Development of a biphasic scaffold for osteochondral repair based on a collagen hydrogel and bioceramic platform approach

Author

Gubert Cellalbo, Sara

Abstract

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a disease of the entire joint unit characterized by degradation and loss of the extracellular matrix (ECM) of the articular cartilage, thickening of the subchondral bone (SC), formation of osteophytes, and varying degrees of inflammation of the synovium. Adult articular cartilage has a limited capacity for growth and self-repair due to its avascular nature and the limited number of cells. Current treatments to restore tissue function have numerous limitations in terms of mechanical properties, composition, zonal organization, interface between hyaline cartilage and subchondral bone, and capacity for chondrogenesis. Therefore, there is great interest in developing new therapeutic strategies based on tissue engineering for the treatment of OA. The present work aims to design a biomimetic osteochondral catafalque with autologous mesenchymal stem cells (MSC), which reproduces the complex physical-chemical and mechanical properties found in vivo. The catafalque consists of a type I collagen hydrogel, hyaluronic acid and chondroitin sulfate for the cartilage-like layer and a bioceramic platform for the subchondral bone layer joined together by a monolayer of pentafluorophenyl methacrylate (PFM) deposited on a bioceramic platform by Plasma Chemical Vapor Deposition (PCVD). This PFM monolayer provides a bond for the collagen fibers that are the nucleation sites for the entire hydrogel.
Various bioceramic platforms, such as hydroxyapatite (HA) and a commercial bioceramic (Cerasorb®), and natural biomaterials that are natural human bone powder have been evaluated, showing promising results for natural biomaterials. Furthermore, different formulations of hydrogels with a higher content of collagen and glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) have shown satisfactory cell viability, an increase in mechanical performance in addition to the chondrogenesis potential of adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (AMSC). In general, we have obtained an articular cartilage-like tissue from AMSCs with great potential to be used in osteochondral repair strategies in OA. These findings provide evidence that the proposed biphasic scaffold can be studied and developed to become a suitable approach for the treatment of OA.

Director

Borrós i Gómez, Salvador
Teixidó Bartés, Robert

Degree

IQS SE - Master’s Degree in Bioengineering

Date

2021-09-29