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Modelling Polysaccharides-Based Hydrogels: From Preparation to Biomedical Applications

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A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944). This special issue belongs to the section "Biomaterials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 December 2021) | Viewed by 11018

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Prof. Dr. Domenico Russo

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Unit of Blood Diseases and Bone Marrow Transplantation, DPT of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Viale Europa 11, 25121 Brescia, Italy
Interests: prognosis and therapy of chronic myeloid leukemia; biology and therapy of acute leukemias; stem cell transplantation; CAR-T therapy; stem cell biology; regenerative medicine
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Prof. Dr. Luciana Sartore

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Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Brescia, Via Branze 38, 25123 Brescia, Italy
Interests: Polymer science; Materials science and technology; Biomaterials; Hydrogels; Tissue engineering
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Dr. Gina Lisignoli

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IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, Laboratorio di Immunoreumatologia e Rigenerazione Tissutale, Bologna, Italy
Interests: osteoarthritis; mesenchymal stromal cells; immunorheumatology; tissue regeneration

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Hydrogels, thanks to their natural-tissue-like soft consistency and cell-loving attributes, have emerged as the most potential scaffolding substrate for three-dimensional cell culture in tissue engineering. The nature and structure of the material are essential to determine the efficiency of the scaffolds for cell spreading, proliferation, and differentiation in vivo. Among the specific scaffold requirements, interconnected open porosity is a necessary property to allow cell ingrowth and adequate vascularization, and it is also preferable that the scaffold biodegrade at a controllable rate that approximates the rate of tissue regeneration eventually creating space for new tissue growth.

This Special Issue is dedicated to the design and development of advanced customized hydrogel-based scaffolds and their applications for osteogenic/chondrogenic differentiation in vitro and in vivo.

Contributions regarding innovative materials for tissue regeneration and various aspects of their interactions with different cell types and tissues are welcome.

Prof. Domenico Russo
Prof. Luciana Sartore
Dr. Gina Lisignoli
Guest Editors

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Keywords

Hydrogel-based scaffold
Micro–macro porous resorbable scaffold
Bone regeneration
Cartilage regeneration
Tissue regeneration
Mesenchymal stromal stem cells
Bioengineered models

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

23 pages, 7925 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Mineralization of 3D Osteogenic Model Based on Gelatin-Dextran Hybrid Hydrogel Scaffold Bioengineered with Mesenchymal Stromal Cells: A Multiparametric Evaluation

by Federica Re, Luciana Sartore, Elisa Borsani, Matteo Ferroni, Camilla Baratto, Allia Mahajneh, Andrew Smith, Kamol Dey, Camillo Almici, Pierangelo Guizzi, Simona Bernardi, Guido Faglia, Fulvio Magni and Domenico Russo

Materials 2021, 14(14), 3852; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14143852 - 9 Jul 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2431

Abstract

Gelatin–dextran hydrogel scaffolds (G-PEG-Dx) were evaluated for their ability to activate the bone marrow human mesenchymal stromal cells (BM-hMSCs) towards mineralization. G-PEG-Dx1 and G-PEG-Dx2, with identical composition but different architecture, were seeded with BM-hMSCs in presence of fetal bovine serum or human platelet lysate (hPL) with or without osteogenic medium. G-PEG-Dx1, characterized by a lower degree of crosslinking and larger pores, was able to induce a better cell colonization than G-PEG-Dx2. At day 28, G-PEG-Dx2, with hPL and osteogenic factors, was more efficient than G-PEG-Dx1 in inducing mineralization. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Raman spectroscopy showed that extracellular matrix produced by BM-hMSCs and calcium-positive mineralization were present along the backbone of the G-PEG-Dx2, even though it was colonized to a lesser degree by hMSCs than G-PEG-Dx1. These findings were confirmed by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry imaging (MALDI-MSI), detecting distinct lipidomic signatures that were associated with the different degree of scaffold mineralization. Our data show that the architecture and morphology of G-PEG-Dx2 is determinant and better than that of G-PEG-Dx1 in promoting a faster mineralization, suggesting a more favorable and active role for improving bone repair. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modelling Polysaccharides-Based Hydrogels: From Preparation to Biomedical Applications)

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15 pages, 4239 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Wear Behavior Characterization of Hydrogels Constructs for Cartilage Tissue Replacement

by Saverio Affatato, Diego Trucco, Paola Taddei, Lorenzo Vannozzi, Leonardo Ricotti, Gilbert Daniel Nessim and Gina Lisignoli

Materials 2021, 14(2), 428; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14020428 - 16 Jan 2021

