HYBRID EVENT: You can participate in person at Rome, Italy or Virtually from your home or work.

4th Edition of International Conference on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine

September 19-21 | Rome, Italy

September 19 -21, 2024 | Rome, Italy
TERMC 2022

Victor A

Victor A, Speaker at Regenerative Medicine Conferences
Indian Institute of Science, India
Title : Bioactive snail mucus promotes cell attachment and mechanical properties of porous agarose 3D scaffold for tissue engineering applications

Abstract:

Snail mucin, obtained from snails, is a complex substance that has been recounted to contain glycosaminoglycans (GaGs), allantoin, hyaluronic acid, elastin, and glycolic acid. Some of these constituents, especially GaGs, are essential for reducing cartilage deterioration and inflammation.

In this study, 3D porous scaffolds were prepared from agarose - snail mucus blends, followed by freeze-drying to obtain porous scaffolds. The scaffolds were then characterized and evaluated for bioactivities (in-vitro studies) on the C28/I2 cells (human chondrocytes) to determine the potential capacity of the hybrid scaffolds for soft tissue engineering applications. The freeze-dried scaffolds were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Compression test, liquid displacement test, swelling behavior, and degradation test. The biocompatibility of the scaffolds was determined by 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Confocal laser scanning (CLS) and Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) were used to determine cell attachment and morphology. Cell proliferation was determined by CLS of cells on the scaffolds on days 1, 3, and 7. The cytoskeletal integrity of the cells on the scaffolds was determined by immunohistochemistry studies.

The SEM result reveals the microporous morphology of the scaffolds with an average pore size of about 250 µm. FTIR suggests the nature of the interaction between agarose and snail mucus and the functional groups present in the scaffolds. The compression test indicates a significantly (p<0.05) improved mechanical strength of more than 80% in all the composite scaffolds compared to the pristine agarose scaffold. The degradation study indicates the scaffolds' tuneable degradation property, while the liquid displacement result shows that snail mucus reduced the porosity of the scaffolds. Meanwhile, MTT assay and FACS indicates the biocompatibility of all the scaffold. CLS and SEM images show the polygonal and spherical morphologies of the cells on the 2D and 3D scaffolds, respectively. The cells proliferated well on the 3D scaffolds from days 1 to 3 and 7, while the integrity of the cytoskeleton of the cells on the scaffolds was well preserved compared to the control.

In conclusion,  snail mucus significantly improved the cell adhesion and the mechanical properties of 3D porous agarose scaffolds with tuneable degradation properties. Hence agarose snail mucus scaffold can be explored for its potential application in cartilage tissue engineering.

Biography:

Victor Ayobami Ajisafe is currently a Ph.D. student (Senior Research Fellow) at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India. He develops biomaterials and 3D scaffolds for tissue engineering applications.

He has a Master's degree in Biotechnology with First Class from the Osmania University in Hyderabad, India. After obtaining his first degree in Biochemistry from the Lagos State University in Nigeria, Victor obtained an Associate degree in Biomedical Engineering from Valley View University, Accra, Ghana.

In addition, he worked at the Biomedical Engineering Department of  The Bells University of Technology in Ota Ogun State, Nigeria, as an Assistant Lecturer.

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