In vitro degradation of a chitosan-based osteochondral construct points to a transient effect on cellular viability

Katherine Pitrolino, Reda Felfel, George Roberts, Colin Scotchford, David Grant*, Virginie Sottile*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

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Abstract

Bioresorbable chitosan scaffolds have shown potential for osteochondral repair applications. The in vivo degradation of chitosan, mediated by lysozyme and releasing glucosamine, enables progressive replacement by ingrowing tissue. Here the degradation process of a chitosan-nHA based bioresorbable scaffold was investigated for mass loss, mechanical properties and degradation products released from the scaffold when subjected to clinically relevant enzyme concentrations. The scaffold showed accelerated mass loss during the early stages of degradation but without substantial reduction in mechanical strength or structure deterioration. Although not cytotoxic, the medium in which the scaffold was degraded for over 2 weeks showed a transient decrease in mesenchymal stem cell viability, and the main degradation product (glucosamine) demonstrated a possible adverse effect on viability when added at its peak concentration. This study has implications for the design and biomedical application of chitosan scaffolds, underlining the importance of modelling degradation products to determine suitability for clinical translation.
Original languageEnglish
Article number055025
JournalBiomedical Materials
Volume19
Issue number5
Early online date6 Aug 2024
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Sept 2024

Keywords

  • degradation
  • scaffold
  • chitosan
  • glucosamine
  • osteochondral repair

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