Development of a novel injectable alginate-collagen-apatite hydrogel for bone tissue regeneration

摘要

A novel, injectable hydrogel for bone tissue regeneration has been developed. The gelation rate, or the rate in which the calcium ions crosslink the G blocks of the alginate. can be tailored by adjusting the alginate. phosphate and calcium concentrations. Phosphate ions are added to the hydrogel to slow down the gelation rate via chelation of the calcium ions to form calcium phosphate. Here, the gelation time has been optimized so that the injectability of the alginiate-mineralized collagen hydrogel is appropriate in a surgical setting, resulting in a less invasive alternative for bone repair. An in situ collagen mineralization process was used to develop an alginate hydrogel comprised of the two main components of natural bone, collagen and calcium phosphate. Therefore, the biocompatibility of the system is expected to be better than that of alginate alone. In vitro and in vivo studies will be conducted in future studies to evaluate the bone forming capabilities of the injectable hydrogel. Additionally, the mineralized collagen fibers increased the mechanical strength of the alginate hydrogel. Thus, this novel hydrogel composition has great potential to be injected into bone defects or areas of weakened bone to support and enhance natural bone repair.