Chitosan microgels are of significant interest in tissue engineering due to their wide range of applications, low cost, and immunogenicity. However,
chitosan microgels are commonly fabricated using
emulsion methods that require organic
solvent rinses, which are toxic and harmful to the environment. The present protocol presents a rapid, non-cytotoxic, non-
emulsion-based method for fabricating
chitosan-
genipin microgels without the need for organic
solvent rinses. The
microgels described herein can be fabricated with precise size control. They exhibit sustained release of biomolecules, making them highly relevant for tissue engineering,
biomaterials, and regenerative medicine.
Chitosan is crosslinked with
genipin to form a
hydrogel network, then passed through a syringe filter to produce the
microgels. The
microgels can be filtered to create a range of sizes, and they show pH-dependent swelling and degrade over time enzymatically. These
microgels have been employed in a rat
growth plate injury model and were demonstrated to promote increased cartilage tissue repair and to show complete degradation at 28 days in vivo. Due to their low cost, high convenience, and ease of fabrication with cytocompatible materials, these
chitosan microgels present an exciting and unique technology in tissue engineering.