Injectable Hydrogels by Enzymatic Co-Crosslinking of Dextran and Hyaluronic Acid Tyramine Conjugates

In this study, injectable hydrogels were prepared by the horseradish peroxidase mediated co-crosslinking of dextran-tyramine (Dex-TA) and hyaluronic acid-tyramine (HA-TA) conjugates intended for cartilage tissue engineering. In general the gelation times of 10 wt% polysaccharide solutions are < 20 seconds and their storage moduli can be adjusted by varying the composition between Dex-TA and HA-TA. Dex-TA/HA-TA (50/50) hydrogels were fully degradable in the presence of hyaluronidase. Chondrocytes incorporated in 10 wt% Dex-TA and Dex-TA/HA-TA (50/50) gels showed good viability after 28 days. These results indicate that Dex-TA/HA-TA (50/50) hydrogels are promising injectable and biodegradable hydrogels for cartilage repair.