A major challenge in tissue engineering is to generate a functional microvasculature that ensures proper blood perfusion and connection with surrounding tissues. Strategies such as the incorporation of growth factors have been proposed to induce the growth of new blood vessels into engineered tissue, but limitations remain. Herein a novel chitosan-fibrin (CF)-based self-healing hydrogel with a modulus of similar to 1.2 kPa was developed. The self-healing hydrogel was found to be injectable and to degrade similar to 70% in 2 weeks. Vascular endothelial cells seeded in the CF hydrogel were able to form capillary- like structures. Moreover, the injection of the CF hydrogel alone promoted angiogenesis in the perivitelline space of zebrafish and rescued the blood circulation in ischemic hindlimbs of mice. The excellent self- healing and angiogenic capacities of the hydrogel may be associated with the formation of an interpenetrating polymer network structure between chitosan and fibrin. This unique self-healing hydrogel offers new possibilities for future applications to vascular repair.
Date:
2017-03
Relation:
Npg Asia Materials. 2017 Mar;9:Article number e363.
