An adaptive biomimetic graphene-oxide-collagen scaffold for tissue engineering applications

Abstract

Graphene oxide (GO) has emerged as front-runner material in several regenerative medicine applications due to not only to its outstanding biochemical and mechanical properties but also to its ability to be combined with other biomaterials with the purpose of engendering the next generation of tissue engineered scaffolds [1,2]. In this way, by exploring the network of bonding and repulsion forces between the negatively charged GO sheets and the positively charged collagen particles, we were able to self- assemble a hydrogel like structure capable of providing a suitable 3D porous microenvironment for cell culture protocols [3]. Additionally, the bulk conductive and topographic cues of this GO-collagen scaffold proved to be easily adaptable to match the aims of alternative tissue engineering (TE) strategies such as neural and cartilage, respectively.