The influence of cyclic tensile strain on multi-compartment collagen-GAG scaffolds for tendon-bone junction repair.

Orthopedic injuries often occur at the interface between soft tissues and bone. The tendon-bone junction (TBJ) is a classic example of such an interface. Current clinical strategies for TBJ injuries prioritize mechanical reattachment over regeneration of the native interface, resulting in poor outcomes.

Incorporating β-cyclodextrin into collagen scaffolds to sequester growth factors and modulate mesenchymal stem cell activity.

Unlabelled: The development of biomaterials for a range of tissue engineering applications increasingly requires control over the bioavailability of biomolecular cues such as growth factors in order to promote desired cell responses. While efforts have predominantly concentrated on covalently-bound or freely-diffusible incorporation of biomolecules in porous, three-dimensional biomaterials, opportunities exist to exploit transient interactions to concentrate growth factor activity over desired time frames. Here, we report the incorporation of β-cyclodextrin into a model collagen-GAG scaffold as a means to exploit the passive sequestration and release of growth factors via guest-host interactions to control mesenchymal stem cell differentiation.

The influence of pore size and stiffness on tenocyte bioactivity and transcriptomic stability in collagen-GAG scaffolds.

Orthopedic injuries, particularly those involving tendons and ligaments, are some of the most commonly treated musculoskeletal ailments, but are associated with high costs and poor outcomes. A significant barrier in the design of biomaterials for tendon tissue engineering is the rapid de-differentiation observed for primary tenocytes once removed from the tendon body. Herein, we evaluate the use of an anisotropic collagen-glycosaminoglycan (CG) scaffold as a tendon regeneration platform.

Collagen Scaffolds Incorporating Coincident Gradations of Instructive Structural and Biochemical Cues for Osteotendinous Junction Engineering.

A fully 3D biomaterial containing overlapping gradations of structural, compositional, and biomolecular cues as seen in native orthopedic interfaces is described for the first time. A multi-compartment collagen scaffold is created for engineering tendon-bone junctions connected by a continuous interface that can induce spatially specific MSC differentiation down tenogenic and osteogenic lineages without the use of differentiation media.

Collagen scaffold arrays for combinatorial screening of biophysical and biochemical regulators of cell behavior.

Arrays of 3D macroporous collagen scaffolds with orthogonal gradations of structural and biomolecular cues are described. Gradient maker technology is applied to create linear biomolecular gradients within microstructurally distinct sections of a single CG scaffold array. The array set up is used to explore cell behaviors including proliferation and regulation of stem cell fate.