A novel, visible light-induced, rapidly cross-linkable gelatin scaffold for osteochondral tissue engineering

Sci Rep. 2014 Mar 25:4:4457. doi: 10.1038/srep04457.

Abstract

Osteochondral injuries remain difficult to repair. We developed a novel photo-cross-linkable furfurylamine-conjugated gelatin (gelatin-FA). Gelatin-FA was rapidly cross-linked by visible light with Rose Bengal, a light sensitizer, and was kept gelled for 3 weeks submerged in saline at 37°C. When bone marrow-derived stromal cells (BMSCs) were suspended in gelatin-FA with 0.05% Rose Bengal, approximately 87% of the cells were viable in the hydrogel at 24 h after photo-cross-linking, and the chondrogenic differentiation of BMSCs was maintained for up to 3 weeks. BMP4 fusion protein with a collagen binding domain (CBD) was retained in the hydrogels at higher levels than unmodified BMP4. Gelatin-FA was subsequently employed as a scaffold for BMSCs and CBD-BMP4 in a rabbit osteochondral defect model. In both cases, the defect was repaired with articular cartilage-like tissue and regenerated subchondral bone. This novel, photo-cross-linkable gelatin appears to be a promising scaffold for the treatment of osteochondral injury.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cartilage, Articular / injuries
  • Cartilage, Articular / pathology
  • Cartilage, Articular / surgery*
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Chondrocytes / metabolism
  • Chondrocytes / pathology
  • Gelatin / chemistry
  • Gelatin / therapeutic use
  • Light
  • Mesenchymal Stem Cells*
  • Rabbits
  • Tissue Engineering*
  • Tissue Scaffolds / chemistry*

Substances

  • Gelatin