Chitosan-based injectable porous microcarriers with enhanced adipogenic differentiation and angiogenesis for subcutaneous adipose tissue regeneration

Yan Gan; Haotian Han; Ying Zhang; Ziwei Zhou; Xiang Shen; Jianjun Fang; Lei Cui; Zhihua Zhou

doi:10.1016/j.bioadv.2025.214174

Chitosan-based injectable porous microcarriers with enhanced adipogenic differentiation and angiogenesis for subcutaneous adipose tissue regeneration

Biomater Adv. 2025 Jan 3:169:214174. doi: 10.1016/j.bioadv.2025.214174. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Yan Gan¹, Haotian Han², Ying Zhang¹, Ziwei Zhou¹, Xiang Shen³, Jianjun Fang⁴, Lei Cui⁵, Zhihua Zhou⁶

Affiliations

¹ Key Laboratory of Theoretical Organic Chemistry and Functional Molecule of the Ministry of Education, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Controllable Preparation and Functional Application of Fine Polymers, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Xiangtan, PR China.
² Department of Reconstructive and Regenerative Surgery, Shanghai Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, PR China.
³ Department of Orthopedics, The Fourth Hospital of Changsha, Changsha, PR China.
⁴ Key Laboratory of Theoretical Organic Chemistry and Functional Molecule of the Ministry of Education, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Controllable Preparation and Functional Application of Fine Polymers, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Xiangtan, PR China. Electronic address: fang_88088@163.com.
⁵ Department of Reconstructive and Regenerative Surgery, Shanghai Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, PR China. Electronic address: 14209@tongji.edu.cn.
⁶ Key Laboratory of Theoretical Organic Chemistry and Functional Molecule of the Ministry of Education, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Controllable Preparation and Functional Application of Fine Polymers, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Xiangtan, PR China. Electronic address: zhzhou@hnust.edu.cn.

PMID: 39756088
DOI: 10.1016/j.bioadv.2025.214174

Abstract

Chitosan is a promising biomaterial for tissue engineering, but its functionality is limited by a lack of bioactive sites. This study develops chitosan/amniotic membrane microcarriers to enhance vascularization and tissue regeneration for subcutaneous adipose tissue. The incorporation of decellularized amniotic membrane enhances the bioactivities of chitosan in promoting cell differentiation and angiogenesis. Optimized preparation yielded porous microcarriers with a particle size of 261.2 ± 28 μm and an average pore size of 19.0 ± 4 μm. In vitro degradation analysis showed accelerated degradation with higher amniotic membrane content. Cytocompatibility and adipogenic capacity assessments indicated that the microcarriers supported cell adhesion and proliferation over 7 days, with amniotic membrane facilitating adipogenic differentiation of adipose-derived stem cells. When injected subcutaneously into nude mice, these microcarriers formed neoplastic adipose tissues, which were harvested 8 weeks later. Fluorescence staining, oil-red O staining and CD31 labeling demonstrated that amniotic membrane incorporation significantly enhanced in vivo adipose tissue formation and angiogenesis.

Keywords: Adipose tissue regeneration; Chitosan; Microcarriers; Tissue engineering; Vascularization.