Genipin-crosslinked decellularized annulus fibrosus matrix/chitosan scaffolds for the culture of annulus fibrous-derived stem cells

摘要

Due to the similarity of biochemical composition and microstructure between decellularized matrix (DCM) and native extracellular matrix (ECM), DCM have been widely used in tissue engineering. Meanwhile, the effects of mechanical property (e.g. elasticity) of cell culture substrate on the proliferation and differ- entiation of cells have also been well documented. This study aims to explore the combined effect of decellularized annulus fibrous matrix (DAFM) from porcine and substrate elasticity on the behaviors of rabbit annulus fibrous-derived stem cells (AFSCs). Background: While tissue engineering method has become an ideal approach for annulus fibrous (AF) regeneration recently, it remains challenging because of the heterogeneity of AF tissue. Decellularized extracelluar matrix (ECM) has been proposed as a novel tissue-specific biomaterial for tissue engineering, yet lacks sufficient mechanical strength. Chitosan, a linear polysaccharide which possesses characteristics of chondroitin sulfate and keratin sulfate, is similar to the glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) which are rich in native AF tissue. In this study, we used Genipin to crosslink decellularized AF matrix (DAFM) and chitosan (CS) to fabricate biomimetic scaffolds for AF tissue engineering. Importantly, the DAFM/CS samples have different elasticity to mimic the outer, middle and inner zones of AF.