TY - JOUR
T1 - Imaging the In Vivo Degradation of Tissue Engineering Implants by Use of Supramolecular Radiopaque Biomaterials
AU - Talacua, Hanna
AU - Söntjens, Serge H. M.
AU - Thakkar, Shraddha H.
AU - Brizard, Aurelie M. A.
AU - van Herwerden, Lex A.
AU - Vink, Aryan
AU - van Almen, Geert C.
AU - Dankers, Patricia Y. W.
AU - Bouten, Carlijn V. C.
AU - Budde, Ricardo P. J.
AU - Janssen, Henk M.
AU - Kluin, Jolanda
PY - 2020/7/1
Y1 - 2020/7/1
N2 - For in situ tissue engineering (TE) applications it is important that implant degradation proceeds in concord with neo-tissue formation to avoid graft failure. It will therefore be valuable to have an imaging contrast agent (CA) available that can report on the degrading implant. For this purpose, a biodegradable radiopaque biomaterial is presented, modularly composed of a bisurea chain-extended polycaprolactone (PCL2000-U4U) elastomer and a novel iodinated bisurea-modified CA additive (I-U4U). Supramolecular hydrogen bonding interactions between the components ensure their intimate mixing. Porous implant TE-grafts are prepared by simply electrospinning a solution containing PCL2000-U4U and I-U4U. Rats receive an aortic interposition graft, either composed of only PCL2000-U4U (control) or of PCL2000-U4U and I-U4U (test). The grafts are explanted for analysis at three time points over a 1-month period. Computed tomography imaging of the test group implants prior to explantation shows a decrease in iodide volume and density over time. Explant analysis also indicates scaffold degradation. (Immuno)histochemistry shows comparable cellular contents and a similar neo-tissue formation process for test and control group, demonstrating that the CA does not have apparent adverse effects. A supramolecular approach to create solid radiopaque biomaterials can therefore be used to noninvasively monitor the biodegradation of synthetic implants.
AB - For in situ tissue engineering (TE) applications it is important that implant degradation proceeds in concord with neo-tissue formation to avoid graft failure. It will therefore be valuable to have an imaging contrast agent (CA) available that can report on the degrading implant. For this purpose, a biodegradable radiopaque biomaterial is presented, modularly composed of a bisurea chain-extended polycaprolactone (PCL2000-U4U) elastomer and a novel iodinated bisurea-modified CA additive (I-U4U). Supramolecular hydrogen bonding interactions between the components ensure their intimate mixing. Porous implant TE-grafts are prepared by simply electrospinning a solution containing PCL2000-U4U and I-U4U. Rats receive an aortic interposition graft, either composed of only PCL2000-U4U (control) or of PCL2000-U4U and I-U4U (test). The grafts are explanted for analysis at three time points over a 1-month period. Computed tomography imaging of the test group implants prior to explantation shows a decrease in iodide volume and density over time. Explant analysis also indicates scaffold degradation. (Immuno)histochemistry shows comparable cellular contents and a similar neo-tissue formation process for test and control group, demonstrating that the CA does not have apparent adverse effects. A supramolecular approach to create solid radiopaque biomaterials can therefore be used to noninvasively monitor the biodegradation of synthetic implants.
KW - aortic interposition graft implants
KW - computed tomography imaging
KW - degrading supramolecular biomaterials
KW - modular contrast agents
KW - tissue engineering
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85086714749&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - https://doi.org/10.1002/mabi.202000024
DO - https://doi.org/10.1002/mabi.202000024
M3 - Article
C2 - 32558365
SN - 1616-5187
VL - 20
SP - e2000024
JO - Macromolecular bioscience
JF - Macromolecular bioscience
IS - 7
M1 - 2000024
ER -