Biocompatibility of Human Auricular Chondrocytes Cultured onto a Chitosan/Polyvynil Alcohol/Epichlorohydrin-Based Hydrogel for Tissue Engineering Application

Abstract

SUMMARY:Tissue engineering (TE) has become an alternative for auricular reconstruction based on the combination of cells, molecular signals and biomaterials. Scaffolds are biomaterials that provide structural support for cell attachment and subsequent tissue development. Ideally, a scaffold should have characteristics such as biocompatibility and bioactivity to adequate support cell functions. Our purpose was to evaluate biocompatibility of microtic auricular chondrocytes seeded onto a chitosan-polyvinyl alcohol-epichlorohydrin (CS-PVA-ECH) hydrogel to propose this material as a scaffold for tissue engineering application. After being cultured onto CS-PVA-ECH hydrogels, auricular chondrocytes viability was up to 81%. SEM analysis showed cell attachment and extracellular matrix formation that was confirmed by IF detection of type II collagen and elastin, the main constituents of elastic cartilage. Expression of elastic cartilage molecular markers during in vitro expansion and during culture onto hydrogels allowed confirming auricular chondrocyte phenotype. In vivo assay of tissue formation revealed generation of neotissues with similar physical characteristics and protein composition to those found in elastic cartilage. According to our results, biocompatibility of the CS-PVA-ECH hydrogel makes it a suitable scaffold for tissue engineering application aimed to elastic cartilage regeneration.

PVA-based hydrogels for tissue engineering: A review

“…followed by processing methods (solution casting/drying [87,96,97], theta gelation [98], freezing or freezing/pressurizing [48,84,99], freeze drying [28,48], emulsion freeze drying [63], solution blowing [100], electrospinning [88,95], coagulation treatment [49], CO 2 -in-water (C/W) emulsion [101], sol-gel method/thermal annealing [102], CO 2 bubbles template freeze drying [89], high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) method [103], supercritical gel-drying [104], rapid prototyping [105], 3D printing, etc. [106].…”

Hydrogel Based on Chitosan/Gelatin/Poly(Vinyl Alcohol) for In Vitro Human Auricular Chondrocyte Culture

“…Sánchez-Cardona et al ( 2021) prepared a hydrogel similar to our research, in terms of their polymer blend proportions of CS/Gel/PVA (1:1:1 w/w) and polymer concentrations This manufacturing process is feasible, robust, and easily reproducible, providing a reliable method to produce hydrogels with customized shapes and maintaining a pattern in the pore formation [21,46], which is particularly important for cell seeding [47]. The shape of hydrogels for auricular cartilage repair should have sufficient elasticity, flexibility, mechanical strength, and physical stability to support auricular chondrocyte growth [27,48,49].…”

“…Advances in material sciences have the potential to benefit tissue engineering techniques aimed at the treatment of congenital deformities within the field of plastic and reconstructive surgery [ 24 , 25 , 26 ]. Three-dimensional hydrogels are used to support the growth of chondrocytes, the cartilage cells, offering an optimal microenvironment similar to native elastic cartilage [ 25 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 ]. They can positively affect cell morphology, proliferation and differentiation of auricular chondrocytes [ 32 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 ].…”

Chitosan-Based Scaffolds for the Treatment of Myocardial Infarction: A Systematic Review

“… ( A ) Chemical structure of chitosan. ( B ) Synthetic methods commonly used for functionalizing chitosan in tissue engineering: alkylation [ 121 ], O-alkylation [ 115 ], N-acetylation [ 115 ], phosphorylation [ 122 ] and crosslinking [ 123 ]. Reactive functional groups of chitosan: Magenta box, hydroxyl at C-6.…”