Injectable Alginate Hydrogel Cross-Linked by Calcium Gluconate-Loaded Porous Microspheres for Cartilage Tissue Engineering.

ABSTRACT: A great interest has been shown in the injectable scaffolds for cartilage tissue regeneration because it can fill irregularly shaped defects easily through minimally invasive surgical treatments. Herein, we developed a new injectable three-dimensional (3D) alginate hydrogel loaded with biodegradable porous poly(ε-caprolactone)-b-poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(ε-caprolactone) microspheres (MPs/Alg) as the calcium gluconate container to cross-link alginate. Suspensions of chondrocytes/alginate and porous microspheres turned into a gel because of the release of calcium gluconate; thus, the injectable composite hydrogels give a 3D scaffold to fit the defects perfectly and integrate the extracellular-matrix-mimicking architecture to efficiently accommodate cartilage cells in situ. T

SUBMITTER: Liao J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6044773 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature