INDUCTION OF SOFT-TISSUE REGENERATION USING HYDROGELS OPTIMIZED FOR INFLAMMATORY RESPONSE - Intelligent Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine - page 108

and activation, coupled with differentiating macrophages, which
leads to the conditionsfor neoadipogenesis.
5.4 Conclusions and Outlook
Thisstudydemonstratedthattheimplantationofamidatedhyaluro-
nangelinratsinduceslowoveralllevelsofinflammation.Infiltration
was predominantly due to macrophages.
De novo adipogenesis was indicated at 12 weeks, suggesting that
the dodecyl-amidated hyaluronan gel could be implanted without
cells to induce the regeneration of soft tissue. The results in this
study may be interpreted as a demonstration of an inflammatory
cytokineprofileforthegenerationofneoadiposetissue.Itishypoth-
esized that the inflammatory cytokine signaling was not intense but
was great enough to induce the infiltration of adipocyte progenitor
cells in the gel. As the host inflammatory response declined after
four weeks, the conditions were correct for the differentiation of
theinfiltratingcellsintoadipocytes,possiblyfollowingproliferation
undertheactionofTGF- β ,influencedbytheangiogenicactionofthe
degrading gels.
Acknowledgments
This work was partly supported by the European Commission,
under the Competitive and Sustainable Growth Programme. The
contribution of Fidia Advanced Biopolymers for the construction
and supply of amidated hyaluronan gels is gratefully acknowledged.
We acknowledge the collaboration of the University of Dusseldorf,
the University Hospital of Gent, and the University of Aachen in the
human andpig experiments.
References
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2. A. Fokin and F. Robicsek, Ann. Thorac. Surg ., 74 ,2218 (2002).