Improving Fibrin Hydrogels’ Mechanical Properties, through Addition of Silica or Chitosan-Silica Materials, for Potential Application as Wound Dressings

Fibrin is a protein-based hydrogel formed during blood coagulation. It can also be produced in vitro from human blood plasma, and it is capable of resisting high deformations. However, after each deformation process, it loses high amounts of water, which subsequently makes it mechanically unstable a...

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Main Authors: Natalia Y. Becerra, Luz M. Restrepo, Yessika Galeano, Ana C. Tobón, Luis F. Turizo, Monica Mesa
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2021-01-01
Series:International Journal of Biomaterials
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2021/9933331
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author Natalia Y. Becerra
Luz M. Restrepo
Yessika Galeano
Ana C. Tobón
Luis F. Turizo
Monica Mesa
author_facet Natalia Y. Becerra
Luz M. Restrepo
Yessika Galeano
Ana C. Tobón
Luis F. Turizo
Monica Mesa
author_sort Natalia Y. Becerra
collection DOAJ
description Fibrin is a protein-based hydrogel formed during blood coagulation. It can also be produced in vitro from human blood plasma, and it is capable of resisting high deformations. However, after each deformation process, it loses high amounts of water, which subsequently makes it mechanically unstable and, finally, difficult to manipulate. The objective of this work was to overcome the in vitro fibrin mechanical instability. The strategy consists of adding silica or chitosan-silica materials and comparing how the different materials electrokinetic-surface properties affect the achieved improvement. The siliceous materials electrostatic and steric stabilization mechanisms, together with plasma protein adsorption on their surfaces, were corroborated by DLS and ζ-potential measurements before fibrin gelling. These properties avoid phase separation, favoring homogeneous incorporation of the solid into the forming fibrin network. Young’s modulus of modified fibrin hydrogels was evaluated by AFM to quantitatively measure stiffness. It increased 2.5 times with the addition of 4 mg/mL silica. A similar improvement was achieved with only 0.7 mg/mL chitosan-silica, which highlighted the contribution of hydrophilic chitosan chains to fibrinogen crosslinking. Moreover, these chains avoided the fibroblast growth inhibition onto modified fibrin hydrogels 3D culture observed with silica. In conclusion, 0.7 mg/mL chitosan-silica improved the mechanical stability of fibrin hydrogels with low risks of cytotoxicity. This easy-to-manipulate modified fibrin hydrogel makes it suitable as a wound dressing biomaterial.
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spelling doaj-art-538dea7083f84b6690cbb02007c0b09f2025-08-20T02:05:31ZengWileyInternational Journal of Biomaterials1687-87871687-87952021-01-01202110.1155/2021/99333319933331Improving Fibrin Hydrogels’ Mechanical Properties, through Addition of Silica or Chitosan-Silica Materials, for Potential Application as Wound DressingsNatalia Y. Becerra0Luz M. Restrepo1Yessika Galeano2Ana C. Tobón3Luis F. Turizo4Monica Mesa5Tissue Engineering and Cell Therapy Group, University of Antioquia, Medellin 050010, ColombiaTissue Engineering and Cell Therapy Group, University of Antioquia, Medellin 050010, ColombiaMaterials Science Group, Institute of Chemistry, University of Antioquia, Medellin 050010, ColombiaMaterials Science Group, Institute of Chemistry, University of Antioquia, Medellin 050010, ColombiaMaterials Science Group, Institute of Chemistry, University of Antioquia, Medellin 050010, ColombiaMaterials Science Group, Institute of Chemistry, University of Antioquia, Medellin 050010, ColombiaFibrin is a protein-based hydrogel formed during blood coagulation. It can also be produced in vitro from human blood plasma, and it is capable of resisting high deformations. However, after each deformation process, it loses high amounts of water, which subsequently makes it mechanically unstable and, finally, difficult to manipulate. The objective of this work was to overcome the in vitro fibrin mechanical instability. The strategy consists of adding silica or chitosan-silica materials and comparing how the different materials electrokinetic-surface properties affect the achieved improvement. The siliceous materials electrostatic and steric stabilization mechanisms, together with plasma protein adsorption on their surfaces, were corroborated by DLS and ζ-potential measurements before fibrin gelling. These properties avoid phase separation, favoring homogeneous incorporation of the solid into the forming fibrin network. Young’s modulus of modified fibrin hydrogels was evaluated by AFM to quantitatively measure stiffness. It increased 2.5 times with the addition of 4 mg/mL silica. A similar improvement was achieved with only 0.7 mg/mL chitosan-silica, which highlighted the contribution of hydrophilic chitosan chains to fibrinogen crosslinking. Moreover, these chains avoided the fibroblast growth inhibition onto modified fibrin hydrogels 3D culture observed with silica. In conclusion, 0.7 mg/mL chitosan-silica improved the mechanical stability of fibrin hydrogels with low risks of cytotoxicity. This easy-to-manipulate modified fibrin hydrogel makes it suitable as a wound dressing biomaterial.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2021/9933331
spellingShingle Natalia Y. Becerra
Luz M. Restrepo
Yessika Galeano
Ana C. Tobón
Luis F. Turizo
Monica Mesa
Improving Fibrin Hydrogels’ Mechanical Properties, through Addition of Silica or Chitosan-Silica Materials, for Potential Application as Wound Dressings
International Journal of Biomaterials
title Improving Fibrin Hydrogels’ Mechanical Properties, through Addition of Silica or Chitosan-Silica Materials, for Potential Application as Wound Dressings
title_full Improving Fibrin Hydrogels’ Mechanical Properties, through Addition of Silica or Chitosan-Silica Materials, for Potential Application as Wound Dressings
title_fullStr Improving Fibrin Hydrogels’ Mechanical Properties, through Addition of Silica or Chitosan-Silica Materials, for Potential Application as Wound Dressings
title_full_unstemmed Improving Fibrin Hydrogels’ Mechanical Properties, through Addition of Silica or Chitosan-Silica Materials, for Potential Application as Wound Dressings
title_short Improving Fibrin Hydrogels’ Mechanical Properties, through Addition of Silica or Chitosan-Silica Materials, for Potential Application as Wound Dressings
title_sort improving fibrin hydrogels mechanical properties through addition of silica or chitosan silica materials for potential application as wound dressings
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2021/9933331
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