BIOMATERIALS AND MANUFACTURING METHODS FOR SCAFFOLD IN REGENERATIVE MEDICINE - Intelligent Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine - page 28

1.2.4.8 Agarose
Agarose is another type of marine-source polysaccharide purified
extract from a sea creature such as agar or agar-bearing algae. One
of the unique properties of agarose is the formation of a thermally
reversible gel, which starts to set at concentrations in excess of
0.1%concentrationatatemperaturearound40 ◦ Candagel-melting
temperature of 90 ◦ C. Agarose gel has been widely used in elec-
trophoresis for proteins and nucleic acids. Its good gelling behavior
mightbeapplicabletosuitableinjectablebonesubstitutesandacell
carrier matrix. 16 Allogenic chondrocyte-seeded agarose gels have
been used as a model to repair osteochondral defects in vivo .The
repaired tissues were scored histologically based on the intensity
and extent of proteoglycan and type II collagen immunoassaying,
structural features of the various cartilaginous zones, integration
with host cartilage, and morphological features and arrangement
of chondrocytic cells. The allogenic chondrocyte/agarose-grafted
repairs had a higher semiquantitative score than control grafts.
These results showed the good potential for the application
of tissue engineering. 32 The more detailed studies such as the
in vivo mechanical properties, biocompatibility and toxicity, and
the balance degradation and synthesis kinetics of agarose-based
tissue-engineered products must follow for the successful agarose
application.
1.2.4.9 Acellular dermis
Acellular human skin removed of all cellular components may be
one of the most significant ECMs for the scaffolds matrix. An acel-
lular dermis may be seeded with fibroblasts and keratinocytes to
fabricateadermal-epidermalcompositefortheregenerationofskin.
AlloDerm TM (LifeCell,Branchburgh,NJ,USA)isatypicalcommercial-
ized product as a split-thickness acellular allograft prepared from
human cadaver skin and cryopreserved for off-shelf use. 33 It has
been successful in the treatment of burn patients due to a nonanti-
genicdermalscaffoldthatincludeselastin,proteoglycan,andabase-
ment membrane.