Abstract
Scaffolds have been used as extracellular matrix analogs to promote cell migration, cell attachment, and cell proliferation. The use of aerogels and carbon-based nanomaterials has recently been proposed for tissue engineering due to their properties. The aim of this study is to develop a highly porous collagen-alginate(-graphene oxide) aerogel-based scaffold. The GO synthesis was performed by Hummers method; a collagen-alginate and collagen-alginate-GO hydrogel were synthetized; then, they were treated by a supercritical drying process. The aerogels obtained were evaluated by SEM and FTIR. Osteoblasts were seeded over the scaffolds and evaluated by SEM. According to the characterization, the aerogels showed a highly porous interconnected network covered by a nonporous external wall. According to the FTIR, the chemical functional groups of collagen and GO were maintained after the supercritical process. The SEM images after cell culture showed that a collagen-alginate scaffold promotes cell attachment and proliferation. The alginate-collagen aerogel-based scaffold could be a platform for tissue engineering since it shows adequate properties. Further studies are needed to determine the cell interactions with GO.
Highlights
The loss and damage of organs and tissues due to injures/diseases has been a concern for clinicians over the years and has motivated the development of regenerative therapy strategies [1]
Even though it has been established that both materials could be employed to improve general properties of biomaterials, results in this study showed that the incorporation of Graphene oxide (GO) could negatively affect cell attachment, proliferation, and response
The synthetized aerogel-based scaffold in this study showed a highly porous network and no collapse of the structure, in which the pores range from 2-10 micrometres; a similar structure is reported by Baldino et al [36], who synthetized an alginate-gelatine aerogel by CO2 supercritical method; they reported a nanofibrous structure, in which the nanofibers have a diameter lower than 100 nm
Summary
The loss and damage of organs and tissues due to injures/diseases has been a concern for clinicians over the years and has motivated the development of regenerative therapy strategies [1]. There are some therapeutic strategies to heal or replace damaged tissues, such as prosthetic implants, mechanical devices, organ transplantations, surgical reconstruction, and autologous transplants [2]; even though these therapeutic options have aided countless patients and influenced towards better life quality, they have disadvantages like rare sources, susceptibility to infection, possibility of immune system rejection, and uncertain longterm dealing with patients [2]. Tissue engineering (TE) using biomaterials/scaffolds could offer a possibility to overcome this situation, being a potential alternative to replace tissues/organs in a safe and noninvasive manner. Biomaterials (natural, synthetic, or hybrid) [2] are used to design scaffolds with particular properties [2, 3]. Different tissues in the body have different mechanical, electrical, or physical characteristics, and a single material might not fully mimic the properties of native tissues; hybrid materials made of multiple components can fulfil different requirements [6]
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