Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy (Aug 2024)

Design and evaluation of a bilayered dermal/hypodermal 3D model using a biomimetic hydrogel formulation

  • Carlos Chocarro-Wrona,
  • Julia López de Andrés,
  • Pablo Rioboó-Legaspi,
  • Paula Pleguezuelos-Beltrán,
  • Cristina Antich,
  • Juan De Vicente,
  • Patricia Gálvez-Martín,
  • Elena López-Ruiz,
  • Juan Antonio Marchal

Journal volume & issue
Vol. 177
p. 117051

Abstract

Read online

Due to the limitations of the current skin wound treatments, it is highly valuable to have a wound healing formulation that mimics the extracellular matrix (ECM) and mechanical properties of natural skin tissue. Here, a novel biomimetic hydrogel formulation has been developed based on a mixture of Agarose-Collagen Type I (AC) combined with skin ECM-related components: Dermatan sulfate (DS), Hyaluronic acid (HA), and Elastin (EL) for its application in skin tissue engineering (TE). Different formulations were designed by combining AC hydrogels with DS, HA, and EL. Cell viability, hemocompatibility, physicochemical, mechanical, and wound healing properties were investigated. Finally, a bilayered hydrogel loaded with fibroblasts and mesenchymal stromal cells was developed using the Ag-Col I-DS-HA-EL (ACDHE) formulation. The ACDHE hydrogel displayed the best in vitro results and acceptable physicochemical properties. Also, it behaved mechanically close to human native skin and exhibited good cytocompatibility. Environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM) analysis revealed a porous microstructure that allows the maintenance of cell growth and ECM-like structure production. These findings demonstrate the potential of the ACDHE hydrogel formulation for applications such as an injectable hydrogel or a bioink to create cell-laden structures for skin TE.

Keywords