Hyaluronan-Coated Aligned Collagen Hydrogel Promotes Stabilization of the Intervertebral Disc by Inducing Fibrosis in Annulus Fibrosus

The developed hyaluronan-coated type-I collagen hydrogel scaffold demonstrates a tensile strength of approximately 5 MPa, comparable to that of the annulus fibrosus.

• The scaffold promotes cell viability and alignment of annulus fibrosus cells and rat bone marrow stem cells along collagen fibrils.
• High expression levels of native extracellular matrix markers, such as collagen-I and aggrecan, indicate the scaffold's regenerative potential.
• In a rat disc model, the scaffold showed mechanical restoration of intervertebral discs after implantation.
• Histological analysis revealed significant collagen and glycosaminoglycan deposition in treated discs compared to untreated ones.
• Upregulation of profibrotic markers suggests fibrotic changes in the annulus fibrosus following treatment with the scaffold.

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