A thermo-responsive chitosan-based injectable hydrogel for delivery of curcumin-loaded polycaprolactone microspheres to articular cartilage: in-vitro and in-vivo assessments
Articular cartilage has limited regenerative capacity, posing a significant challenge in healing cartilage-related disorders. While injectable hydrogels have shown potential as a treatment, achieving an optimal balance between bio-compatibility, mechanical properties, and drug delivery remains a cha...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2025-03-01
|
| Series: | Carbohydrate Polymer Technologies and Applications |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666893925000180 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1832573044031225856 |
|---|---|
| author | Farnoosh Kalantarnia Sasan Maleki Amir Shamloo Kazem Akbarnataj Sayed Navid Tavoosi |
| author_facet | Farnoosh Kalantarnia Sasan Maleki Amir Shamloo Kazem Akbarnataj Sayed Navid Tavoosi |
| author_sort | Farnoosh Kalantarnia |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Articular cartilage has limited regenerative capacity, posing a significant challenge in healing cartilage-related disorders. While injectable hydrogels have shown potential as a treatment, achieving an optimal balance between bio-compatibility, mechanical properties, and drug delivery remains a challenge. This study developed a chitosan-based injectable hydrogel reinforced with bacterial cellulose nanofibers to enhance mechanical stability and biological functionality. The hydrogel exhibited great porosity (∼57.96 %) with a mean pore diameter of ∼104.30 µm, and a compressive modulus of ∼4.65 kPa, offering an encouraging micro-environment for cell proliferation and tissue regeneration. The degradation rate of ∼55 % over 30 days was tailored to match the timeline of cartilage repair. Additionally, polycaprolactone microspheres, prepared by solid/oil/water method, were used to enhance the bio-availability of curcumin and its sustained delivery. The hydrogel system containing drug-loaded microspheres showed ∼23.55 % drug released by day 7. Moreover, anti-bacterial assays confirmed the hydrogel's effectiveness against S. aureus and E. coli. Also, bio-compatibility assessments showed high fibroblast viability over 7 days. In-vivo evaluations on rabbit models indicated significant cartilage regeneration, evidenced by improved locomotion behavior and accelerated cartilage formation with minimized defect boundaries. Similarly, histological analysis revealed enhanced chondrocyte density compared to the control group. These findings highlight the synergistic role of scaffold composition, mechanical properties, and controlled drug delivery in promoting cartilage regeneration, underscoring the potential clinical applications of this multifaceted hydrogel for cartilage repair. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e953f227b68b452284c1fde14930a6c1 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2666-8939 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Carbohydrate Polymer Technologies and Applications |
| spelling | doaj-art-e953f227b68b452284c1fde14930a6c12025-02-02T05:29:27ZengElsevierCarbohydrate Polymer Technologies and Applications2666-89392025-03-019100678A thermo-responsive chitosan-based injectable hydrogel for delivery of curcumin-loaded polycaprolactone microspheres to articular cartilage: in-vitro and in-vivo assessmentsFarnoosh Kalantarnia0Sasan Maleki1Amir Shamloo2Kazem Akbarnataj3Sayed Navid Tavoosi4Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, IranDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran; Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Institute, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, IranDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran; Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Institute, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran; Correspondence author at: School of Mechanical Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Azadi Ave., Tehran, Iran.Department of Mechanical Engineering, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan, IranDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran; Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Institute, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, IranArticular cartilage has limited regenerative capacity, posing a significant challenge in healing cartilage-related disorders. While injectable hydrogels have shown potential as a treatment, achieving an optimal balance between bio-compatibility, mechanical properties, and drug delivery remains a challenge. This study developed a chitosan-based injectable hydrogel reinforced with bacterial cellulose nanofibers to enhance mechanical stability and biological functionality. The hydrogel exhibited great porosity (∼57.96 %) with a mean pore diameter of ∼104.30 µm, and a compressive modulus of ∼4.65 kPa, offering an encouraging micro-environment for cell proliferation and tissue regeneration. The degradation rate of ∼55 % over 30 days was tailored to match the timeline of cartilage repair. Additionally, polycaprolactone microspheres, prepared by solid/oil/water method, were used to enhance the bio-availability of curcumin and its sustained delivery. The hydrogel system containing drug-loaded microspheres showed ∼23.55 % drug released by day 7. Moreover, anti-bacterial assays confirmed the hydrogel's effectiveness against S. aureus and E. coli. Also, bio-compatibility assessments showed high fibroblast viability over 7 days. In-vivo evaluations on rabbit models indicated significant cartilage regeneration, evidenced by improved locomotion behavior and accelerated cartilage formation with minimized defect boundaries. Similarly, histological analysis revealed enhanced chondrocyte density compared to the control group. These findings highlight the synergistic role of scaffold composition, mechanical properties, and controlled drug delivery in promoting cartilage regeneration, underscoring the potential clinical applications of this multifaceted hydrogel for cartilage repair.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666893925000180Thermo-responsive hydrogelTissue engineeringCurcuminMicrospheres |
| spellingShingle | Farnoosh Kalantarnia Sasan Maleki Amir Shamloo Kazem Akbarnataj Sayed Navid Tavoosi A thermo-responsive chitosan-based injectable hydrogel for delivery of curcumin-loaded polycaprolactone microspheres to articular cartilage: in-vitro and in-vivo assessments Carbohydrate Polymer Technologies and Applications Thermo-responsive hydrogel Tissue engineering Curcumin Microspheres |
| title | A thermo-responsive chitosan-based injectable hydrogel for delivery of curcumin-loaded polycaprolactone microspheres to articular cartilage: in-vitro and in-vivo assessments |
| title_full | A thermo-responsive chitosan-based injectable hydrogel for delivery of curcumin-loaded polycaprolactone microspheres to articular cartilage: in-vitro and in-vivo assessments |
| title_fullStr | A thermo-responsive chitosan-based injectable hydrogel for delivery of curcumin-loaded polycaprolactone microspheres to articular cartilage: in-vitro and in-vivo assessments |
| title_full_unstemmed | A thermo-responsive chitosan-based injectable hydrogel for delivery of curcumin-loaded polycaprolactone microspheres to articular cartilage: in-vitro and in-vivo assessments |
| title_short | A thermo-responsive chitosan-based injectable hydrogel for delivery of curcumin-loaded polycaprolactone microspheres to articular cartilage: in-vitro and in-vivo assessments |
| title_sort | thermo responsive chitosan based injectable hydrogel for delivery of curcumin loaded polycaprolactone microspheres to articular cartilage in vitro and in vivo assessments |
| topic | Thermo-responsive hydrogel Tissue engineering Curcumin Microspheres |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666893925000180 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT farnooshkalantarnia athermoresponsivechitosanbasedinjectablehydrogelfordeliveryofcurcuminloadedpolycaprolactonemicrospherestoarticularcartilageinvitroandinvivoassessments AT sasanmaleki athermoresponsivechitosanbasedinjectablehydrogelfordeliveryofcurcuminloadedpolycaprolactonemicrospherestoarticularcartilageinvitroandinvivoassessments AT amirshamloo athermoresponsivechitosanbasedinjectablehydrogelfordeliveryofcurcuminloadedpolycaprolactonemicrospherestoarticularcartilageinvitroandinvivoassessments AT kazemakbarnataj athermoresponsivechitosanbasedinjectablehydrogelfordeliveryofcurcuminloadedpolycaprolactonemicrospherestoarticularcartilageinvitroandinvivoassessments AT sayednavidtavoosi athermoresponsivechitosanbasedinjectablehydrogelfordeliveryofcurcuminloadedpolycaprolactonemicrospherestoarticularcartilageinvitroandinvivoassessments AT farnooshkalantarnia thermoresponsivechitosanbasedinjectablehydrogelfordeliveryofcurcuminloadedpolycaprolactonemicrospherestoarticularcartilageinvitroandinvivoassessments AT sasanmaleki thermoresponsivechitosanbasedinjectablehydrogelfordeliveryofcurcuminloadedpolycaprolactonemicrospherestoarticularcartilageinvitroandinvivoassessments AT amirshamloo thermoresponsivechitosanbasedinjectablehydrogelfordeliveryofcurcuminloadedpolycaprolactonemicrospherestoarticularcartilageinvitroandinvivoassessments AT kazemakbarnataj thermoresponsivechitosanbasedinjectablehydrogelfordeliveryofcurcuminloadedpolycaprolactonemicrospherestoarticularcartilageinvitroandinvivoassessments AT sayednavidtavoosi thermoresponsivechitosanbasedinjectablehydrogelfordeliveryofcurcuminloadedpolycaprolactonemicrospherestoarticularcartilageinvitroandinvivoassessments |