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 3095

Abstract

This paper aims to characterize the wear behavior of hydrogel constructs designed for human articular cartilage replacement. To this purpose, poly (ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) 10% w/v and gellan gum (GG) 1.5% w/v were used to reproduce the superior (SUP) cartilage layer and PEGDA 15% w/v and GG 1.5% w/v were used to reproduce the deep (DEEP) cartilage layer, with or without graphene oxide (GO). These materials (SUP and DEEP) were analyzed alone and in combination to mimic the zonal architecture of human articular cartilage. The developed constructs were tested using a four-station displacement control knee joint simulator under bovine calf serum. Roughness and micro-computer tomography (µ-CT) measurements evidenced that the hydrogels with 10% w/v of PEGDA showed a worse behavior both in terms of roughness increase and loss of uniformly distributed density than 15% w/v of PEGDA. The simultaneous presence of GO and 15% w/v PEGDA contributed to keeping the hydrogel construct’s characteristics. The Raman spectra of the control samples showed the presence of unreacted C=C bonds in all the hydrogels. The degree of crosslinking increased along the series SUP < DEEP + SUP < DEEP without GO. The Raman spectra of the tested hydrogels showed the loss of diacrylate groups in all the samples, due to the washout of unreacted PEGDA in bovine calf serum aqueous environment. The loss decreased along the series SUP > DEEP + SUP > DEEP, further confirming that the degree of photo-crosslinking of the starting materials plays a key role in determining their wear behavior. μ-CT and Raman spectroscopy proved to be suitable techniques to characterize the structure and composition of hydrogels. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modelling Polysaccharides-Based Hydrogels: From Preparation to Biomedical Applications)

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19 pages, 2846 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Chitosan-Hydrogel Polymeric Scaffold Acts as an Independent Primary Inducer of Osteogenic Differentiation in Human Mesenchymal Stromal Cells

by Simona Bernardi, Federica Re, Katia Bosio, Kamol Dey, Camillo Almici, Michele Malagola, Pierangelo Guizzi, Luciana Sartore and Domenico Russo

Materials 2020, 13(16), 3546; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma13163546 - 11 Aug 2020

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2268

Abstract

Regenerative medicine aims to restore damaged tissues and mainly takes advantage of human mesenchymal stromal cells (hMSCs), either alone or combined with three-dimensional scaffolds. The scaffold is generally considered a support, and its contribution to hMSC proliferation and differentiation is unknown or poorly investigated. The aim of this study was to evaluate the capability of an innovative three-dimensional gelatin–chitosan hybrid hydrogel scaffold (HC) to activate the osteogenic differentiation process in hMSCs. We seeded hMSCs from adipose tissue (AT-hMSCs) and bone marrow (BM-hMSCs) in highly performing HC of varying chitosan content in the presence of growing medium (GM) or osteogenic medium (OM) combined with Fetal Bovine Serum (FBS) or human platelet lysate (hPL). We primarily evaluated the viability and the proliferation of AT-hMSCs and BM-hMSCs under different conditions. Then, in order to analyse the activation of osteogenic differentiation, the osteopontin (OPN) transcript was absolutely quantified at day 21 by digital PCR. OPN was expressed under all conditions, in both BM-hMSCs and AT-hMSCs. Cells seeded in HC cultured with OM+hPL presented the highest OPN transcript levels, as expected. Interestingly, both BM-hMSCs and AT-hMSCs cultured with GM+FBS expressed OPN. In particular, BM-hMSCs cultured with GM+FBS expressed more OPN than those cultured with GM+hPL and OM+FBS; AT-hMSCs cultured with GM+FBS presented a lower expression of OPN when compared with those cultured with GM+hPL, but no significant difference was detected when compared with AT-hMSCs cultured with OM+FBS. No OPN expression was detected in negative controls. These results show the capability of HC to primarily and independently activate osteogenic differentiation pathways in hMCSs. Therefore, these scaffolds may be considered no more as a simple support, rather than active players in the differentiative and regenerative process. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modelling Polysaccharides-Based Hydrogels: From Preparation to Biomedical Applications)

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17 pages, 4599 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Impedance-Based Monitoring of Mesenchymal Stromal Cell Three-Dimensional Proliferation Using Aerosol Jet Printed Sensors: A Tissue Engineering Application

by Sarah Tonello, Andrea Bianchetti, Simona Braga, Camillo Almici, Mirella Marini, Giovanna Piovani, Michele Guindani, Kamol Dey, Luciana Sartore, Federica Re, Domenico Russo, Edoardo Cantù, Nicola Francesco Lopomo, Mauro Serpelloni and Emilio Sardini

Materials 2020, 13(10), 2231; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma13102231 - 13 May 2020

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 2536

Abstract

One of the main hurdles to improving scaffolds for regenerative medicine is the development of non-invasive methods to monitor cell proliferation within three-dimensional environments. Recently, an electrical impedance-based approach has been identified as promising for three-dimensional proliferation assays. A low-cost impedance-based solution, easily integrable with multi-well plates, is here presented. Sensors were developed using biocompatible carbon-based ink on foldable polyimide substrates by means of a novel aerosol jet printing technique. The setup was tested to monitor the proliferation of human mesenchymal stromal cells into previously validated gelatin-chitosan hybrid hydrogel scaffolds. Reliability of the methodology was assessed comparing variations of the electrical impedance parameters with the outcomes of enzymatic proliferation assay. Results obtained showed a magnitude increase and a phase angle decrease at 4 kHz (maximum of 2.5 kΩ and −9 degrees) and an exponential increase of the modeled resistance and capacitance components due to the cell proliferation (maximum of 1.5 kΩ and 200 nF). A statistically significant relationship with enzymatic assay outcomes could be detected for both phase angle and electric model parameters. Overall, these findings support the potentiality of this non-invasive approach for continuous monitoring of scaffold-based cultures, being also promising in the perspective of optimizing the scaffold-culture system. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modelling Polysaccharides-Based Hydrogels: From Preparation to Biomedical Applications)

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