Alginate Conjugation Increases Toughness in Auricular Chondrocyte Seeded Collagen Hydrogels.

ABSTRACT: Current auricular cartilage replacements for pediatric microtia fail to address the need for long-term integration and neocartilage formation. While collagen hydrogels have been successful in fostering neocartilage formation, the toughness and extensibility of these materials do not match that of native tissue. This study used the N-terminal functionalization of collagen with alginate oligomers to improve toughness and extensibility through metal-ion complexation. Alginate conjugation was confirmed via FTIR spectroscopy. The retention of native collagen fibrillar structure, thermal gelation, and helical conformation in functionalized gels was confirmed via scanning electron microscopy, oscillatory shear rheology, and circular dichroism spectroscopy, respectively. Alginate-calcium complexat

SUBMITTER: Slyker L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10526064 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature