title: Novel injectable neutral solutions of chitosan form biodegradable gels in situ.
abstract: A novel approach to provide, thermally sensitive neutral solutions based on chitosan/polyol salt combinations is described. These formulations possess a physiological pH and can be held liquid below room temperature for encapsulating living cells and therapeutic proteins; they form monolithic gels at body temperature. When injected in vivo the liquid formulations turn into gel implants in situ. This system was used successfully to deliver biologically active growth factors in vivo as well as an encapsulating matrix for living chondrocytes for tissue engineering applications. This study reports for the first time the use of polymer/polyol salt aqueous solutions as gelling systems, suggesting the discovery of a prototype for a new family of thermosetting gels highly compatible with biological compounds.
authors.affiliation: Center for Applied Research on Polymers, Chemical Engineering Department and Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Ecole Polytechnique of Montreal, PQ, Canada. chenite@biosyntech.com
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chenite
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chaput
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Combes
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Buschmann
authors.forename: C D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Hoemann
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Leroux
authors.forename: B L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Atkinson
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Binette
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Selmani
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000838:Anions; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000166:cytology; D002412:Cations; D002417:Cattle; D002478:Cells, Cultured / Q000187:drug effects; D002686:Chitin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D048271:Chitosan; D019902:Chondrocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000637:transplantation; D004339:Drug Compounding; D005782:Gels; D006085:Graft Survival; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007267:Injections; D008422:Materials Testing; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry; D019736:Prostheses and Implants; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012212:Rheology; D013696:Temperature; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous; D016042:Transplantation, Heterotopic; D014783:Viscosity
chemical_list: D000838:Anions; D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D002412:Cations; D005782:Gels; D011108:Polymers; C024617:polyol; D002686:Chitin; D048271:Chitosan