Improving ligament tissue scaffold with the use of genipin and gold nanoparticles

Abstract

Decellularized tissue is used for a wide array of tissue injuries with tendon and ligament repair being among the most common. However, despite their frequent use there is concern over the lengthy inflammatory period and slow healing associated with allografts. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have been shown to improve wound healing by decreasing inflammation and promoting cellularity and biological incorporation. The focus of this dissertation was testing the effects of AuNPs on ligament repair and assessing the use of genipin as a novel method of attaching the particles. In vitro studies were conducted to examine the ability of genipin to attach AuNPs to both unprocessed tissue and a decellularized tissue scaffold. Cell studies were conducted to observe the biocompatibility of the composite tissue. The results demonstrated successful attachment of the AuNPs and successful cell attachment and proliferation. An in vivo study was conducted using sheep to observe the effects of AuNPs on ACL repair. The experimental grafts had better histological scores and decreased inflammation in comparison to the controls.