Unraveling the Potential of Chondrosia reniformis Collagen for Tissue Engineering Scaffolds, with Particular Insights into Chondrogenic Differentiation

Evaluating the biomedical potential of marine biopolymers is a promising strategy for their high-value application. This study investigated the ability of collagen derived from Chondrosia reniformis to support cell proliferation and chondrogenic differentiation, assessing its suitability for tissue regeneration. Collagen was isolated, preserving its fibrillar structure and glycosylation features, then cross-linked with EDC, genipin, or glutaraldehyde to produce freeze-dried scaffolds. The resulting structures were characterized in terms of physicochemical properties, morphology, degradation, rheology, and cytocompatibility. While all scaffolds showed comparable degradation and rheological behavior, genipin-cross-linked scaffolds exhibited larger pore sizes, whereas glutaraldehyde-cross-linked scaffolds showed higher water uptake. In vitro assays using ATDC5, BJ, and EA.hy926 cell lines demonstrated superior metabolic activity and proliferation on genipin-cross-linked scaffolds. Additionally, human adipose stem cells displayed early chondrogenic differentiation, evidenced by SOX9, ACAN, and COMP expression under basal conditions. These findings highlight the versatility of C. reniformis collagen for biomedical applications, particularly cartilage regeneration.