 Hydrogels possess high water content and closely mimic the
microenvironment of extracellular matrix. In this study, we created a
hybrid hydrogel containing type II collagen, hyaluronic acid (HA), and
polyethylene glycol (PEG) and incorporated magnetic nanoparticles into
the hybrid hydrogels of type II collagen-HA-PEG to produce a magnetic
nanocomposite hydrogel (MagGel) for cartilage tissue engineering. The
results showed that both the MagGel and hybrid gel (Gel) were
successfully cross-linked and the MagGel responded to an external magnet
while maintaining structural integrity. That is, the MagGel could
travel to the tissue defect sites in physiological fluids under remote
magnetic guidance. The adhesion density of bone marrow derived
mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) on the MagGel group in vitro was
similar to the control group and greater than the Gel group. The
morphology of BMSCs was normal and consistent in all groups. We also
found that BMSCs engulfed magnetic nanoparticles in culture and the
presence of magnetic nanoparticles did not affect BMSC adhesion and
morphology. We hypothesized that the ingested nanoparticles may be
eventually broken down by lysosome and excreted through exocytosis;
further studies are necessary to confirm this. This study reports a
promising magnetic responsive nanocomposite hydrogel for potential
cartilage tissue engineering applications, which should be further
studied for its effects on cell functions when combined with
electromagnetic stimulation. |
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