4.2 Article

A Collagen-Conducting Polymer Composite with Enhanced Chondrogenic Potential

Journal

CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR BIOENGINEERING
Volume 14, Issue 5, Pages 501-512

Publisher

SPRINGER
DOI: 10.1007/s12195-021-00702-y

Keywords

PEDOT; Bioelectronics; Chondrocyte differentiation; Cartilage engineering

Funding

  1. NSF ASCENT award [ECCS-2023849]
  2. National Institutes of Health Training Grant through Northwestern University's Biotechnology Training Program [T32GM008449]
  3. ONR YIP [SP0056955]
  4. SHyNE Resource [NSF ECCS-2025633]
  5. IIN
  6. Northwestern's MRSEC program [NSF DMR-1720139]
  7. MRSEC program of the National Science Foundation at the Materials Research Center of Northwestern University [DMR-1720139]
  8. Soft and Hybrid Nanotechnology Experimental (SHyNE) Resource [NSF ECCS-2025633]
  9. NCI CCSG [P30 CA060553]
  10. Institute for Sustainability and Energy at Northwestern
  11. Office of the Vice President for Research at Northwestern

Ask authors/readers for more resources

Integrating PEDOT-S into collagen scaffolds enhances chondrogenic potential and affects cell functionality, providing a promising model system for investigating the role of bioelectronic signaling in cartilage repair and other tissue types. The physical properties of the PEDOT-S composites are comparable to pristine collagen scaffolds, suggesting a practical approach for tissue regeneration applications.
Introduction Conducting polymers (CPs) have demonstrated promise for promoting tissue repair, yet their ability to facilitate cartilage regeneration has yet to be thoroughly investigated. Integrating CPs into common scaffolds for tissue regeneration, such as collagen, would enable mechanistic studies on the potential for CPs to promote cartilage repair. Here, we combine absorbable collagen sponges (ACS) with the CP PEDOT-S and show that the PEDOT-S-collagen composite (PEDOT-ACS) has enhanced chondrogenic potential compared to the collagen sponge alone. Methods PEDOT-S was incorporated through a simple incubation process. Changes to scaffold topography, elastic modulus, swelling ratio, and surface charge were measured to analyze how PEDOT-S affected the material properties of the scaffold. Changes in rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell (rBMSC) functionality were assessed with cell viability and glycosaminoglycan production assays. Results Macrostructure and microstructure of the scaffold remained largely unaffected by PEDOT-S modification, as observed through SEM images and quantification of scaffold porosity. Zeta potential, swelling ratio, and dry elastic modulus of the collagen scaffold were significantly changed by the incorporation of PEDOT-S. Seeding cells on PEDOT-ACS improved cell viability and enhanced glycosaminoglycan production. Conclusion We demonstrate a practical approach to generate PEDOT-S composites with comparable physical properties to pristine collagen scaffolds. We show that PEDOT-ACS can influence cell functionality and serve as a promising model system for mechanistic investigations on the roles of bioelectronic signaling in the repair of cartilage and other tissue types.

Authors

I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.

Reviews

Primary Rating

4.2
Not enough ratings

Secondary Ratings

Novelty
-
Significance
-
Scientific rigor
-
Rate this paper

Recommended

No Data Available
No Data Available