Chitosan-based scaffolds for vascular tissue engineering: mechanical characterization and cell culture on tubular matrices

• Grant number: 17/01858-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• Start date: May 10, 2017
• End date: May 09, 2018
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Chemical Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Angela Maria Moraes
• Grantee: Fernanda Carla Bombaldi de Souza
• Supervisor: Diego Mantovani
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Engenharia Química (FEQ). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Université Laval, Canada
• Associated to the scholarship: 13/26534-1 - Chitosan-based tissue engineered vascular grafts, BP.DR

Abstract

Cardiovascular diseases related to atherosclerosis are the leading cause of death worldwide and often require surgical intervention in order to replace damaged blood vessels. The materials currently available for this type of therapy are efficient only when used to replace blood vessels with diameter greater than six millimeters, as complications may occur in smaller diameter devices leading to vessel reocclusion. Tissue engineering is an alternative technique used to overcome the problems that give rise to these complications. Natural polymers such as chitosan are widely used as scaffolds because they are highly biocompatible and biodegradable. Several compounds, such as the polysaccharides pectin and alginate, silicone based polymers such as Silpuran®, or surfactants as Pluronic F68® are able to form complexes or blends with chitosan, resulting in biomaterials with improved properties. In this context, the use of chitosan in combination with these compounds for obtaining dense or porous biocompatible matrices used as scaffolds for cell growth and applied as vascular substitutes is the focus of this work. The tubular scaffolds produced will be evaluated regarding their mechanical properties (circumferential tensile relaxation test, compliance and burst strength) and behavior when inoculated with cells typical from native vascular tissues (endothelial, smooth muscle cells and/or fibroblasts).

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

BOMBALDI DE SOUZA, FERNANDA CARLA; BOMBALDI DE SOUZA, RENATA FRANCIELLE; DROUIN, BERNARD; MANTOVANI, DIEGO; MORAES, ANGELA MARIA. Comparative study on complexes formed by chitosan and different polyanions: Potential of chitosan-pectin biomaterials as scaffolds in tissue engineering. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, v. 132, p. 178-189, JUL 1 2019. (17/01858-0, 13/26534-1)

BOMBALDI DE SOUZA, FERNANDA CARLA; BOMBALDI DE SOUZA, RENATA FRANCIELLE; DROUIN, BERNARD; POPAT, KETUL C.; MANTOVANI, DIEGO; MORAES, ANGELA MARIA. Polysaccharide-based tissue-engineered vascular patches. Materials Science & Engineering C-Materials for Biological Applications, v. 104, NOV 2019. (13/26534-1, 17/01858-0)

BOMBALDI DE SOUZA, FERNANDA CARLA; CANNASAO, DIMITRIA BONIZOL; BOMBALDI DE SOUZA, RENATA FRANCIELLE; DROUIN, BERNARD; MANTOVANI, DIEGO; MORAES, ANGELA MARIA. A simple and effective approach to produce tubular polysaccharide-based hydrogel scaffolds. Journal of Applied Polymer Science, v. 137, n. 13, APR 5 2020. (17/01858-0, 13/26534-1)