A Self-Setting Hydrogel of Silylated Chitosan and Cellulose for the Repair of Osteochondral Defects: From in vitro Characterization to Preclinical Evaluation in Dogs

International audienceArticular cartilage (AC) may be affected by many injuries including traumatic lesions that predispose to osteoarthritis. Currently there is no efficient cure for cartilage lesions. In that respect, new strategies for regenerating AC are contemplated with interest. In this context, we aim to develop and characterize an injectable, self-hardening, mechanically reinforced hydrogel (Si-HPCH) composed of silanised hydroxypropymethyl cellulose (Si-HPMC) mixed with silanised chitosan. The in vitro cytocompatibility of Si-HPCH was tested using human adipose stromal cells (hASC). In vivo, we first mixed Si-HPCH with hASC to observe cell viability after implantation in nude mice subcutis. Si-HPCH associated or not with canine ASC (cASC), was then tested for the repair of osteochondral defects in canine femoral condyles. Our data demonstrated that Si-HPCH supports hASC viability in culture. Moreover, Si-HPCH allows the transplantation of hASC in the subcutis of nude mice while maintaining their viability and secretory activity. In the canine osteochondral defect model, while the empty defects were only partially filled with a fibrous tissue, defects filled with Si-HPCH with or without cASC, revealed a significant osteochondral regeneration. To conclude, Si-HPCH is an injectable, self-setting and cytocompatible hydrogel able to support the in vitro and in vivo viability and activity of hASC as well as the regeneration of osteochondral defects in dogs when implanted alone or with ASC

Ecological data

Genetic sampling of trees in the forests of Nékoro, Tiéa, Pindai, Mepouiri and Nassirah was completed with a phyto-sociological survey of all the neighboring botanical species of Ixora margaretae. Around each sampled tree, and over a distance of 4 meters, all the species were identified. These data were used to characterize the floral composition of the dry forests of Nékoro and Tiéa, and the main ecological traits of Ixora margaretae. The same protocol was used for the dry forests of Mepouiri and Pindai and the mesic forest of Nassirah, but because of the low number of Ixora margaretae, it was difficult to interpret the results for these patches of forests

SSRData

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