Work

Double-crosslinked carrageenan/gelatin hydrogel loaded with heparin for heart valve tissue engineering applications

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: The development of tissue-engineered heart valves (TEHVs) remains a challenge worldwide. In this study, a series of double-crosslinked methacrylated (MA) carrageenan (CA)/MA gelatin hydrogels loaded with heparin (CA/Gel@Hep) were developed as potential materials for TEHV. CA/Gel@Hep hydrogels with different concentrations of heparin were fabricated, and their mechanical properties, swelling/degradation behaviors, and heparin release profiles, and biological performance were systematically studied. The rheological tests showed that storage modulus ( G ′) was consistently higher than loss modulus ( G ′′). Unconfined compression tests showed that the compressive modulus of CA/Gel@Hep hydrogels ranged from 0.26 ± 0.01 to 0.43 ± 0.03 kPa, which matches the mechanical requirements of native valve leaflets. In vitro evaluation demonstrated that CA/Gel@Hep hydrogels exhibited good cytocompatibility and blood compatibility, excellent anticoagulant properties, and facilitated migration and proliferation of human adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stromal cells. quantitative PCR results showed that CA/Gel@Hep hydrogels significantly upregulated the expression of genes related to valve remodeling, including SMA, VIM, MMP1, and MMP2. These results suggest that CA/Gel@Hep hydrogels hold great potential for heart valve tissue engineering applications.

Source: Biomedical Materials

DOI: 10.1088/1748-605x/ae55ee