Collagen matrices from sponge to nano: new perspectives for tissue engineering of skeletal muscle.
BACKGROUND
Tissue engineering of vascularised skeletal muscle is a promising method for the treatment of soft tissue defects in reconstructive surgery. In this study we explored the characteristics of novel collagen and fibrin matrices for skeletal muscle tissue engineering. We analyzed the characteristics of newly developed hybrid collagen-I-fibrin-gels and collagen nanofibers as well as collagen sponges and OPLA-scaffolds. Collagen-fibrin gels were also tested with genipin as stabilizing substitute for aprotinin.


RESULTS
Whereas rapid lysis and contraction of pure collagen I- or fibrin-matrices have been great problems in the past, the latter could be overcome by combining both materials. Significant proliferation of cultivated myoblasts was detected in collagen-I-fibrin matrices and collagen nanofibers. Seeding cells on parallel orientated nanofibers resulted in strongly aligned myoblasts. In contrast, common collagen sponges and OPLA-scaffolds showed less cell proliferation and in collagen sponges an increased apoptosis rate was evident. The application of genipin caused deleterious effects on primary myoblasts.


CONCLUSIONS
Collagen I-fibrin mixtures as well as collagen nanofibers yield good proliferation rates and myogenic differentiation of primary rat myoblasts in vitro In addition, parallel orientated nanofibers enable the generation of aligned cell layers and therefore represent the most promising step towards successful engineering of skeletal muscle tissue.
Department of Plastic and Hand Surgery, University Hospital of Erlangen, 91054 Erlangen, Germany. Justus.beier@uk-erlangen.de
Justus P
JP
Beier
Dorothee
D
Klumpp
Markus
M
Rudisile
Roland
R
Dersch
Joachim H
JH
Wendorff
Oliver
O
Bleiziffer
Andreas
A
Arkudas
Elias
E
Polykandriotis
Raymund E
RE
Horch
Ulrich
U
Kneser
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002470:Cell Survival; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D024042:Collagen Type I / Q000737:chemistry*; D005337:Fibrin / Q000737:chemistry; D005782:Gels / Q000737:chemistry; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D008858:Microscopy, Phase-Contrast; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology*; D032446:Myoblasts / Q000166:cytology; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry*; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods*; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds
D024042:Collagen Type I; D005782:Gels; D005337:Fibrin