title: Physico-chemical and mechanical characterization of in-situ forming xyloglucan gels incorporating a growth factor to promote cartilage reconstruction.
abstract: The development of growth factors is very promising in the field of tissue regeneration but specifically designed formulations have to be developed in order to enable such new biological entities (NBEs). In particular, the range of therapeutic concentrations is usually very low compared to other active proteins and the confinement in the target site can be of crucial importance. In-situ forming scaffolds are very promising solutions for minimally invasive intervention in cartilage reconstruction and targeting of NBEs. In this work injectable, in-situ forming gels of a temperature responsive partially degalactosylated xyloglucan (Deg-XG) incorporating the growth factor FGF-18 are formulated and characterized. In particular, injectability and shear viscosity at room temperature, time-to-gel at body temperature, morphology and mechanical properties of gels are investigated. The highly hydrophobic growth factor is favorably incorporated and retained by the gel. Gels undergo a slow erosion process when immersed in PBS at 37°C that opens up their porous structure. The prolonged hydrothermal treatment leads to structural rearrangements towards tougher networks with increased dynamic shear modulus. Preliminary biological evaluations confirm absence of cytotoxicity and the ability of these scaffolds to host cells and promote their proliferation.
authors: Dipartimento di Ingegneria Chimica, Gestionale, Informatica e Meccanica, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze Edificio 6, 90128 Palermo, Italy.
authors: Clelia
authors: C
authors: Dispenza
authors: Dipartimento di Ingegneria Chimica, Gestionale, Informatica e Meccanica, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze Edificio 6, 90128 Palermo, Italy. Electronic address: simona.todaro14@unipa.it.
authors: Simona
authors: S
authors: Todaro
authors: Biophysics Institute of the National Research Council, Palermo Unit, Via Ugo La Malfa 153, 90146 Palermo, Italy.
authors: Donatella
authors: D
authors: Bulone
authors: Dipartimento di Ingegneria Chimica, Gestionale, Informatica e Meccanica, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze Edificio 6, 90128 Palermo, Italy.
authors: Maria Antonietta
authors: MA
authors: Sabatino
authors: Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche, Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze Edificio 16, 90128 Palermo, Italy.
authors: Giulio
authors: G
authors: Ghersi
authors: Biophysics Institute of the National Research Council, Palermo Unit, Via Ugo La Malfa 153, 90146 Palermo, Italy.
authors: Pier Luigi
authors: PL
authors: San Biagio
authors: NBE Delivery Formulation Department - Biotech Manufacturing and Development, Merck Serono SpA, Via Einaudi 11, 00012, Guidonia Montecelio, Rome, Italy.
authors: Caterina
authors: C
authors: Lo Presti
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002356:Cartilage / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D002417:Cattle; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D055598:Chemical Phenomena; D019902:Chondrocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005782:Gels / Q000737:chemistry*; D005936:Glucans / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry*; D007267:Injections; D055595:Mechanical Phenomena; D008970:Molecular Weight; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds / Q000737:chemistry; D014783:Viscosity; D014990:Xylans / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D005782:Gels; D005936:Glucans; D014990:Xylans; C113569:fibroblast growth factor 18; C029353:xyloglucan; D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors
keywords: Cartilage reconstruction; Growth factor; In-situ forming gels; Injectable scaffolds; Temperature-responsive; Xyloglucan