Gold nanoparticle-filled biodegradable photopolymer scaffolds induced muscle remodeling: in vitro and in vivo findings

A. Zsedenyi, B. Farkas, G. N. Abdelrasoul, I. Romano, E. Gyukity-Sebestyen, K. Nagy, M. Harmati, G. Dobra, S. Kormondi, G. Decsi, I. B. Nemeth, A. Diaspro, F. Brandi, S. Beke, K. Buzas

Materials Science and Engineering C 72 (2017) 625–630

Abstract

Therapeutic stem cell transplantation bears the promise of new directions in organ and tissue replacement, but a number of its difficulties and perils are also well known. Our goal was to develop a method of transplantation by which the transplanted cells remain confined to the transplantation site and induce favorable processes. With the help of mask-projection excimer laser stereolithography, 3D hybrid nanoscaffolds were fabricated from biodegradable, photocurable PPF:DEF resin with incorporated gold nanoparticles (Au NPs). The scaffolds were tested in vitro and in vivo in order to find out about their biocompatibility and fitness for our purposes.

In vitro, macrophages and mouse autologous adipose stem cells (ASCs) were seeded over the hybrid scaffolds and non-hybrid (with Au NPs) scaffolds for 4 days. The hybrid nanocomposite greater stem cell dispension and stem cell adhesion than PPF scaffolds without Au NPs, but such a difference was not seen in the case of macrophages.

In vivo, stem cells, scaffoldings and scaffoldings covered in stem cells were transplanted under the back skin of mice. After 14 days, blood samples were taken and the affected skin area was excised. Cytokine and chemokine profiling did not indicate elevated immunomediators in the sera of experimental animals. Interestingly, the autologous-stem-cell-seeded hybrid nanocomposite scaffold induced muscle tissue regeneration after experimental wound generation in vivo. We could not observe such stem cell-induced tissue regeneration when no scaffolding was used.

We conclude that PPF:DEF resin nanoscaffolds with incorporated gold nanoparticles offer a safe and efficient alternative for the enhancement of local tissue remodeling. The results also support the idea that adipose derived stem cells are an optimal cell type for the purposes of regenerative musculoskeletal tissue engineering.