Synthetic Poly(Vinylalcohol)-Based Membranes for Cartilage Surgery and Repair.

Cell-based therapies for cartilage repair are continually being developed to treat osteoarthritis. The cells are either introduced directly by intra-articular injection or via a cell-seeded matrix scaffold. Here, poly(vinylalcohol)-based membranes are developed to be used for mesenchymal stem cell implantation in cartilage repair procedures, having controllable physicochemical properties such as porosity, mechanical strength, and permeability, and a unique self-sealing property.

CHITIN--a promising biomaterial for tissue engineering and stem cell technologies.

Chitin, after cellulose, is the second most abundant natural polymer. With a 200-year history of scientific research, chitin is beginning to see fruitful application in the fields of stem cell and tissue engineering. To date, however, research in chitin as a biomaterial appears to lag far behind that of its close relative, chitosan, due to the perceived difficulty in processing chitin.

Modified polyelectrolyte complex fibrous scaffold as a matrix for 3D cell culture.

The paradigm of scaffold tissue engineering relies on the provision of an appropriate environment for cell growth, which includes both structural support and the presentation of cellular signals. In terms of biosignal presentation, fibrous scaffolds by interfacial polyelectrolyte complexation (IPC) offer a clear advantage over other scaffold types as IPC scaffolds are formed using an aqueous-based, room-temperature process compatible with the incorporation of biological molecules. This paper establishes two primary methods for the chemical and biochemical modification of these scaffolds: (i) physical entrapment of the bioactive component, and (ii) covalent binding of the bioactive component.

The use of a polyelectrolyte fibrous scaffold to deliver differentiated hMSCs to the liver.

Liver transplantation as a therapy for liver failure is often hampered by a shortage of donor tissue. The delivery of liver-differentiated human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) is a potential therapy to aid in liver regeneration. In this study, an RGD-modified chitosan-alginate polyelectrolyte complex (PEC) fibrous non-woven scaffold was employed to deliver differentiated hMSCs in vivo.

Polyelectrolyte complex membranes for specific cell adhesion.

The presentation of bioactive ligands on biomaterial surfaces is often confounded by the adsorption of proteins present in the biological milieu, rendering any type of cellular response nonspecific. We have engineered a polyelectrolyte complex membrane that demonstrates specific adhesion of various cell types for both two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) cell culture systems. Specific cell adhesion is achieved by a three-tiered structure: a silica cross-linked polycation as the bottom (first) tier, a nonfouling polyanion-poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) conjugate as the intermediate (second) tier, and the cell-adhesion ligand as the top (third) tier.