Abstract
A novel series of composite hydrogels, built from the three components 1), hyaluronic acid methacryloyl (HAMA); 2), gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA), and 3), extracellular cartilage matrix (ECM), was prepared and studied regarding the possible utility in the surgical repair of damaged (perforated) tympanic membrane (TM). Noteworthy is component 3), which was harvested from the ribs of α-1,3-galactosidyltransferase-knockout (α-1,3 GalT-KO) pigs. The absence of α-1,3-galactosyl glycoprotein is hypothesized to prevent rejection due to foreign-body immunogenicity. The composite hydrogels were characterized by various aspects, using a variety of physicochemical techniques: aqueous swelling, structural degradation, behavior under compression, and morphology, e.g., in vitro biocompatibility was assessed by the CCK-8 and live–dead assays and through cytoskeleton staining/microscopy. Alcian blue staining and real-time PCR (RT-PCR) were performed to examine the chondrogenic induction potential of the hydrogels. Moreover, a rat TM defect model was used to evaluate the in vivo performance of the hydrogels in this particular application. Taken together, the results from this study are surprising and promising. Much further development work will be required to make the material ready for surgical use.
Highlights
The evidence of the role of trauma, otitis media, and iatrogenic injuries in the origin of TM perforation was increasing in recent years
In order to overcome the limitation of tissue transplantation, various artificial materials have been tried in the field of tissue engineering
3.1.2 Degradability The degradability of composite hydrogels will affect the growth of new tissues in vivo
Summary
The evidence of the role of trauma, otitis media, and iatrogenic injuries in the origin of TM perforation was increasing in recent years. The TM perforation therapy can be approximately segmented into two categories: surgery (autografts, allografts, and xenografts) and non-surgery (filling materials such as cotton sheet, silk, gelatin sponge) (Azimi et al, 2021; Immich et al, 2017). Autologous graft is a conventional treatment of perforated TM. The shortage of available tissues and multiple postoperative complications limit the widespread clinical application (Seonwoo et al, 2019). In order to overcome the limitation of tissue transplantation, various artificial materials have been tried in the field of tissue engineering. Calcium alginate, silk fibroin, and chitosan extract
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