Novel Biomimetic Aggrecan for Treatment of Intervertebral Disc Degeneration: 'Grafting-to' Synthesis and Characterization

摘要

"Grafting to" strategy was used to create a hybrid biomimetic aggrecan with chondroitin sulfate (CS) bristles conjugated to two different polymer backbones (long PAA and short PAC). Successful conjugation of CS bristles to enzymatically resistant polymer backbones was confirmed with the fluorescamine assay and ~1H-NMR. Our biomimetic analogue was shown to have comparable osmotic pressure of natural aggrecan with an eight fold increase in osmotic pressure from CS alone. Biomimetic aggrecan was found to be cytocompatible and can be potentially used to mechanically stabilize the degenerated disc by increasing nucleus hydration and intradiscal pressure.