Hydrophilic Polydopamine (hPDA) Fueled Bioglue Enhances Tissue Adhesion and Promotes Healing of Avascular Meniscus Tears

Jani HR, Jeremias MA, et al.

Biomaterials

South Dakota State University, Columbia University Irving Medical Center

RESEARCH SUMMARY

This preprint developed a hydrophilic polydopamine-fueled fibrin bioglue platform to improve repair of avascular meniscus tears, where limited vascularity and poor intrinsic healing often prevent durable tissue integration. The authors converted water-insoluble polydopamine into water-soluble hydrophilic polydopamine through controlled depolymerization and recrystallization, producing monomeric and oligomeric species rich in catechol, amine, hydroxyl, and carbonyl functionalities. Physicochemical characterization by SEM, UV-Vis spectroscopy, FTIR, and mass spectrometry confirmed a distinct hPDA morphology and accessible adhesive chemistry. When incorporated into fibrin bioglues, hPDA improved degradation resistance, viscoelastic network stability, compressive stiffness, and adhesive performance. hPDA-containing formulations increased compressive modulus from 420 ± 82 kPa for fibrin to 1081 ± 228 kPa for FibhPDA and 1003 ± 152 kPa for FibGenhPDA. Lap-shear modulus increased from 103 ± 38 kPa for fibrin to approximately 637-642 kPa in hPDA-containing groups, while lap-shear strength increased from 22 ± 4.6 kPa to 64 ± 22 kPa for FibhPDA and 58 ± 32 kPa for FibGenhPDA. hPDA also showed strong cytocompatibility, maintaining high hBMSC viability in both 2D exposure assays and 3D fibrin bioglue cultures. In a bovine avascular meniscus explant model supplemented with CTGF and TGF-β3-loaded PLGA microspheres, hPDA-fueled bioglues promoted continuous tissue bridging, collagen deposition, collagen alignment, and improved macro- and microscale mechanical restoration after 6 weeks. Overall, the study positions hPDA as an injectable, water-soluble, catechol-rich interfacial mediator for mechanically demanding connective tissue repair.

CellScale UniVert systems were used for compression testing, lap-shear adhesion testing, and tensile pull-out testing. For compression testing, square bioglue specimens measuring approximately 5 mm × 5 mm × 2 mm were tested on a CellScale UniVert uniaxial mechanical testing system equipped with a 50 N load cell. Samples were compressed at 3.9 mm/min to 90% of their initial thickness, and compressive modulus was calculated from the linear elastic region of the stress-strain curve. For lap-shear testing, bovine inner-zone meniscus strips were bonded with 20 µL of fibrin, FibhPDA, FibGen, or FibGenhPDA over an approximately 5 mm × 10 mm overlap area, cured at 37 °C for 30 minutes, and then tested on a CellScale UniVert with a 10 N load cell at 0.1 mm/s. Maximum failure force was used to calculate adhesive shear strength, and lap-shear modulus was calculated from the linear region of the stress-strain response. For tissue integration testing, repaired bovine avascular meniscus explants were cultured for 6 weeks, mounted in custom tensile grips, preloaded to 0.02 N, and stretched on a UniVert platform at 10% strain per minute until failure while kept hydrated with PBS spray. These UniVert measurements showed that hPDA increased bulk bioglue stiffness, improved adhesive stiffness and strength at the meniscus-bioglue interface, and restored interfacial tensile mechanics in repaired meniscus explants.

AUTHORS

Hasan Rafsan Jani, Maya A. Jeremias, Aminah T. Sarowar, M. Nurul Islam, Chang H. Lee, Solaiman Tarafder.

PUBLICATION DETAILS

JOURNAL

Biomaterials

YEAR

2026

INSTITUTIONS

South Dakota State University, Columbia University Irving Medical Center

COUNTRIES

United States

INSTRUMENT USED

UniVert

TESTING METHODS

Compression TestingShear TestingTensile Testing

RESEARCH APPLICATIONS

Adhesives and Sealants TestingCartilage and Meniscus MechanicsHydrogel Mechanical TestingInjectable & Regenerative BiomaterialsScaffold Mechanical Testing

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