Abstract
Collagen-based constructs have emerged in recent years as ideal candidates for tissue engineering implants. For many biomedical applications, collagen is crosslinked in order to improve the strength, stiffness and stability of the construct. However, the crosslinking process may also result in unintended changes to cell viability, adhesion or proliferation on the treated structures. This review provides a brief overview of some of both the most commonly used and novel crosslinkers used with collagen, and suggests a framework by which crosslinking methods can be compared and selected for a given tissue engineering application.
Highlights
In recent years, there has been considerable interest in the use of collagen as a base biomaterial for tissue engineering applications
The natural stratification and localisation of cells achieved within the body is guided by biochemical and biomechanical cues presented by the extracellular matrix and the physiological conditions at the site of the tissue
We present an overview of the collagen crosslinking process, with the view to explore the influence of current methods and reagents on both the mechanical and biological properties of the resulting crosslinked constructs
Summary
There has been considerable interest in the use of collagen as a base biomaterial for tissue engineering applications. The natural stratification and localisation of cells achieved within the body is guided by biochemical and biomechanical cues presented by the extracellular matrix and the physiological conditions at the site of the tissue. While several of these cues can be tailored through additive manufacturing in a scaffold, some alterations can arise naturally from the choices made during the core synthesis of a scaffold. We present an overview of the collagen crosslinking process, with the view to explore the influence of current methods and reagents on both the mechanical and biological properties of the resulting crosslinked constructs
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