When cartilage damage in joints such as the knees, recovery is very slow, if at all.
But it was recently shown that experimental new hybrid materials could one day replace cartilage to promote the growth of new natural cartilage.
Researchers at Cornell University have developed a hybrid biomaterial that consists of natural collagen fibers, New Atlas reports, citing the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Soft and flexible material
The researchers explained that the new material, which is a mixture of hydrogel and collagen, is very similar to that found in natural collagen, noting that it is hard, flexible and soft at the same time.
In addition, it was found in laboratory tests that the material is close to the performance of normal joint cartilage, in addition to having 11 times the breaking energy (a measure of strength).
Because the new material is biocompatible, it can act as a host for neighboring cartilage cells to migrate to and multiply.
In turn, researcher Nikolaos Poklas, who conducted the study in collaboration with Professor Lawrence Bonassar, said: “Ultimately, we are seeking to achieve a step that serves the purposes of regenerative medicine, by creating a piece of a scaffold that can withstand some initial loads so that tissue regeneration is completely possible.”
“By using this material, a porous scaffold can be printed with 3D cells that can set the stage for actual tissue formation around the scaffold,” he explained.