Nanofiber reinforced alginate hydrogel for leak-proof delivery and higher stress loading in nucleus pulposus

作者：Li, Mingguang; Wu, Yang; Li, Hao; Tan, Chang; Ma, Shuai; Gong, Jin; Dong, Lu; Huang, Wei^*; Li, Xinzhi^*; Deng, Hongbing^*

来源：Carbohydrate Polymers, 2023, 299: 120193.

DOI：10.1016/j.carbpol.2022.120193

• Nanofibers
• Extracellular matrix
• Platelet -rich plasma
• Injectable hydrogel
• Nucleus pulposus regeneration

Injectable hydrogels effectively remodel degenerative nucleus pulposus (NP) with a resemblance to the in vivo microenvironment. However, the pressure within the intervertebral disc requires load-bearing implants. The hydrogel must undergo a rapid phase transition upon injection to avoid leakage. In this study, an injectable sodium alginate hydrogel was reinforced with silk fibroin nanofibers with core-shell structures. The nanofiber-embedded hydrogel provided support to adjacent tissues and facilitated cell proliferation. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) was incorporated into the core-shell nanofibers for sustained release and enhanced NP regeneration. The composite hydrogel exhibited excellent compressive strength and enabled leak-proof delivery of PRP. In rat intervertebral disc degeneration models, radiography and MRI signal intensities were significantly reduced after 8 weeks of injections with the nanofiber-reinforced hydrogel. The biomimetic fiber gel-like structure was con-structed in situ, providing mechanical support for NP repair, promoting the reconstruction of the tissue micro -environment, and finally realizing the regeneration of NP.

• 单位
  武汉大学