on a single local application to the inner ear via the round window membrane.

HYPOTHESIS

A chitosan-glycerophosphate (CGP)-hydrogel based drug delivery system can be engineered to provide local and sustained drug release to the inner ear.

STUDY DESIGN

In vitro: drug release and (CGP)-hydrogel matrix degradation were characterized using dexamethasone as a model drug. In vivo: dexamethasone laden CGP-hydrogel was placed in the round window niche of mice. Perilymph samples were obtained from the oval window and analyzed for dexamethasone. The impact of CGP-hydrogel on auditory function was evaluated.

RESULTS

In vitro: A CGP-hydrogel was designed to release 92% of the dexamethasone load over 4 consecutive days with concurrent degradation of the hydrogel matrix. In vivo: After surgical placement of CGP-hydrogel to the round window niche, we detected elevated levels of dexamethasone in perilymph for 5 days. Auditory function testing revealed a temporary hearing loss in the immediate postoperative period, which resolved by the 10th postoperative day.

CONCLUSIONS

We report the development of CGP-hydrogel, a biodegradable matrix that achieves local, sustained delivery of dexamethasone to the inner ear. There were no significant complications resulting from the surgical procedure or the administration of CGP-hydrogel to our murine model.

Novel Thermally Sensitive pH-dependent Chitosan/ Carboxymethyl Cellulose Hydrogels

Temperature-responsive polymers are attractive candidates for applications related to injectable delivery of biologically active therapeutics. In this study, a novel approach to provide thermally sensitive neutral solutions based on chitosan/carboxymethyl cellulose (Ch/CMC) combinations is described. The potential of thermosensitive Ch/CMC as a biomaterial is evaluated for the culture of chondrocytes, with the goal of using the Ch/CMC polymer as an injectable matrix/cell therapeutic. These formulations possess a physiological pH and can be held as liquid below room temperature for encapsulating living cells. At body temperature they form monolithic gels, thus injected in vivo, the liquid formulations turn into gel implants in situ. The sols/gels have been thoroughly characterized for rheology and morphology analysis. The use of Ch/CMC aqueous solutions as gelling systems is a new discovery of a new family of thermosetting gels highly compatible with biological compounds.