Barcellona MN, Speer JE, Jing L, Patil DS, Gupta MC, Buchowski JM, Setton LA. Bioactive in situ crosslinkable polymer-peptide hydrogel for cell delivery to the intervertebral disc in a rat model.
Acta Biomater 2021;
131:117-127. [PMID:
34229105 PMCID:
PMC9157564 DOI:
10.1016/j.actbio.2021.06.045]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2021] [Revised: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Degeneration of the intervertebral disc (IVD) is associated with
significant biochemical and morphological changes that include a loss of disc
height, decreased water content and decreased cellularity. Cell delivery has
been widely explored as a strategy to supplement the nucleus pulposus (NP)
region of the degenerated IVD in both pre-clinical and clinical trials, using
progenitor or primary cell sources. We previously demonstrated an ability for a
polymer-peptide hydrogel, serving as a culture substrate, to promote adult NP
cells to undergo a shift from a degenerative fibroblast-like state to a
juvenile-like NP phenotype. In the current study, we evaluate the ability for
this peptide-functionalized hydrogel to serve as a bioactive system for cell
delivery, retention and preservation of a biosynthetic phenotype for primary IVD
cells delivered to the rat caudal disc in an anular puncture degeneration model.
Our data suggest that encapsulation of adult degenerative human NP cells in a
stiff formulation of the hydrogel functionalized with laminin-mimetic peptides
IKVAV and AG73 can promote cell viability and increased biosynthetic activity
for this population in 3D culture in vitro. Delivery of the
peptide-functionalized biomaterial with primary rat cells to the degenerated IVD
supported NP cell retention and NP-specific protein expression in
vivo, and promoted improved disc height index (DHI) values and
endplate organization compared to untreated degenerated controls. The results of
this study suggest the physical cues of this peptide-functionalized hydrogel can
serve as a supportive carrier for cell delivery to the IVD.
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