title: Gelatin-poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) scaffolds with oriented pore channel architecture - From in vitro to in vivo testing.
abstract: A gelatin-poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid), PLGA, composite scaffold, featuring a highly oriented pore channel structure, was developed as a template for articular cartilage regeneration. As a design principle the composite scaffold was optimized to contain only medical grade educts and accordingly no chemical cross linking agents or other toxicological relevant substances or methods were used. Scaffolds were synthesized using a freeze structuring method combined with an electrochemical process followed by freeze-drying. Finally, cross linking was performed using dehydrothermal treatment, which was simultaneously used for sterilization purposes. These composite scaffolds were analyzed in regard to structural and biomechanical properties, and to their degradation behavior. Furthermore, cell culture performance was tested using chondrocytes originated from joint articular cartilage tissue from 6 to 10 months old domestic pigs. Finally, the scaffolds were tested for tissue biocompatibility and their ability for tissue integration in a rat model. The scaffolds showed both excellent functional performance and high biocompatibility in vitro and in vivo. We expect that these gelatin-PLGA scaffolds can effectively support chondrogenesis in vivo demonstrating great potential for the use in cartilage defect treatment.
authors.affiliation: BLS Laboratories GmbH, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Thiem
authors.affiliation: BLS Laboratories GmbH, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bagheri
authors.affiliation: BLS Laboratories GmbH, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Große-Siestrup
authors.affiliation: BLS Laboratories GmbH, Berlin, Germany; University of Potsdam, Institute of Physics and Astronomy, Potsdam, Germany. Electronic address: zehbe@bls-germany.com.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zehbe
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000166:cytology / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D019902:Chondrocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000637:transplantation; D024043:Collagen Type II / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D055119:Elastic Modulus; D005260:Female; D005780:Gelatin / Q000737:chemistry*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007592:Joint Diseases / Q000628:therapy; D019344:Lactic Acid / Q000737:chemistry*; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D011100:Polyglycolic Acid / Q000737:chemistry*; D000077182:Polylactic Acid-Polyglycolic Acid Copolymer; D016062:Porosity; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012038:Regeneration; D013552:Swine; D023822:Tissue Engineering; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D024043:Collagen Type II; D000077182:Polylactic Acid-Polyglycolic Acid Copolymer; D011100:Polyglycolic Acid; D019344:Lactic Acid; D005780:Gelatin
keywords: Biomechanics; Cartilage tissue engineering; Dehydrothermal cross linking; Gelatin-PLGA Scaffold; Rat model