@article {21251,
	title = {Development and in vitro assessment of injectable, adhesive, and self-healing chitosan-based hydrogels for treatment of spinal cord injury},
	journal = {Biomaterials Advances},
	volume = {167},
	year = {2025},
	month = {2025-02-03 00:00:00},
	pages = {214090},
	publisher = {Elsevier},
	abstract = {<p><span>Injured spinal cords have a limited ability to regenerate because of the inhibitory environment formed in situ that impacts neuronal regrow. The application of chitosan hydrogels crosslinked with β-glycerophosphate (β-GP) has shown promise in tissue engineering applications; however, ensuring stable contact between the injury nerves to support neural regeneration in the lesion microenvironment remains a significant challenge. To address this challenge, we have engineered a new injectable and adhesive hydrogel to treat spinal cord injuries. This hydrogel was produced by functionalizing chitosan with catechol groups and crosslinking it with different amounts of β-GP to obtain adhesive hydrogels with tunable mechanical properties. The softest hydrogel (G{\textquoteright} ~ 300 Pa) demonstrated strong adhesion to different biological soft tissues, including porcine skin (adhesion strength of 3.4 {\textpm} 0.9 kPa) and spinal cord, as well as injectability and self-healing abilities, making it ideal for a minimally invasive administration in difficult-to-reach areas. Additionally, this composition promoted the attachment, viability, proliferation and the expression of neuronal marker β-III tubulin (Tuj-1) by the neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells. Moreover, SH-SY5Y cells cultured on the hydrogel modulated its mechanical properties (G{\textquoteright} ~ 3500 Pa). In a summary, we propose a strategy that is compatible with different therapies for soft tissue healing, including repairing injured nerve tissue.</span></p>},
	keywords = {Catechol, Chitosan, Nerve tissue repair, SH-SY5Y cells},
	issn = {2772-9508},
	doi = {10.1016/j.bioadv.2024.214090},
	url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772950824003339},
	author = {Correia, C. and Peixoto, D. and Soares da Costa, D. and Reis, R. L. and Pashkuleva, I. and Alves, N. M.}
}
