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Collagen-Based Materials for Biomedical Applications
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Collagen-Based Materials for Biomedical Applications

A special issue of Journal of Functional Biomaterials (ISSN 2079-4983). This special issue belongs to the section "Biomaterials for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 March 2024) | Viewed by 11317

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Giorgia Montalbano

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Applied Sciences and Technologies, Politecnico di Torino, Torino, Italy
Interests: biomaterials; biomimetic systems; tissue engineering; additive manufacturing; biofabrication; rheology; bioactive phases
Dr. Priscila Melo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Engineering, Newcastle University, Newcastle, UK
Interests: biomaterials; biofabrication; in vitro modelling; antimicrobial materials; tissue engineering & regenerative medicine
Prof. Dr. Chiara Vitale-Brovarone

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Applied Science and Technology, Politecnico di Torino, 10100 Turin, Italy
Interests: biomaterials; composites; bioactive phases; biofabrication; tissue engineering; bioengineering; material science
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Collagen, the most abundant protein in mammalian tissues, is considered a strategic biomaterial in designing biocompatible constructs and devices for biomedical applications. Thanks to its high biocompatibility and the opportunity to actively support and guide cell activity, it represents a promising candidate for the regeneration of various tissues.

Both the functionality and mechanical stability of collagen-based systems can be modulated and improved through chemical treatments, blending/combination with secondary phases and optimizing the architecture of constructs, according to the final application. Collagen origin and type are key in the development of a collagen-based material as they influence the quality of the protein, which then reflects on its intrinsic physicochemical properties.

Based on the relevant role played by collagen in the biomedical field, this Special Issue aims at highlighting recent developments in this area, by emphasizing innovative strategies in the design of collagen-based constructs as well as advantages and potential limitations in the processing of this biopolymer. Contributions in the form of full research articles, short communications, clinical studies or review articles are welcome, with a special focus on (but not limited to) the additional functionality provided by collagen in the design of 3D scaffolds, in vitro models, bioactive fillers and smart delivery platforms.

Dr. Giorgia Montalbano
Dr. Priscila Melo
Prof. Dr. Chiara Vitale-Brovarone
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Functional Biomaterials is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • collagen
  • biomaterials
  • biomimetic systems
  • tissue engineering
  • advanced and functional materials
  • 3D scaffolds
  • delivery platforms
  • in vitro models
  • biomedical devices

