Kappa-carrageenan based hybrid hydrogel for soft tissue engineering applications

Biological materials such as cell-derived membrane vesicles have emerged as alternative sources for molecular delivery systems, owing to multicomponent features, the inherent functionalities and signaling networks, and easy-to-carry therapeutic agents with various properties. Herein, red blood cell membrane (RBCM) vesicle-laden methacrylate kappa-carrageenan (KaMA) composite hydrogel is introduced for soft tissue engineering. Results revealed that the characteristics of hybrid hydrogels were significantly modulated by changing the RBCM vesicle content. For instance, the incorporation of 20% (v/v) RBCM significantly enhanced compressive strength from 103 & PLUSMN; 26 kPa to 257 & PLUSMN; 18 kPa and improved toughness under the cyclic loading from 1.0 & PLUSMN; 0.4 kJ m(-3) to 4.0 & PLUSMN; 0.5 kJ m(-3) after the 5(th) cycle. RBCM vesicles were also used for the encapsulation of curcumin (CUR) as a hydrophobic drug molecule. Results showed a controlled release of CUR over three days of immersion in PBS solution. The RBCM vesicles laden KaMA hydrogels also supported in vitro fibroblast cell growth and proliferation. In summary, this research sheds light on KaMA/RBCM hydrogels, that could reveal fine-tuned properties and hydrophobic drug release in a controlled manner.

Automated summary

Biological materials, such as cell-derived membrane vesicles, have been used as alternative sources for molecular delivery systems due to their multicomponent features and easy-to-carry therapeutic agents. In this study, a red blood cell membrane (RBCM) vesicle-laden methacrylate kappa-carrageenan (KaMA) composite hydrogel was developed for soft tissue engineering. The hybrid hydrogels exhibited modified characteristics based on the content of RBCM vesicles, and showed controlled release of a hydrophobic drug molecule and support for cell growth.