The biocompatibility of materials is the most important factor for biomedical applications. CD BioGlyco is committed to providing clients with in vitro and in vivo biocompatibility assessment services for a wide range of Carbohydrate-based Biodegradable Materials using different strategies, accelerating the development of biomaterials with high biocompatibility and functional properties.

Biocompatibility of Polysaccharide-based Biodegradable Materials

Polysaccharide biopolymers are highly stable, non-toxic, biocompatible, and biodegradable. Therefore the development of novel polysaccharide-based biodegradable materials has been a hot topic in the biomedical field of drug delivery, tissue engineering, scaffold materials, and wound dressings. The concept of biocompatibility is undeniably a major concern in the design of polysaccharide-based biomaterials. It refers to the ability of a biomaterial to perform its function without deleterious effects on the organism but with appropriate host responses under certain circumstances.

The concept of biocompatibility includes bio-inertia, bio-functionality, and bio-stability. High biocompatibility is highly desirable for new polysaccharide-based biomaterials. The structural, mechanical, and chemical properties of polysaccharide-based materials and their interactions with biological systems all affect biocompatibility. It is therefore highly desirable to develop extensive specificity tests to ensure the safety and efficacy of biomaterials, which are important for the development of biomaterials with high biocompatibility and functional properties (osteoinductive, antibacterial).

Fig.1 Thrombogenicity assessment and effect of 3D microporosity. (Osorio, et al., 2019)

Biocompatibility Testing of Polysaccharide-based Biodegradable Materials at CD BioGlyco

We provide our clients with specialist Biological Characterization Services for Polysaccharide-based Biodegradable Materials to ensure that the biomaterials developed are non-toxic, non-carcinogenic, non-thrombogenic, non-antigenic, and non-mutagenic. Our biocompatibility testing is a complex process that includes both in vitro and in vivo specific tests depending on the end use of the polysaccharide-based biomaterial. Our biocompatibility testing includes:

• Cytotoxicity (tissue culture)
  We help clients assess the biocompatibility of polysaccharide-based biomaterials by using isolated cells in vitro. These methods can be used to evaluate the toxicity or irritation of materials.
  
  • Qualitative cytotoxicity tests
    We provide three qualitative cytotoxicity tests, including the direct contact procedure, agar diffusion assay, and MEM elution assay.
    
  • Quantitative cytotoxicity-MTT assay
    We offer MTT assays to help clients evaluate cell viability and proliferation.
• Sensitization assays
  We offer skin sensitization assay to assess the allergenic potential of polysaccharide-based biomaterials. Our methods include the guinea pig maximization test, the closed patch test, and the murine local lymph node assay (LLNA), which determines the quantitative increase in lymphocytes in response to a sensitizer.
• Irritation (intracutaneous reactivity) testing
  We usually use sites such as skin or mucous membranes in animal models to assess the potential for polysaccharide-based biomaterials to irritate exposed areas of the body.
  
• Acute systemic toxicity testing
  Acute systemic toxicity tests provide an estimate of the hazard potential of biomaterials after a short exposure in animals. We offer material-mediated pyrogen testing to help clients assess the potential for a pyrogenic reaction or fever caused by the material when it enters the blood.
  
• Genotoxicity evaluation
  We provide genotoxicity assessments using a set of in vitro and in vivo tests to detect mutagens, i.e. substances that can induce genetic damage directly or indirectly through a variety of mechanisms. Our methods include the Ames test, the mouse lymphoma assay, and the HGPRT assay.
  
• Hemocompatibility
  We help our clients assess the haemocompatibility of polysaccharide-based biomaterials used in blood-contacting devices to determine their safety. We provide the hemolysis assay, coagulation assay, platelet activation testing, thrombogenicity test, and complement activation testing.
  

CD BioGlyco has gained extensive experience in providing services in the field of Characterization of Polysaccharide-based Biodegradable Materials. Combining our testing experience with our toxicology consultancy services, our researchers can guide you from strategy development to all the tests required for the development of new polysaccharide-based materials.

If you are interested in our biocompatibility testing, please feel free to contact us for more details.