Wet-spinning-based Molding Process of Gelatin for Tissue Regeneration

Summary

We developed and describe a protocol based on the wet spinning concept, for the construction of gelatin-based biomaterials used for the application of tissue engineering.

Abstract

This article presents an inexpensive method to fabricate gelatin, as a natural polymer, into monofilament fibers or other appropriate forms. Through the wet spinning method, gelatin fibers are produced by smooth extrusion in a suitable coagulation medium. To increase the functional surface of these gelatin fibers and their ability to mimic the features of tissues, gelatin can be molded into a tube form by referring to this concept. Examined by in vitro and in vivo tests, the gelatin tubes demonstrate a great potential for application in tissue engineering. Acting as a suitable filling gap material, gelatin tubes can be used to substitute the tissue in the damaged area (e.g., in the nervous or cardiovascular system), as well as to promote regeneration by providing a direct replacement of stem cells and neural circuitry. This protocol provides a detailed procedure for creating a biomaterial based on a natural polymer, and its implementation is expected to greatly benefit the development of correlative natural polymers, which help to realize tissue regeneration strategies.

Introduction

The latest development in tissue regeneration involves the application of tissue engineering, which represents a challenge for the improvement of new therapeutic strategies in medical treatments. For example, the limited potential of nervous system regeneration, following injury or disease, poses a significant health problem worldwide. Due to the complexity of pathophysiological processes associated with the nervous system, the use of traditional autograft or the implementation of stabilization surgery has been shown to offer benefits in functional outcomes, but there is no strong evidence for the effects of spinal fixation surgery^1,....

Protocol

The fat tissues were obtained from orthopedic surgeries as certified by the Institutional Review Board of Tri-Service General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C. Procedures involving animal subjects have been approved by the Animal Care Committee at National Defense Medical Center, Taiwan (R.O.C).

1. Wet Spinning Process

1. Solution preparation
   1. Dissolve 5 g of gelatin powder in 100 mL of double-distilled water to obtain 5% (w/v) solution concentration.
   2. Stir the mixture slowly at 60 - 70 °C overnight to achieve a completely homogeneous dispersion without any bubbles.
2. ....

Results

In this study, we successfully developed the gelatin into fibers (Figure 2A) and tubes (Figure 2B,C) through the user-friendly wet spinning concept. These gelatin-based materials can be utilized as any medical tool, depending on their shapes. Considering that the functional surface and frame of such materials are more suitable for tissue regeneration, we examined the biocompatibility of gelatin t.......

Discussion

We presented the development of gelatin-based biomaterials by using a simple wet spinning technique that can be applied in the study of natural polymers for tissue regeneration. This work demonstrated the possibility of gelatin fabrication as a great protein source without the addition of other sources, with the aim to optimize the properties of gelatin itself. The development of gelatin-based biomaterials was entirely carried out in room temperature (22 - 26 °C). A gentle solution preparation is a critical step wit.......

Materials

List of materials used in this article

Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
Solution preparation:
Gelatin type B (porcine)	Ferak	Art. -Nr. 10733	500 g vial
Wet spinning process:
Peristaltic pump	Gilson	Model M312	Minipuls*3
Plastic tube connector	World Precision Instruments	14011	1 box
Syringe	Sterican	5A06258541	26Gx1/2"(0.45 x 12mm)
Acetone	Ferak	Art. -Nr. 00010	2.5 L vial
Polycaprolactone CAPA 6500	Perstorp	24980-41-4	-
Dichloromethane	Scharlau	CL03421000	1 L vial
Glass Pasteur pipette	Fisher Scientific	13-678-20A	-
Hemostat	Shinetec instruments	ST-B021	-
Peripheral venous catheter (Introcan Certo)	B. Braun	1B03258241	24Gx3/4"(0.7 x 19mm)
Morphology of the gelatin tube:
Ion sputter coater machine	Hitachi	e1010	-
Scanning electron microscopy	Hitachi	S-3000N	-
Cultivation of cells on the gelatin tube:
Trypsin-EDTA	Gibco	488625	100 mL vial
Fetal bovine serum	Gibco	923119	500 mL vial
Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium	Gibco	31600-034	Powder
Keratinocyte-SFM medium	Gibco	10744-019	500 mL vial
T25 culture flask	TPP	90025	VENT type
6-well plate	Falcon	1209938	-
Immunocytochemistry:
Phospate-buffered saline	Gibco	654471	500 mL vial
Acetic acid glacial	Ferak	Art. -Nr. 00697	500 mL vial
NP-40 surfactant (Tergitol solution)	Sigma	056K0151	500 mL vial
Normal goat serum	Vector Laboratories	S-1000-20	20 mL vial, concentrate
Nestin (primary antibody)	Santa Cruz Biotechnology	SC-23927	-
Donkey anti-mouse-fluorescein isothiocyanate (secondary antibody)	Santa Cruz Biotechnology	SC-2099	-
Hoechst 33342	Anaspec	AS-83218	5 mL vial
In vivo biocompatibility test:
Tiletamine+zolazepam	Virbac	BC91	5 mL vial
Xylazine	Bayer korea	KR03227	10 mL vial
Ketoprofen	Astar	1406232	2 mL vial
Povidone-iodine solution	Everstar	HA161202	4 L barrel
Cefazolin	China Chemical & Pharmaceutical	18P909	1 g vial
Scalpel blade	Shinetec instruments	ST-B021	-
Surgical scissor	Shinetec instruments	ST-B021	-