Royal Society of Chemistry, Journal of Materials Chemistry B: Materials for biology and medicine, 10(3), p. 2096-2108
DOI: 10.1039/c4tb00885e
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In situ-forming hydrogels of pectin, a polysaccharide present in the cell wall of higher plants, were prepared using an internal ionotropic gelation strategy based on calcium carbonate/d-glucono-[small delta]-lactone, and explored for the first time as cell delivery vehicles. Since no ultrapure pectins are commercially available yet, a simple and efficient purification method was established, effectively reducing the levels of proteins, polyphenols and endotoxins of the raw pectin. The purified pectin was then functionalized by carbodiimide chemistry with a cell-adhesive peptide (RGD). Its gelation was analyzed by rheometry and optimized. Human mesenchymal stem cells embedded within unmodified and RGD-pectin hydrogels of different viscoelasticities (1.5 and 2.5 wt%) remained viable and metabolically active for up to 14 days. On unmodified pectin hydrogels, cells remained isolated and round-shaped. In contrast, within RGD-pectin hydrogels they elongated, spread, established cell-to-cell contacts, produc