Bio-composite suspension for osteoarthritis treatment

Objectives

Osteoarthritis, a common joint disease, affects nearly 17% of the French population and up to 30% of people over the age of 65. Current treatments, mainly surgical for advanced cases, are invasive and can carry significant risks for elderly patients. Our strategy, developed in collaboration with the Rheumatology Department of Grenoble University Hospital, is to propose an injectable suspension of a bio-composite made of functionalized polymer microfibers seeded with chondrocytes—the cells responsible for cartilage maintenance, repair, and regeneration. For the polymer supporting the cells, we chose chitin, a biopolymer with biodegradable, antimicrobial, hemostatic, healing, and bioactive properties that promote cell proliferation.

Results

The first challenge was to shape this polymer by electrospinning to generate stable microfibers in an aqueous environment, functionalized with hyaluronic acid via electrostatic complexation. This stable scaffold was seeded with chondrocytes, allowing us to assess cell adhesion and proliferation. These tests showed cell viability after 21 days of culture and a proliferation rate several times higher than that observed on a chitosan film used as a reference. The results pave the way for a new therapeutic approach to osteoarthritis, which will require clinical validation.

References

Garcia Garcia, C. E., Bossard, F., & Rinaudo, M. (2021). Novel Nanofibers Made of Chitosan/Hyaluronan Electrostatic Complex. NanoWorld J, 7(1), 8-12.

García García, C. E., Verdier, C., Lardy, B., Bossard, F., Soltero Martínez, J. F. A., & Rinaudo, M. (2022). Chondrocyte cell adhesion on chitosan supports using single-cell atomic force microscopy. International Journal of Polymer Analysis and Characterization, 27(1), 71-85.

Garcia, C. E. G., Lardy, B., Bossard, F., Martínez, F. A. S., & Rinaudo, M. (2021). Chitosan based biomaterials for cartilage tissue engineering: Chondrocyte adhesion and proliferation. Food Hydrocolloids for Health, 1, 100018.