Adult cartilage is very susceptible to lesions as time progresses due to its thickness, avascular nature and increased apoptosis. Aside from osteoarthritis being linked to the aging population, it is important to note that this kind of joint injuries happen frequently in the youth. Regardless of the cause, degeneration of articular cartilage can result in irreversible problems. Current treatment options are aggressive to the patient or still being developed. With that in mind, it is of utmost importance to keep researching and find more viable solutions to help regenerate this type of tissue restoring it to its full capability. The present invention discloses novel, stable and biodegradable membranes of proteins and/or polysaccharides, particularly of chitosan and chitosan/hyaluronic acid, useful as scaffolds for bone tissue engineering. These membranes were fabricated by mixtures of polysaccharides and proteins of interest using novel crosslinking agents consisting of phytic acid (PA) derivatives obtained by a condensation reaction between phytic acid (PA) and a hydroxylic compound. The membranes obtained were characterized using several characterization techniques and the results suggest that they are adequate for the utilization in bone tissue engineering, furthermore, the cytotoxicity assays showed that the novel crosslinking agent is less toxic than others currently being used in literature
Date of Award | 12 Dec 2017 |
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Original language | Portuguese |
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Awarding Institution | - Universidade Católica Portuguesa
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Supervisor | Julio San Román (Supervisor) & Vasquez Lasa Blanca (Co-Supervisor) |
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- Chitosan
- Phytic acid
- Tissue engineering
- Mestrado em Engenharia Biomédica
Membranas de quitosano-ácido hialurónico reticuladas com um novo agente reticulante derivado do ácido fítico
Barbosa, F. A. M. (Student). 12 Dec 2017
Student thesis: Master's Thesis