Abstract

DNA-Inspired Janus Base Nanomaterials for Cartilage Tissue Chip Applications

Yupeng Chen, Associate Professor, University of Connecticut

Absence of biomechanical loading in microgravity can result in articular cartilage degeneration. Once damaged, cartilage has very limited self-regeneration. Therefore, many biomaterial scaffolds have been developed for cartilage tissue engineering. Conventional solid scaffolds are not injectable so they have limitations for applications in “difficult-to-reach” locations, such as microchannels of tissue chips or deep-tissue damage; hydrogels are semisolid materials so they don’t have solid surface for cell anchorage which could be a limitation in space. To overcome this challenge, we have developed a family of self-assembled scaffolds, named Janus base nano-matrices (JBNms). JBNms are formed by the self-assembly between Janus base nanotubes (JBNts, non-covalent nanotubes mimicking DNA base pairs) and extracellular matrix proteins (such as matrilin, a cartilage specific protein). We have also found that the JBNm presented synergistic functions from JBNts and matrilin, which can create a microenvironment selectively promoting chondrogenic differentiation of stem cells. We have demonstrated that the JBNm can significantly improve longevity and reusability of cartilage tissue chips as while as growth plate cartilage regeneration in a preclinical animal model. Therefore, the JBNm is a versatile scaffold suitable for cartilage tissue engineering and tissue chip applications on Earth and in space.