Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Fabrication of porous scaffolds with protein nanogels

  • Articles
  • Published:
Science China Chemistry Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

A novel type of porous scaffold was fabricated from single protein nanogels. The nanogels with single protein as core and crosslinked polymer network as shell were prepared through a two-step procedure including surface acryloylation and in situ radical polymerization. The formation of single protein nanogels was verified by matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometer, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS) analyses. Subsequently, the porous scaffolds were fabricated through a solvent evaporating process of aqueous nanogel solutions. The porous scaffolds were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), scanning electronic microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and fluorescence microscopy. Interestingly, the obtained porous nanogel scaffolds presented multi-level porous morphologies with macro and nano scale pores, providing better spaces and microenvironments than normal macro porous scaffolds. Cell proliferation assay of nanogels showed low cytotoxicity. Considering that both the protein species and polymer constitutes can be pre-designed and adjusted, these multi-level porous nanogel scaffolds are promising candidates for tissue culture applications.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Kim HJ, Kim UJ, Vunjak-Novakovicc G, Minb BH, Kaplan DL. Influence of macroporous protein scaffolds on bone tissue engineering from bone marrow stem cells. Biomaterials, 2005, 26: 4442–4452

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Mandal BB, Kundu SC. Non-bioengineered silk fibroin protein 3D scaffolds for potential biotechnological and tissue engineering applications. Macromol Biosci, 2008, 8: 807–818

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Wang Y, Kim HJ, Vunjak-Novakovic G, Kaplan DL. Stem cell-based tissue engineering with silk biomaterials. Stem cell-based tissue engineering with silk biomaterials. Biomaterials, 2006, 27: 6064–6082

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Wang Y, Blasioli DJ, Kim HJ, Kim HS, Kaplan DL. Cartilage tissue engineering with silk scaffolds and human articular chondrocytes. Biomaterials, 2006, 27: 4434–4442

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Vepari C, Kaplan DL. Silk as a biomaterial. Prog Polym Sci, 2007, 32: 991–1007

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Meinel L, Hofmann S, Karageorgiou V, Zichner L, Langer R, Vunjak-Novakovic G, Kaplan DL. Engineering cartilage-like tissue using human mesenchymal stem cells and silk protein scaffolds. Biotechnol Bioeng, 2004, 88: 379–391

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Altman GH, Diaz F, Jakuba C, Calabro T, Horan RL, Chen J, Lu H, Richmond J, Kaplan DL. Silk-based biomaterials. Biomaterials, 2003, 24: 401–416

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Mann BK, Gobin AS, Tsai AT, Schmedlen RH, West JL. Smooth muscle cell growth in photopolymerized hydrogels with cell adhesive and proteolytically degradable domains: synthetic ECM analogs for tissue engineering. Biomaterials, 2001, 22: 3045–3051

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Sales VL, Engelmayr GC, Johnson JA, Gao J, Wang YD, Sacks MS, Mayer JE. Protein precoating of elastomeric tissue-engineering scaffolds increased cellularity, enhanced extracellular matrix protein production, and differentially regulated the phenotypes of circulating endothelial progenitor cells. Circulation, 2007, 9: I59–I63

    Google Scholar 

  10. Zhu HG, Ji J, Barbosa MA, Shen JC. Osteoblast growth promotion by protein electrostatic self-assembly on biodegradable poly(lactide). J Biomater Sci, Polym Ed, 2005, 16(6): 761–774

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Levenberg S, Huang NF, Lavik E, Rogers AB, Itskovitz-Eldor J, Langer R. Differentiation of human embryonic stem cells on three-dimensional polymer scaffolds. PNAS, 2003, 100(22): 12741–12746

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Nair A, Thevenot P, Dey J, Shen JH, Sun MW, Yang J, Tang LP. Novel polymeric scaffolds using protein microbubbles as porogen and growth factor carriers. Tissue Eng: Part C, 2009, 15(0): 1–10

    Google Scholar 

  13. Zhang YF, Cheng XR, Wang JW, Wang YN, Shi B, Huang C, Yang XC, Liu TJ. Novel chitosan/collagen scaffold containing transforming growth factor-b1 DNA for periodontal tissue engineering. Biochem Biophys Res Commun, 2006, 344: 362–369

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Miko AG, Sarakinos G, Vacanti JP, Langer RS, Cima LG. Biocompatible polymer membranes and method of preparation of the three dimensional membrane structure. US Patent No. 5, 514378; 1996

  15. Wray LS, Orwin EJ. Recreating the microenvironment of the native cornea for tissue engineering applications. Tissue Eng: Part A, 2009, 15(7): 1463–1472

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Gelain F, Bottai D, Vescovi A, Zhang SG. Designer self-assembling peptide nanofiber scaffolds for adult mouse neural stem cell 3-dimensional cultures. PLoS ONE, 2006, 1(e119): 1–11

    Google Scholar 

  17. Yan M, Ge J, Liu Z, Ouyang PK. Encapsulation of single enzyme in nanogel with enhanced biocatalytic activity and stability. J Am Chem Soc, 2006, 128: 11008–11009

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Yan M, Du JJ, Gu Z, Liang M, Hu YF, Zhang WJ, Priceman S, Wu L, Hong Z, Liu Z, Segura T, Tang Y, Lu YF. A novel intracellular protein delivery platform based on single-protein nanocapsules. Nature Nanotech, 2010, 5: 48–53

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Du JJ, Yu CM, Pan DC, Li JM, Chen W, Yan M, Segura T, Lu YF. Quantum-dot-decorated robust transductable bioluminescent nanocapsules. J Am Chem Soc, 2010, 132: 12780–12781

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Vacanti JP, Langer R. Tissue engineering: The design and fabrication of living replacement devices for surgical reconstruction and transplantation. Lancet, 1999, 354(Suppl. 1): SI32–34

    Google Scholar 

  21. Dvir T, Timko BP, Kohane DS, Langer R. Nanotechnological strategies for engineering complex tissues. Nature Nanotech, 2011, 6: 13–22

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Metal Matrix Composites; School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China

    Qi Zhu, XinYuan Zhu & DeYue Yan

  2. Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, 90055, USA

    Ming Yan & YunFeng Lu

  3. Instrumental Analysis Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China

    Lin He & XinYuan Zhu

Authors
  1. Qi Zhu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Ming Yan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Lin He
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. XinYuan Zhu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. YunFeng Lu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. DeYue Yan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to XinYuan Zhu, YunFeng Lu or DeYue Yan.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Zhu, Q., Yan, M., He, L. et al. Fabrication of porous scaffolds with protein nanogels. Sci. China Chem. 54, 961–967 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11426-011-4276-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11426-011-4276-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation