Baines Daniel K, Pawlak-Likus Zuzanna, Tavernaraki Nikoleta N, Platania Varvara, Parati Mattia, Cheung Timothy N Wong Wong, Radecka Iza, Domalik-Pyzik Patrycja, Chatzinikolaidou Maria, Douglas Timothy E L
School of Engineering, Lancaster University, Gillow Avenue, Lancaster LA1 4YW, UK.
Department of Biomedical and Life Science, Lancaster University, Gillow Avenue, Lancaster LA1 4YW, UK.
Polymers (Basel). 2025 Jun 9;17(12):1605. doi: 10.3390/polym17121605.
Whey protein isolate (WPI) hydrogel is a promising candidate as a biomaterial for tissue engineering. Previously, WPI hydrogels containing poly-γ-glutamic acid (γ-PGA) with a molecular weight (MW) of 440 kDa demonstrated potential as scaffolds for bone tissue engineering. Here, the study compares different γ-PGA preparations of differing MW. WPI-γ-PGA hydrogels containing 40% WPI and 0%, 2.5%, 5%, 7.5%, and 10% γ-PGA were synthesised. Three γ-PGA MWs were compared, namely 10 kDa, 700 kDa, and 1100 kDa. Evidence of successful γ-PGA incorporation was demonstrated by scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Increasing γ-PGA concentration significantly improved the swelling potential of the hydrogels, as demonstrated by ratio mass increases of between 85 and 90% for each 10% variable group. Results suggested that γ-PGA delayed enzymatic proteolysis, potentially decreasing the rate of degradation. The addition of γ-PGA significantly decreased the Young's modulus and compressive strength of hydrogels. Dental pulp mesenchymal stem cells proliferated on all hydrogels. The highest cellular growth was observed for the WPI-700 kDa γ-PGA group. Additionally, superior cell attachment was observed on all WPI hydrogels containing γ-PGA compared to the WPI control. These results further suggest the potential of WPI hydrogels containing γ-PGA as biomaterials for bone tissue engineering.
乳清分离蛋白（WPI）水凝胶作为一种用于组织工程的生物材料，是一个很有前景的候选者。此前，含有分子量（MW）为440 kDa的聚γ-谷氨酸（γ-PGA）的WPI水凝胶已展现出作为骨组织工程支架的潜力。在此，该研究比较了不同分子量的γ-PGA制剂。合成了含有40% WPI和0%、2.5%、5%、7.5%以及10% γ-PGA的WPI-γ-PGA水凝胶。比较了三种γ-PGA分子量，即10 kDa、700 kDa和1100 kDa。通过扫描电子显微镜和傅里叶变换红外光谱证明了γ-PGA成功掺入。如每个10%变量组的质量增加比在85%至90%之间所示，增加γ-PGA浓度显著提高了水凝胶的溶胀潜力。结果表明，γ-PGA延迟了酶促蛋白水解，可能降低了降解速率。γ-PGA的添加显著降低了水凝胶的杨氏模量和抗压强度。牙髓间充质干细胞在所有水凝胶上均有增殖。在WPI-700 kDa γ-PGA组中观察到最高的细胞生长。此外，与WPI对照组相比，在所有含有γ-PGA的WPI水凝胶上均观察到了更好的细胞附着。这些结果进一步表明，含有γ-PGA的WPI水凝胶作为骨组织工程生物材料具有潜力。
