title: Alginate/lactose-modified chitosan hydrogels: a bioactive biomaterial for chondrocyte encapsulation.
abstract: A new bioactive scaffold was prepared from a binary polysaccharide mixture composed of a polyanion (alginate) and a polycation (a lactose-modified chitosan, chitlac). Its potential use for articular chondrocytes encapsulation and cartilage reconstructive surgery applications has been studied. The hydrogel combines the ability of alginate to act as a 3D supporting structure with the capability of the second component (chitlac) to provide interactions with porcine articular chondrocytes. Physico-chemical characterization of the scaffold was accomplished by gel kinetics and compression measurements and demonstrated that alginate-chitlac mixture (AC-mixture) hydrogels exhibit better mechanical properties when compared with sole alginate hydrogels. Furthermore, biochemical and biological studies showed that these 3D scaffolds are able to maintain chondrocyte phenotype and particularly to significantly stimulate and promote chondrocyte growth and proliferation. In conclusion, the present study can be considered as a first step towards an engineered, biologically active scaffold for chondrocyte in vitro cultivation, expansion, and cell delivery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Macromolecular Chemistry, University of Trieste, Via Licio Giorgieri 1, I-34127 Trieste, Italy. emarsich@units.it
authors.forename: Eleonora
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Marsich
authors.forename: Massimiliano
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Borgogna
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Donati
authors.forename: Pamela
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mozetic
authors.forename: Berit L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Strand
authors.forename: Santiago Gomez
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Salvador
authors.forename: Franco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Vittur
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Paoletti
mesh_terms: D000464:Alginates / Q000737:chemistry*; D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000737:chemistry*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D002118:Calcium / Q000737:chemistry; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000166:cytology; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D048271:Chitosan / Q000737:chemistry*; D019902:Chondrocytes / Q000187:drug effects*; D003094:Collagen / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D006025:Glycosaminoglycans / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D020100:Hydrogels / Q000737:chemistry*; D007700:Kinetics; D007785:Lactose / Q000737:chemistry*; D007795:Laminaria / Q000737:chemistry; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D012313:RNA / Q000096:biosynthesis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012212:Rheology; D013552:Swine
chemical_list: D000464:Alginates; D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D015415:Biomarkers; D006025:Glycosaminoglycans; D020100:Hydrogels; D012313:RNA; D003094:Collagen; D048271:Chitosan; D007785:Lactose; D002118:Calcium