Synthesis of an RGD-grafted oxidized sodium alginate-N-succinyl chitosan hydrogel and an in vitro study of endothelial and osteogenic differentiation

Hydrophilic surfaces for hydrogels as bone tissue engineering scaffolds are not beneficial for the adsorption of protein and not conducive to the adhesion and growth of cells. In this study, we proposed to use an oxidized sodium alginate-N-succinyl chitosan hydrogel as a bone tissue engineering scaffold material and to overcome this issue by using RGD to modify this kind of hydrogel. The physicochemical properties of the obtained hydrogels were characterized and an in vitro endothelial differentiation and osteogenic differentiation study of bone-marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) was conducted to evaluate it. The results showed that the RGD-grafted oxidized sodium alginate-N-succinyl chitosan hydrogel not only had a good degradability but also enhanced cell adhesion and proliferation and promoted endothelial differentiation and osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs. Based on the results, it can be expected that RGD-grafted oxidized sodium alginate-N-succinyl chitosan hydrogel might be an optimal material for bone tissue engineering scaffold whenever it is used alone, or composed with other materials in the future.