title: Design of a Novel Composite H2 S-Releasing Hydrogel for Cardiac Tissue Repair.
abstract: The design of 3D scaffolds is a crucial step in the field of regenerative medicine. Scaffolds should be degradable and bioresorbable as well as display good porosity, interconnecting pores, and topographic features; these properties favour tissue integration and vascularization. These requirements could be fulfilled by hybrid hydrogels using a combination of natural and synthetic components. Here, the mechanical and biological properties of a polyethylene glycol-fibrinogen hydrogel (PFHy) are improved in order to favour the proliferation and differentiation of human Sca-1(pos) cardiac progenitor cells (hCPCs). PFHys are modified by embedding air- or perfluorohexane-filled bovine serum albumin microbubbles (MBs) and characterized. Changes in cell morphology are observed in MBs-PFHys, suggesting that MBs could enhance the formation of bundles of cells and influence the direction of the spindle growth. The properties of MBs as carriers of active macromolecules are also exploited. For the first time, enzyme-coated MBs have been used as systems for the production of hydrogen sulfide (H2 S)-releasing scaffolds. Novel H2 S-releasing PFHys are produced, which are able to improve the growth of hCPCs. This novel 3D cell-scaffold system will allow the assessment of the effects of H2 S on the cardiac muscle regeneration with its potential applications in tissue repair.
authors: Department of Sciences and Chemical Technologies, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via della Ricerca Scientifica, 00133, Rome, Italy.
authors: Arianna
authors: A
authors: Mauretti
authors: Department of Sciences and Chemical Technologies, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via della Ricerca Scientifica, 00133, Rome, Italy.
authors: Annalisa
authors: A
authors: Neri
authors: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 32000, Israel.
authors: Olga
authors: O
authors: Kossover
authors: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 32000, Israel.
authors: Dror
authors: D
authors: Seliktar
authors: Department of Clinical Sciences and Translational Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via Montpellier 1, 00133, Rome, Italy.
authors: Paolo Di
authors: PD
authors: Nardo
authors: Department of Sciences and Chemical Technologies, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via della Ricerca Scientifica, 00133, Rome, Italy.
authors: Sonia
authors: S
authors: Melino
mesh_terms: D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D005340:Fibrinogen / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006321:Heart / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development*; D006801:Humans; D020136:Hydrogel, Polyethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016062:Porosity; D044968:Regenerative Medicine; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000187:drug effects; D023822:Tissue Engineering; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D020136:Hydrogel, Polyethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D005340:Fibrinogen
keywords: cardiac progenitor stem cells; hydrogel; hydrogen sulfide; microbubbles; sulfurtransferase