title: Characterization of slow-gelling alginate hydrogels for intervertebral disc tissue-engineering applications.
abstract: Reversal of intervertebral disc degeneration can have a potentially monumental effect on spinal health. As such, the goal of this research is to create an injectable, cellularized alginate-based nucleus pulposus that will restore disc function; with the primary goal of creating an alginate gel with tailorable rates of gelation to improve functionality over standard CaCl2 crosslinking techniques. Gelation characteristics of 1% sodium alginate were analyzed over various molar concentrations of a 1:2 ratio of CaCO3:glucono-δ-lactone (GDL), with 10% CaCl2 as the control crosslinker. Alginate construct characterization for all concentrations was performed via ultimate and cyclic compressive testing over a 28day degradation period in PBS. Dehydration, swell testing, and albumin release kinetics were determined, and cytotoxicity and cell homogeneity tests showed promise for cellularization strategies. Overall, the 30 and 60mM GDL alginate concentrations presented the most viable option for use in further studies, with a gelation time between 10 and 30min, low hysteresis over control, low percent change in thickness and weight under both PBS degradation and swelling conditions, and stable mechanical properties over 28days in vitro.
authors.affiliation: Parks College of Engineering, Aviation & Technology, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Saint Louis University, 3507 Lindell Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63103, USA.
authors.forename: Emily A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Growney Kalaf
authors.affiliation: Parks College of Engineering, Aviation & Technology, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Saint Louis University, 3507 Lindell Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63103, USA.
authors.forename: Reynaldo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Flores
authors.affiliation: Parks College of Engineering, Aviation & Technology, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Saint Louis University, 3507 Lindell Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63103, USA.
authors.forename: J Gary
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Bledsoe
authors.affiliation: Parks College of Engineering, Aviation & Technology, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Saint Louis University, 3507 Lindell Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63103, USA. Electronic address: ssell@slu.edu.
authors.forename: Scott A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Sell
mesh_terms: D000464:Alginates / Q000737:chemistry*; D000818:Animals; D002119:Calcium Carbonate / Q000737:chemistry; D002122:Calcium Chloride / Q000737:chemistry; D002417:Cattle; D002460:Cell Line; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D004058:Diffusion; D005942:Gluconates / Q000737:chemistry; D020723:Glucuronic Acid / Q000737:chemistry; D006603:Hexuronic Acids / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D020100:Hydrogels / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000633:toxicity; D055959:Intervertebral Disc Degeneration / Q000473:pathology; D007783:Lactones / Q000737:chemistry; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D016062:Porosity; D012212:Rheology; D012710:Serum Albumin, Bovine / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D023822:Tissue Engineering
chemical_list: D000464:Alginates; D005942:Gluconates; D006603:Hexuronic Acids; D020100:Hydrogels; D007783:Lactones; D012710:Serum Albumin, Bovine; D020723:Glucuronic Acid; D002119:Calcium Carbonate; D002122:Calcium Chloride; C010730:beta-glucono-1,5-lactone
keywords: Alginate; In situ crosslinking; Intervertebral discs; Nucleus pulposus; Rheology