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

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

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.

Citation

Pitrolino, K., Felfel, R., Roberts, G., Scotchford, C., Grant, D., & Sottile, V. (2024). In vitro degradation of a chitosan-based osteochondral construct points to a transient effect on cellular viability. Biomedical Materials, 19(5), Article 055025. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-605x/ad6547

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jul 18, 2024
• Online Publication Date: Aug 6, 2024
• Publication Date: 2024-09
• Deposit Date: Jan 16, 2025
• Publicly Available Date: Jan 16, 2025
• Journal: Biomedical Materials
• Print ISSN: 1748-6041
• Electronic ISSN: 1748-605X
• Publisher: IOP Publishing
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 19
• Issue: 5
• Article Number: 055025
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-605x/ad6547
• Keywords: chitosan, scaffold, degradation, glucosamine, osteochondral repair
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/38118216
• Publisher URL: https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-605X/ad6547
• Additional Information: Article Title: In vitro degradation of a chitosan-based osteochondral construct points to a transient effect on cellular viability; Journal Title: Biomedical Materials; Article Type: paper; Copyright Information: © 2024 The Author(s). Published by IOP Publishing Ltd; Date Received: 2024-02-21; Date Accepted: 2024-07-18; Online publication date: 2024-08-06