Fabrication of hyaluronic acid-gold nanoparticles with chitosan to modulate neural differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells

Background Chitosan (Chi) is a natural material which has been widely used in neural applications due to possessing better biocompatibility. In this research study, a novel of nanocomposites film based on Chitosan (Chi) with Hyaluronic Acid (HA), combined with varying amounts of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) was created resulting in pure Chi, Chi-HA, Chi-HA-AuNPs (25 ppm) and Chi-HA-AuNPs (50 ppm). Methods This study focused on evaluating their effects on Mesenchymal Stem Cell (MSC) viability, colony formation and biocompatibility. The surface morphology and chemical position was characterized through UV-Visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), Fourier-transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and contact-angle assessment. Results When seeding MSCs on Chi-HA-AuNPs (50 ppm), the results showed high cell viability, biocompatibility, and the highest colony formation ability. Meanwhile, the evidence showed that Chi-HA-Au nano film was able to inhibit Nestin and β-Tubulin expression of MSCs, as well as inhibit the ability of neurogenic differentiation. Furthermore, the results of Matrix Metalloproteinase 2/9 (MMP2/9) expression in MSCs were also significantly higher in the Chi-HA-AuNP (50 ppm) group, guiding with angiogenesis and wound healing abilities. In addition, in our rat model, both capsule thickness and collagen deposition were the lowest in Chi-HA-AuNPs (50 ppm). Conclusion Thus, in view of the in vitro and in vivo results, Chi-HA-AuNPs (50 ppm) could not only maintain the greatest stemness properties and regulate the neurogenic differentiation ability of MSCs, but was able to also induce the least immune response. Herein, Chi-HA-Au 50 ppm nano film holds promise as a suitable material for nerve regeneration engineering.