Injectable chitosan/κ-carrageenan hydrogel designed with au nanoparticles: A conductive scaffold for tissue engineering demands

Scaffolds for tissue engineering of specific sites such as cardiac, nerve, and bone tissues need a comprehensive design of three dimensional materials that covers all aspects of chemical composition and physical structures, required for regeneration of desired cells. Hydrogels, possessing highly hydrated and interconnected structures, are promising materials for tissue engineering applications. Improvement of an injectable hydrogel from biocompatible polysaccharides and poly-N-isopropyl acryl amide enriched with Au nanoparticles are the main goal of this study. Two main enhancements in this study are included mixture design of the components and addition of Au nanoparticles to access a homogeneous mixture that have potential application in tissue engineering. Chemical and physical properties of the injectable hydrogel are fully characterized. Addition of Au nanoparticles as a conductive component to enhance cell growth and attachment is investigated through MG-63 cell viability assay. (C) 2018 Published by Elsevier B.V.