Effect of Crosslinking Method on Collagen Fiber–Fibroblast Interactions

Collagen, the major structural protein of the extracellular matrix in animals, is a versatile biomaterial used in various tissue engineering applications. Crosslinking influences the mechanical properties, resorption kinetics, and biocompatibility of collagen-based biomaterials. In this study, we evaluated the effects of crosslinking on collagen fiber–fibroblast interactions in vitro. Collagen fibers were left untreated or crosslinked by ultraviolet (UV) irradiation, dehydrothermal (DHT) treatment (3 or 5 days), or hexamethylenediisocyanate (HMDIC) exposure. The initial attachment, proliferation (through 8 days), and morphology of human dermal fibroblasts were evaluated on control and crosslinked bundles of 200 collagen fibers in vitro. Initial attachment (number of fibroblasts at day 0) was increased on UV and DHT5-treated collagen fiber bundles. Fibroblast proliferation was similar for control, UV crosslinked, and DHT crosslinked fibers. In contrast, fibroblast attachment was significantly decreased and proliferation was delayed on HMDIC crosslinked fibers. These results, coupled with our previous studies, suggest that UV crosslinking of collagen fibers provides a combination of biocompatibility, mechanical properties, and strength retention suitable for various tissue engineering applications. q 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 63: 1493–1498, 1997