Decellularized Wharton's Jelly from human umbilical cord as a novel 3D scaffolding material for tissue engineering applications.

Sushma Jadalannagari,Christopher Mcfall,Jinxi Wang,Antonio Artigues,Richard A Hopkins,Eric Buse,Maria T Villar,Michael Filla,Michael S Detamore,Omar S Aljitawi,Adam J Mellot,Gabriel Converse,Aditya Bhushan Pant

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0172098

Abstract

In tissue engineering, an ideal scaffold attracts and supports cells thus providing them with the necessary mechanical support and architecture as they reconstruct new tissue in vitro and in vivo. This manuscript details a novel matrix derived from decellularized Wharton’s jelly (WJ) obtained from human umbilical cord for use as a scaffold for tissue engineering application. This decellularized Wharton’s jelly matrix (DWJM) contained 0.66 ± 0.12 μg/mg sulfated glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), and was abundant in hyaluronic acid, and completely devoid of cells. Mass spectroscopy revealed the presence of collagen types II, VI and XII, fibronectin-I, and lumican I. When seeded onto DWJM, WJ mesenchymal stem cells (WJMSCs), successfully attached to, and penetrated the porous matrix resulting in a slower rate of cell proliferation. Gene expression analysis of WJ and bone marrow (BM) MSCs cultured on DWJM demonstrated decreased expression of proliferation genes with no clear pattern of differentiation. When this matrix was implanted into a murine calvarial defect model with, green fluorescent protein (GFP) labeled osteocytes, the osteocytes were observed to migrate into the matrix as early as 24 hours. They were also identified in the matrix up to 14 days after transplantation. Together with these findings, we conclude that DWJM can be used as a 3D porous, bioactive and biocompatible scaffold for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine applications.

Highlights

Disease or trauma to the human body leads to damage and degeneration of tissues, thereby requiring their repair, replacement or regeneration
We focused on the Wharton’s jelly (WJ) matrix with total removal of vascular tissues, allantoic duct, and amniotic epithelium, in contrast to other approaches such as that proposed by Chan et al [22]
We have shown that this naturally obtained matrix can be made completely devoid of cells, yet still comprised of glycosaminoglycans especially rich in hyaluronic acid and several other key extracellular matrix proteins

Summary

Introduction

Disease or trauma to the human body leads to damage and degeneration of tissues, thereby requiring their repair, replacement or regeneration. Tissue regeneration requires an optimal combination of cells, scaffolds, appropriate media and growth factors. The properties of an ideal scaffold for tissue regeneration are high porosity, biocompatibility, biodegradability and mechanical properties consistent with and suitable to the location of implant [1]. Current treatment options for tissue regeneration involve the use of autografts or allografts. Several types of scaffolds from natural or synthetic sources (polymers, ceramics, and composites) have been developed for tissue regeneration over the years [1]. Since, such scaffolding is associated with material-specific limitations, there is growing interest in the use of biocompatible, natural bioactives, or synthetic materials as alternatives. Since, such scaffolding is associated with material-specific limitations, there is growing interest in the use of biocompatible, natural bioactives, or synthetic materials as alternatives. [2,3,4,5,6,7,8]

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