Polysaccharide-PVA/PEG blended Crosslinked Hybrid Hydrogels for Cardiac Tissue Engineering

Abstract

As the native ECM exists as hydrogel, biocompatible polymeric hydrogel-based templates promise tissue engineering applications owing to their biomimetic nature. Hence, the choice of co-polymers employed is crucial in determining the cardiac performance of such hydrogels. On this juncture, the present study aimed to engineer biocompatible hybrid hydrogel scaffolds by the interpenetration and crosslinking of the natural polymers with synthetic polymers for cardiac regeneration. Two sets of hydrogels ACPVs (alginate, carboxy methyl cellulose and PVA as components) and ASPGs (Alginate, starch, and PEG as components) were prepared. FT-IR revealed the ample hydrophilic surface functional groups, water dynamics unveiled appreciable water holding capacity
befitting native cardiac ECM, SEM analysis displayed surface porosity and dynamic contact angle unveiled the amphiphilic chemistry. The hydrogels were biodegradable as evaluated by aging in simulated biological fluids and the cytocompatibility was assessed with MTT cell viability assay and direct contact assay using H9c2 cardiomyoblasts. The hydrogel supported the growth and survival of H9c2 cardiomyoblasts onto the interstices. Also, the hydrogels were effective in imbibing antibiotics and arrested the growth of major Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Overall, the findings demonstrated that the reinforced hydrogel system exhibits optimum
physicochemical properties, excellent biocompatibility, and appreciable biological performance to support cardiac cell growth suggesting the promising translational avenues in regenerative cardiology.