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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21 pages, 4814 KiB  
Article
Bioinspired Collagen/Hyaluronic Acid/Fibrin-Based Hydrogels for Soft Tissue Engineering: Design, Synthesis, and In Vitro Characterization
by Bianca Bindi, Annalisa Perioli, Priscila Melo, Clara Mattu and Ana Marina Ferreira
J. Funct. Biomater. 2023, 14(10), 495; https://doi.org/10.3390/jfb14100495 - 7 Oct 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3250
Abstract
A major challenge for future drug development comprises finding alternative models for drug screening. The use of animal models in research is highly controversial, with an ongoing debate on their ethical acceptability. Also, animal models are often poorly predictive of therapeutic outcomes due [...] Read more.
A major challenge for future drug development comprises finding alternative models for drug screening. The use of animal models in research is highly controversial, with an ongoing debate on their ethical acceptability. Also, animal models are often poorly predictive of therapeutic outcomes due to the differences between animal and human physiological environments. In this study, we aimed to develop a biomimetic hydrogel that replicates the composition of skin for potential use in in vitro modeling within tissue engineering. The hydrogel was fabricated through the crosslinking of collagen type I, hyaluronic acid, four-arm PEG succinimidyl glutarate (4S-StarPEG), and fibrinogen. Various ratios of these components were systematically optimized to achieve a well-interconnected porosity and desirable rheological properties. To evaluate the hydrogel’s cytocompatibility, fibroblasts were embedded within the matrix. The resulting hydrogel exhibited promising properties as a scaffold, also facilitating the growth of and proliferation of the cells. This biomimetic hydrogel holds great potential for tissue engineering applications, particularly in skin regeneration and cancer research. The study used melanoma spheroids fabricated using the 96-round bottom well plate method as a potential application. The results demonstrate that the developed hydrogels allowed the maintenance of spheroid integrity and viability, meaning it has a promising use as a three-dimensional in vitro model of melanoma for both tissue engineering and drug screening applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Collagen-Based Materials for Biomedical Applications)
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15 pages, 9838 KiB  
Article
Collagen and Beyond: A Comprehensive Comparison of Human ECM Properties Derived from Various Tissue Sources for Regenerative Medicine Applications
by Nashaita Y. Patrawalla, Nilabh S. Kajave, Mohammad Z. Albanna and Vipuil Kishore
J. Funct. Biomater. 2023, 14(7), 363; https://doi.org/10.3390/jfb14070363 - 11 Jul 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2972
Abstract
Collagen, along with proteoglycans, glycosaminoglycans, glycoproteins, and various growth factors, forms the extracellular matrix (ECM) and contributes to the complexity and diversity of different tissues. Herein, we compared the physicochemical and biological properties of ECM hydrogels derived from four different human tissues: skin, [...] Read more.
Collagen, along with proteoglycans, glycosaminoglycans, glycoproteins, and various growth factors, forms the extracellular matrix (ECM) and contributes to the complexity and diversity of different tissues. Herein, we compared the physicochemical and biological properties of ECM hydrogels derived from four different human tissues: skin, bone, fat, and birth. Pure human collagen type I hydrogels were used as control. Physical characterization of ECM hydrogels and assessment of cell response of cord-tissue mesenchymal stem cells (CMSCs) were performed. Decellularization efficiency was found to be >90% for all ECM. Hydroxyproline quantification assay showed that collagen content in birth ECM was comparable to collagen control and significantly greater than other sources of ECM. Sodium dodecyl-sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) analysis showed the presence of γ, β, α1 and α2 collagen chains in all ECMs. Gelation kinetics of ECM hydrogels was significantly slower than collagen control. Compressive modulus of skin ECM was the highest and birth ECM was the lowest. Skin and birth ECM hydrogels were more stable than bone and fat ECM hydrogels. CMSCs encapsulated in birth ECM hydrogels exhibited the highest metabolic activity. Rheological characterization revealed that all ECM-derived inks exhibited shear thinning properties, and skin-derived ECM inks were most suitable for extrusion-based bioprinting for the concentration and printing conditions used in this study. Overall, results demonstrate that the physicochemical and biological properties of ECM hydrogels vary significantly depending on the tissue source. Therefore, careful selection of tissue source is important for development of ECM-based biomimetic tissue constructs for regenerative medicine applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Collagen-Based Materials for Biomedical Applications)
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13 pages, 5201 KiB  
Article
Xeno-Free Biomimetic ECM Model for Investigation of Matrix Composition and Stiffness on Astrocyte Cell Response
by Bayan M. Saleh, Ayda Pourmostafa, Nashaita Y. Patrawalla and Vipuil Kishore
J. Funct. Biomater. 2023, 14(5), 256; https://doi.org/10.3390/jfb14050256 - 5 May 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2160
Abstract
Astrocytes, highly specialized glial cells, play a critical role in neuronal function. Variations in brain extracellular matrix (ECM) during development and disease can significantly alter astrocyte cell function. Age-related changes in ECM properties have been linked to neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease. [...] Read more.
Astrocytes, highly specialized glial cells, play a critical role in neuronal function. Variations in brain extracellular matrix (ECM) during development and disease can significantly alter astrocyte cell function. Age-related changes in ECM properties have been linked to neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease. The goal of this study was to develop hydrogel-based biomimetic ECM models with varying stiffness and evaluate the effects of ECM composition and stiffness on astrocyte cell response. Xeno-free ECM models were synthesized by combining varying ratios of human collagen and thiolated hyaluronic acid (HA) crosslinked with polyethylene glycol diacrylate. Results showed that modulating ECM composition yielded hydrogels with varying stiffnesses that match the stiffness of the native brain ECM. Collagen-rich hydrogels swell more and exhibit greater stability. Higher metabolic activity and greater cell spreading was observed in hydrogels with lower HA. Soft hydrogels trigger astrocyte activation indicated by greater cell spreading, high GFAP expression and low ALDH1L1 expression. This work presents a baseline ECM model to investigate the synergistic effects of ECM composition and stiffness on astrocytes, which could be further developed to identify key ECM biomarkers and formulate new therapies to alleviate the impact of ECM changes on the onset and progression of neurodegenerative diseases. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Collagen-Based Materials for Biomedical Applications)
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14 pages, 6386 KiB  
Brief Report
Evaluating the Feasibility of Hydrogel-Based Neural Cell Sprays
by Daisy Evans, Aina Mogas Barcons, Raja Haseeb Basit, Christopher Adams and Divya Maitreyi Chari
J. Funct. Biomater. 2023, 14(10), 527; https://doi.org/10.3390/jfb14100527 - 19 Oct 2023
Viewed by 2337
Abstract
Neurological injuries have poor prognoses with serious clinical sequelae. Stem cell transplantation enhances neural repair but is hampered by low graft survival (<ca. 5%), necessitating the development of approaches to enhance post-transplant cell viability. Intracerebral injection exerts high mechanical forces on transplant cells [...] Read more.
Neurological injuries have poor prognoses with serious clinical sequelae. Stem cell transplantation enhances neural repair but is hampered by low graft survival (<ca. 5%), necessitating the development of approaches to enhance post-transplant cell viability. Intracerebral injection exerts high mechanical forces on transplant cells with risks of haemorrhage/infection. Transplant cell sprays can offer a non-invasive alternative. This study has assessed if the addition of protective, encapsulating polymer hydrogels to a cell spray format is feasible. Hydrogels (0.1% (1 mg/mL), 0.3% and 0.6% type I rat tail collagen) were trialled for spray deliverability. Cell-enriched hydrogels (containing mouse cortical astrocytes) were sprayed onto culture substrates. Astrocyte viability, cell-specific marker expression, morphology and proliferation were assessed at 24 h and 72 h post spraying. Intra-gel astrocytes and hydrogels could be co-stained using a double immunocytological technique (picrosirius red (PR)/DAB-peroxidase co-labelling). Astrocyte viability remained high post spraying with hydrogel encapsulation (>ca. 80%) and marker expression/proliferative potential of hydrogel-sprayed astrocytes was retained. Combining a cell spray format with polymer encapsulation technologies could form the basis of a non-invasive graft delivery method, offering potential advantages over current cell delivery approaches. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Collagen-Based Materials for Biomedical Applications)
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