International Journal of Molecular Sciences Article Impact of Digestive Inflammatory Environment and Genipin Crosslinking on Immunomodulatory Capacity of Injectable Musculoskeletal Tissue Scaffold Colin Shortridge 1, Ehsan Akbari Fakhrabadi 2 , Leah M. Wuescher 3 , Randall G. Worth 3, Matthew W. Liberatore 2 and Eda Yildirim-Ayan 1,4,* 1 Department of Bioengineering, College of Engineering, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43606, USA;
[email protected] 2 Department of Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43606, USA;
[email protected] (E.A.F.);
[email protected] (M.W.L.) 3 Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43614, USA;
[email protected] (L.M.W.);
[email protected] (R.G.W.) 4 Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Toledo Medical Center, Toledo, OH 43614, USA * Correspondence:
[email protected]; Tel.: +1-419-530-8257; Fax: +1-419-530-8030 Abstract: The paracrine and autocrine processes of the host response play an integral role in the success of scaffold-based tissue regeneration. Recently, the immunomodulatory scaffolds have received huge attention for modulating inflammation around the host tissue through releasing anti- inflammatory cytokine. However, controlling the inflammation and providing a sustained release of anti-inflammatory cytokine from the scaffold in the digestive inflammatory environment are predicated upon a comprehensive understanding of three fundamental questions. (1) How does the Citation: Shortridge, C.; Akbari release rate of cytokine from the scaffold change in the digestive inflammatory environment? (2) Fakhrabadi, E.; Wuescher, L.M.; Can we prevent the premature scaffold degradation and burst release of the loaded cytokine in the Worth, R.G.; Liberatore, M.W.; digestive inflammatory environment? (3) How does the scaffold degradation prevention technique Yildirim-Ayan, E.