Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics Research Group

Papers in Scientific Journals

Autonomous osteogenic differentiation of hASCs encapsulated in methacrylated gellan-gum hydrogels

Abstract

Methacrylated gellan-gum (GG-MA) alone and combined with collagen type I (Coll) is suggested here for the first time as a cell-laden injectable biomaterial for bone regeneration. On-chip high-throughput studies allowed rapidly assessing the suitability of 15 biomaterials/media combinations for the osteodifferentiation of human adipose stem cells (hASCs). Hydrogels composed solely of GG-MA (GG100:0Coll) led hASCs from three different donors into the osteogenic lineage after 21 days of cell culture, in the absence of any osteogenic or osteoconductive factors. Hydrogels containing more than 30% of Coll promoted increased cellular proliferation and led hASCs into osteogenic differentiation under basal conditions. Studies using isolated individual hydrogels – excluding eventual on-chip crosstalk – and standard biochemical assays corroborated such findings. The formation of focal adhesions of hASCs on GG100:0Coll hydrogels was verified. We hypothesize that the hydrogels osteogenic effect could be guided by mechanotransduction phenomena. Indeed, the hydrogels showed elastic modulus in ranges previously reported as osteoinductive and the inhibition of the actin-myosin contractility pathway impaired hASCs’ osteodifferentiation. GG-MA hydrogels also did not promote hASCs’ adipogenesis while used in basal conditions. Overall, GG-MA showed promising properties as an innovative and off-the shelf self-inducing osteogenic injectable biomaterial.

Journal
Acta Biomaterialia
Volume
41
Pagination
119-132
Publisher
Elsevier
ISSN
1742-7061
URL
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1742706116302513
Keywords
encapsulation, Gellan Gum, hydrogel
Rights
Restricted Access
Peer Reviewed
Yes
Status
published
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