Author(s)

Seyed Mohsen Latifi¹, Christina Tang², Henry J. Donahue^1*

¹Bone Engineering Science and Technology (BEST) Lab, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA.
²Department of Chemical and Life Sciences Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA.

In this study, the effect of silica/calcium phosphate (SiCaP) nanocomposite particles on the properties of a novel chitosan-based thermosensitive hydrogel system was examined. SiCaP nanocomposite powder was fabricated using a sol-gel method and then used to fabricate nanocomposite hydrogels (Ch- β/7.5SiCaP and Ch-β/15SiCaP) including chitosan and β-glycerophosphate (Ch-β) as a matrix. Results revealed that compared to the Ch-β hydrogel without SiCaP, the presence of SiCaP particles in nanocomposite hydrogels maintained pH stability during the sol-gel transition, accelerated the gelation and improved the stiffness of nanocomposite hydrogels. Gelation time at 37℃ was reduced approximately 75% and stiffness was increased approximately 115%. Both of these changes are attributed to chemical and physical interactions of the SiCaP bioactive particles with chitosan. Furthermore, compared to the Ch-β hydrogel, the presence of SiCaP in the Ch-β/7.5SiCaP nanocomposite hydrogel did not affect biocompatibility negatively, but improved osteoblastic cell differentiation. Our studies suggest that these nanocomposite hydrogels may offer an innovative approach to bone regeneration strategies.

Thermosensitivity, Composite Hydrogel, Bioactive Particles, Rheology, Biocompatibility

Latifi, S. , Tang, C. and Donahue, H. (2021) Fabrication and Characterization of Chitosan Based Injectable Thermosensitive Hydrogels Containing Silica/Calcium Phosphate Nanocomposite Particles. Journal of Biomaterials and Nanobiotechnology, 12, 34-48. doi: 10.4236/jbnb.2021.123004.