Property peculiarities of the atelocollagen–hyaluronan conjugates crosslinked with a short chain di-oxirane compound

Cytophilic Agarose-Epoxide-Amine Cryogels Engineered with Granulated Microstructures

Inherent cytophobicity of agarose limits its direct use for the growth of anchorage-dependent cells. Here, we report a simple strategy allowing the development of agarose-based hydrogels entailed with both cytophilicity and microstructured morphology. Through the reaction of water-soluble 1,4-butanediol diglycidyl ether (BDDE) with trifunctional polyetheramine Jeffamine T403 in agarose solution followed by cryogelation of the mixtures, a series of macroporous agarose-epoxide-amine cryogels were prepared readily. Results from fluorescent labeling and energy-dispersive X-ray elemental mapping showed the formation of granulated microstructures in the cryogels. Such features closely correlated to the phase separation of BDDE-T403 polymers within the agarose matrix. Cytophilicity of the microstructured cryogels due to the integrated amine moieties was demonstrated through the adhesion of fibroblasts. Functional enrichment of the cryogels was further highlighted by leveraging the granulates as micro-reservoirs for polyphenol proanthocyanidin to enable antioxidation and protection of fibroblasts from H₂O₂-induced cytotoxic effect in vitro.

Fish scale-derived collagen patch promotes growth of blood and lymphatic vessels in vivo

In this study, Type I collagen was extracted from fish scales asa potential alternative source of collagen for tissue engineering applications. Since unmodified collagen typically has poor mechanical and degradation stability both in vitro and in vivo, additional methylation modification and 1,4-butanediol diglycidyl ether (BDE) crosslinking steps were used to improve the physicochemical properties of fish scale-derived collagen. Subsequently, in vivo studies using a murine model demonstrated the biocompatibility of the different fish scale-derived collagen patches. In general, favorable integration of the collagen patches to the surrounding tissues, with good infiltration of cells, blood vessels (BVs) and lymphatic vessels (LVs) were observed under growth factor-free conditions. Interestingly, significantly higher (p<0.05) number of LVs was found to be more abundant around collagen patches with methylation modification and BDE crosslinking. Overall, we have demonstrated the potential application of fish scale-derived collagen as a promising scaffolding material for various biomedical applications.

STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE

Currently the most common sources of collagen are of bovine and porcine origins, although the industrial use of collagen obtained from non-mammalian species is growing in importance, particularly since they have a lower risk of disease transmission and are not subjected to any cultural or religious constraints. However, unmodified collagen typically has poor mechanical and degradation stability both in vitro and in vivo. Hence, in this study, Type I collagen was successfully extracted from fish scales and chemically modified and crosslinked. In vitro studies showed overall improvement in the physicochemical properties of the material, whilst in vivo implantation studies showed improvements in the growth of blood and lymphatic host vessels in the vicinity of the implants.

Novel multifunctional PB and PBH hydrogels as soft filler for tissue engineering

Multifunctionalized PB and PBH hydrogels scaffolds and injectable particles with good biocompatibility and anti-biodegradation are based on pullulan and human-like collagen for skin restoration, cartilage treatment, and lacrimal drynesstherapy.