Cartilage defect repair in a rat model via a nanocomposite hydrogel loaded with melatonin-loaded gelatin nanofibers and menstrual blood stem cells: an in vitro and in vivo study

• Published in: Journal of materials science. Materials in medicine Vol. 35; no. 1; pp. 55 - 12
• Main Authors: Yuan, Libo, Yao, Ling, Ren, Xianzhen, Chen, Xusheng, Li, Xu, Xu, Yongqing, Jin, Tao
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 30.09.2024; Springer Nature B.V; Springer
• Subjects: Alginates - chemistry; Alginic acid; Animals; Assaying; Biomaterials; Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering; Blood; Calcium (blood); Calcium alginate; Cartilage; Cartilage - drug effects; Cell Survival - drug effects; Cell viability; Ceramics; Chemistry and Materials Science; Composites; Defects; Drug delivery systems; Female; Fibers; Gelatin; Gelatin - chemistry; Glass; Hematopoietic stem cells; Humans; Hydrogels; Hydrogels - chemistry; In vivo methods and tests; Materials Science; Melatonin; Melatonin - administration & dosage; Melatonin - chemistry; Melatonin - pharmacology; Menstruation; Menstruation - drug effects; Nanocomposites; Nanocomposites - chemistry; Nanofibers - chemistry; Natural Materials; Polymer Sciences; Polymers; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Regenerative medicine; Regenerative Medicine/Tissue Engineering; Scavenging; Stem cells; Stem Cells - cytology; Stem Cells - drug effects; Surfaces and Interfaces; Thickness; Thin Films; Tissue Engineering Constructs and Cell Substrates; Wound Healing - drug effects
• ISSN: 1573-4838; 0957-4530; 1573-4838
• DOI: 10.1007/s10856-024-06820-z

Cartilage damage caused by injuries or degenerative diseases remains a major challenge in the field of regenerative medicine. In this study, we developed a composite hydrogel system for the delivery of melatonin and menstrual blood stem cells (MenSCs) to treat a rat model of cartilage defect. The composite delivery system was produced by incorporation of melatonin into the gelatin fibers and dispersing these fibers into calcium alginate hydrogels. Various characterization methods including cell viability assay, microstructure studies, degradation rate measurement, drug release, anti-inflammatory assay, and radical scavenging assay were used to characterize the hydrogel system. MenSCs were encapsulated within the nanocomposite hydrogel and implanted into a rat model of full-thickness cartilage defect. A 1.3 mm diameter drilled in the femoral trochlea and used for the in vivo study. Results showed that the healing potential of nanocomposite hydrogels containing melatonin and MenSCs was significantly higher than polymer-only hydrogels. Our study introduces a novel composite hydrogel system, combining melatonin and MenSCs, demonstrating enhanced cartilage repair efficacy, offering a promising avenue for regenerative medicine. Graphical Abstract