Chitosan microparticles as injectable scaffolds for tissue engineering

The use of chitosan microparticles as injectable carriers for cell transplantation represents a promising alternative to avoid the drawbacks of the implantation of other forms of three-dimensional (3D) scaffolds seeded with cells. In this study, a 3D construct is obtained in vitro by combining chitosan microparticles crosslinked with genipin and goat bone marrow stromal cells (GBMCs). Cell viability and the morphology of GBMCs were evaluated after culture for 7 and 14 days. Our results show the feasibility of chitosan microparticles as potential injectable scaffolds for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Copyright (C) 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.