title: Novel biomimetic thermosensitive β-tricalcium phosphate/chitosan-based hydrogels for bone tissue engineering.
abstract: Among the less invasive surgical procedures for tissue engineering application, injectable in situ gelling systems have gained great attention. In this contest, this article is aimed to realize thermosensitive chitosan-based hydrogels, crosslinked with β-glycerophosphate and reinforced via physical interactions with β-tricalcium phosphate. The kinetics of sol-gel transition and the composite hydrogel properties were investigated by rheological analysis. The hydrogels were also characterized by Fourier transform infrared study, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy analysis, and thermal and biological studies. The hydrogels exhibit a gel-phase transition at body temperature, and a three-dimensional network with typical rheological properties of a strong gel. The presence of the inorganic phase, made up of nanocrystals, provides a structure with chemico-physical composition that mimics natural bone tissue, favoring cellular activity. These findings suggest the potential of the materials as promising candidates for hard tissue regeneration.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Composite and Biomedical Material, National research Council of Italy, Naples, 80125, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dessì
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Borzacchiello
authors.forename: Tawheed H A
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Mohamed
authors.forename: Wafa I
authors.initials: WI
authors.lastname: Abdel-Fattah
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ambrosio
mesh_terms: D040761:Biomimetic Materials / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D002130:Calcium Phosphates / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002460:Cell Line; D048271:Chitosan / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006037:Glyoxal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D020100:Hydrogels / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008422:Materials Testing; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D012212:Rheology / Q000187:drug effects; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; D013057:Spectrum Analysis; D013696:Temperature; D013818:Thermogravimetry; D013997:Time Factors; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods*; D014961:X-Ray Diffraction
chemical_list: D002130:Calcium Phosphates; D020100:Hydrogels; C485817:beta-tricalcium phosphate; D006037:Glyoxal; D048271:Chitosan
keywords: bone tissue engineering; crosslinked chitosan; thermosensitive hydrogels; β-TCP nanopowders