Carrageenan-based Tissue Scaffold Development Service at CD BioGlyco
CD BioGlyco improves the physicochemical properties of Marine Carbohydrate-based Biomaterials through various modifications and optimizations. Carrageenan is a sulfated polysaccharide. It is widely used in the fabrication of tissue scaffolds due to its good biodegradability, biocompatibility, bioactivity, mechanical stability, and range of chemical modifications. We provide a high-quality carrageenan-based tissue scaffold development service.
Fig.1 Our various types of carrageenan-based tissue scaffolds developed. (CD BioGlyco)
We mainly develop different forms of carrageenan-based hydrogels. The main types are as follows:
Photocrosslinked hydrogel
Photocrosslinked hydrogels are fabricated by introducing a photocrosslinked portion into the carrageenan backbone, followed by UV crosslinking in the presence of a chemical photoinitiator.
Gradient hydrogel
Gradient hydrogels are customized to mimic natural tissue interfaces. It exhibits a gradual change in one of the physical properties of the material, such as stiffness, viscoelasticity, and porosity. These hydrogels offer several advantages. We develop gradient hydrogels through the use of microfluidics, gradient fabricators, and electrostatic spinning.
Hydrogel scaffold
The water uptake of a scaffold depends not only on the ability of the pores to retain liquid but also on the hydrophilicity of the polymer and the pore size. We use various chemical and physical methods to fabricate scaffolds that mimic the natural extracellular matrix in vivo.
Nanogel
Nanogels are designed to encapsulate different classes of biomolecules and provide stability to the encapsulated biomolecules. We optimize the swelling ratio, size, release kinetics, and thermal behavior by varying the percentage of carrageenan to make the nanogel a suitable drug carrier.
Other hydrogels
In addition to the above types, we also develop floating hydrogels, micropatterned hydrogels, and interpenetrating polymer network hydrogels for development services.
During the development process, we consider the effect of molecular weight, type, temperature, and concentration of carrageenan on tissue scaffolds. Chemical Modification improves the physicochemical properties of carrageenan-based tissue scaffolds. We chemically modify multiple functional groups of carrageenan (e.g., hydroxyl group, sulfate group, etc.) to give it new properties and specific functions.
Publication Data
Technology: Self-assembly
Journal: Biomacromolecules
IF: 6.2
Published: 2023
Results: In this study, mineralized scaffolds were fabricated from type I collagen and sulfated polysaccharide κ-carrageenan to mimic the microenvironment of native bone. Scanning electron microscopy images of the side of this scaffold showed the presence of collagen fibers arranged in parallel. A dense and uniform interwoven fiber network was present on the surface. Using osteoblasts cultured in this scaffold, the results showed that the scaffold containing κ-carrageenan stimulated the maturation of the cells toward a mineralizing phenotype. This study reveals the potential of using κ-carrageenan/collagen scaffolds to study the role of structural organization of bone-mimicking synthetic matrix in cells.
Fig.2 κ-Carrageenan/collagen-based scaffolds. (Nogueira, et al., 2023)
Applications
- Carrageenan-based tissue scaffolds mimic the cellular microenvironment to study the effects of microenvironmental physical cues on cell fate.
- The carrageenan-based tissue scaffolds are customized as floating hydrogel systems using a variety of crosslinking and pore-forming agents to enhance their gastroretentive properties.
- The carrageenan-based tissue scaffolds are used for 3D bioprinting.
Advantages of Us
- We provide carrageenan-based tissue scaffold development services for research that is used for 3D bioprinting, tissue regeneration, drug delivery, etc.
- We overcome the poor mechanical stability and high swelling rate of carrageenan-based tissue scaffolds with multiple chemical modifications.
- Chemically crosslinked hydrogels have higher water retention capacity, resulting in more flexible hydrogel networks. We mainly use chemical crosslinking to fabricate carrageenan-based hydrogels.
CD BioGlyco has an experienced research team of highly educated people for biomaterial development. We provide services and technical support for the design, optimization, and fabrication of biomaterials based on carrageenan, Alginate, Chitosan, etc. Please feel free to contact us for more detailed information on the types of hydrogel development, optimization factors, etc.
Reference
- Nogueira, L.F.B.; et al. Collagen/κ-carrageenan-based scaffolds as biomimetic constructs for in vitro bone mineralization studies. Biomacromolecules. 2023, 24(3): 1258-1266.
