Graphene oxide: A growth factor delivery carrier to enhance chondrogenic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells in 3D hydrogels

• Published in: Acta biomaterialia 2019-09, Vol.96, p.271-280
• Main Authors: Zhou, Mi, Lozano, Neus, Wychowaniec, Jacek K., Hodgkinson, Tom, Richardson, Stephen M., Kostarelos, Kostas, Hoyland, Judith A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 3D cell containing scaffold; Biomedical materials; Cartilage; Cell culture; Cell differentiation; Chondrogenesis; Collagen; Culture media; Design defects; Differentiation; Extracellular matrix; Flakes (defects); Gene expression; Graphene; Graphene Oxide; Growth factor delivery in 3D; Growth factors; Hydrogels; Mesenchymal stem cells; Mesenchyme; Nanomaterials; Nanotechnology; Phosphorylation; Scaffolds; Smad2 protein; Stem cells; Tissue engineering
• ISSN: 1742-7061; 1878-7568
• DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2019.07.027

[Display omitted] Cartilage engineering with stem cells in 3D scaffolds is a promising future therapy to treat cartilage defects. One challenge in the field is to design carriers to efficaciously deliver biological factors in 3D scaffolds containing stem cells to appropriately guide differentiation of these cells in same scaffolds and promote specific tissue synthesis. Graphene-based 2D nanomaterials have recently attracted extensive interest for their biomedical applications as they can adsorb a plethora of biological molecules, thus offering high potential as delivery carriers. This study utilized graphene oxide (GO) flakes to adsorb transforming growth factor β3 (TGF-β3), which were then incorporated into a collagen hydrogel. Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) were encapsulated in the same gel and chondrogenic differentiation assessed. The study showed GO flakes adsorbed > 99% TGF-β3 with