title: Cellular hydrogels based on pH-responsive chitosan-hydroxyapatite system.
abstract: The development of bioactive injectable system as cell carrier with minimal impact on viability of encapsulated cells represents a great challenge. In the present work, we propose a new pH-responsive chitosan-hydroxyapatite-based hydrogel with sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) as the gelling agent. The in situ synthesis of hydroxyapatite phase has resulted in stable composite suspension and final homogeneous hydrogel. The application of sodium bicarbonate has allowed non-cytotoxic fast gelation of chitosan-hydroxyapatite within 4min, and without excess of sodium ions concentration. Rheological properties of crosslinked hydrogel have demonstrated possible behaviour as 'strong physical hydrogel'. The live dead staining has confirmed good viability and dispersion, as well as proliferation of encapsulated cells by the culture time. Presented preliminary results show good potential of chitosan-hydroxyapatite/NaHCO3as a cell carrier, whose impact on the cell differentiation need to be confirmed by encapsulation of other cell phenotypes.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology, University of Zagreb, HR-10001 Zagreb, Marulićev trg 19, p.p.177, Croatia. Electronic address: arogina@fkit.hr.
authors.forename: Anamarija
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rogina
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology, University of Zagreb, HR-10001 Zagreb, Marulićev trg 19, p.p.177, Croatia. Electronic address: aressler@fkit.hr.
authors.forename: Antonia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ressler
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, HR-10001 Zagreb, Horvatovac102a, Croatia. Electronic address: igor.matic@biol.pmf.hr.
authors.forename: Igor
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Matić
authors.affiliation: Centro de Biomateriales e Ingeniería Tisular, Universitat Politècnica de València, Camino de Vera s/n, 46022 Valencia, Spain; Biomedical Research Networking centre in Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), Spain. Electronic address: ggallego@ter.upv.es.
authors.forename: Gloria
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gallego Ferrer
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, HR-10001 Zagreb, Horvatovac102a, Croatia. Electronic address: ingam@biol.pmf.hr.
authors.forename: Inga
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Marijanović
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology, University of Zagreb, HR-10001 Zagreb, Marulićev trg 19, p.p.177, Croatia. Electronic address: mivank@fkit.hr.
authors.forename: Marica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ivanković
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology, University of Zagreb, HR-10001 Zagreb, Marulićev trg 19, p.p.177, Croatia. Electronic address: hivan@fkit.hr.
authors.forename: Hrvoje
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ivanković
keywords: Cell encapsulation; Chitosan; Hydroxyapatite; Rheology; pH-responsive hydrogel