Effect of collagen II coating on mesenchymal stem cell adhesion on chitosan and on reacetylated chitosan fibrous scaffolds

The biocompatibility and biomimetic properties of chitosan make it attractive for tissue engineering but its use is limited by its cell adhesion properties. Our objectives were to produce and characterize chitosan and reacetylated-chitosan fibrous scaffolds coated with type II collagen and to evaluate the effect of these chemical modifications on mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) adhesion. Chitosan and reacetylated-chitosan scaffolds obtained by a wet spinning method were coated with type II collagen. Scaffolds were characterized prior to seeding with MSCs. The constructs were analyzed for cell binding kinetics, numbers, distribution and viability. Cell attachment and distribution were improved on chitosan coated with type II collagen. MSCs adhered less to reacetylated-chitosan and collagen coating did not improve MSCs attachment on those scaffolds. These findings are promising and encourage the evaluation of the differentiation of MSCs in collagen-coated chitosan scaffolds. However, the decreased cell adhesion on reacetylated chitosan scaffold seems difficult to overcome and will limit its use for tissue engineering.