Pharmaceuticals (Feb 2023)

Novel Scaffold Based on Chitosan Hydrogels/Phthalated Cashew Gum for Supporting Human Dental Pulp Stem Cells

  • Yulla Klinger de Carvalho Leite,
  • Antônia Carla de Jesus Oliveira,
  • Patrick Veras Quelemes,
  • Napoleão Martins Argolo Neto,
  • Camila Ernanda Sousa de Carvalho,
  • Huanna Waleska Soares Rodrigues,
  • Michel Muálem de Moraes Alves,
  • Fernando Aécio de Amorim Carvalho,
  • Daniel Dias Rufino Arcanjo,
  • Edson Cavalcanti da Silva-Filho,
  • Alessandra Durazzo,
  • Massimo Lucarini,
  • Maria Acelina Martins de Carvalho,
  • Durcilene Alves da Silva,
  • José Roberto de Souza de Almeida Leite

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/ph16020266
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 16, no. 2
p. 266

Abstract

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Hydrogels are structures that have value for application in the area of tissue engineering because they mimic the extracellular matrix. Naturally obtained polysaccharides, such as chitosan (CH) and cashew gum, are materials with the ability to form polymeric networks due to their physicochemical properties. This research aimed to develop a scaffold based on chitosan and phthalated cashew tree gum and test it as a support for the growth of human mesenchymal stem cells. In this study, phthalation in cashew gum (PCG) was performed by using a solvent-free route. PCG-CH scaffold was developed by polyelectrolyte complexation, and its ability to support adherent stem cell growth was evaluated. The scaffold showed a high swelling rate. The pore sizes of the scaffold were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy. Human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs) were isolated, expanded, and characterized for their potential to differentiate into mesenchymal lineages and for their immunophenotypic profile. Isolated mesenchymal stem cells presented fibroblastoid morphology, plastic adhesion capacity, and differentiation in osteogenic, adipogenic, and chondrogenic lineages. Mesenchymal stem cells were cultured in scaffolds to assess cell adhesion and growth. The cells seeded on the scaffold showed typical morphology, attachment, and adequate distribution inside the matrix pores. Thus, cells seeded in the scaffold may improve the osteoinductive and osteoconductive properties of these biomaterials.

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