UCL Institute of Orthopaedics and Musculoskeletal Science, UCL Tissue Repair and Engineering Centre, University College London, Stanmore Campus, London HA7 4LP, UK.
J R Soc Interface. 2012 Oct 7;9(75):2680-7. doi: 10.1098/rsif.2012.0164. Epub 2012 May 16.
Here, we show that the local incorporation of osmotically active hyaluronan into previously compressed collagen constructs results in further rapid dehydration/compression of collagen layers, channel formation and generation of new interfaces; these novel structures, at the nano-micro (i.e. meso-scale) were formed within native collagen gels, in a highly predictable spatial manner and offer important new methods of fabricating scaffolds (e.g. tubes and open-spirals) with potential for use in tissue regeneration such as in peripheral nerves and small vessels. This paper tests the possibility that the local fluid content of a dense collagen network can be controlled by incorporation of an osmotically active (native) macromolecule--hyluronan. This is an exemplar physiological, osmotic swelling agent. Hyaluronan is commonly secreted by cells deep in connective tissues, so is a good candidate for this role in a cell-driven system balancing mechanical compaction of bulk tissue collagen. These constructs may have potential as functional in vitro models representing developmental and pathological processes.
在这里，我们表明，将具有渗透压活性的透明质酸局部掺入先前压缩的胶原构建体中，会导致胶原层进一步快速脱水/压缩、通道形成和新界面的产生；这些新颖的结构（即在纳米-微观（即介观）尺度上）是在天然胶原凝胶内以高度可预测的空间方式形成的，为制造支架（例如管和开口螺旋）提供了重要的新方法，这些支架可能用于组织再生，例如周围神经和小血管。本文测试了通过掺入具有渗透压活性（天然）大分子——透明质酸来控制致密胶原网络的局部流体含量的可能性。这是一种典型的生理渗透压膨胀剂。透明质酸通常由深部结缔组织中的细胞分泌，因此是在细胞驱动系统中平衡组织胶原整体机械压实的理想候选物。这些构建体可能具有作为体外模型的潜力，代表发育和病理过程。
