Reinforcement of alginate hydrogels with microbial melanin as multifunctional platforms for 3D human mesenchymal stem cell culture
4 affiliations
- 1Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Monte Sant’Angelo Campus, via Cintia 4, Naples, 80126, Italy; MERLN Institute for Technology-Inspired Regenerative Medicine, Complex Tissue Regeneration Department, Maastricht University, Universiteitssingel 40, Maastricht, 6229ER, The Netherlands
- 2MERLN Institute for Technology-Inspired Regenerative Medicine, Complex Tissue Regeneration Department, Maastricht University, Universiteitssingel 40, Maastricht, 6229ER, The Netherlands
- 3Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Monte Sant’Angelo Campus, via Cintia 4, Naples, 80126, Italy
- 4MERLN Institute for Technology-Inspired Regenerative Medicine, Complex Tissue Regeneration Department, Maastricht University, Universiteitssingel 40, Maastricht, 6229ER, The Netherlands; Corresponding author.
Abstract
The development of biomaterials that combine structural support with bioactive functionality is essential for advanced tissue engineering. In this study, microbial melanin produced by Streptomyces nashvillensis DSM 40314 was incorporated into alginate hydrogels to create multifunctional scaffolds for three-dimensional (3D) culture of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs). Melanin incorporation enhanced the physico–chemical properties of the hydrogels by preserving the fundamental chemical structure of alginate. In particular, improvements were observed in viscoelastic behavior, electrical conductivity, and antioxidant activity, along with a reduction in enzymatic degradation. The structural characterization of the new formulated hydrogels revealed a high compact and heterogeneous network, due to interactions between the microbial melanin and alginate. Melanin-containing hydrogels supported hMSC viability and proliferation, also promoting cell spreading and cytoskeletal organization. Furthermore, in melanin-containing hydrogels intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) production was reduced and a modulation of the inflammatory gene expression occurred by up-regulation of IL-10 and downregulation of IL-1β gene expression. These findings demonstrate that the insertion of microbial melanin enhanced both the functional and biological performances of alginate hydrogels suitable for 3D cell culture. Unlike previously reported systems mainly based on animal-derived or synthetic melanin, this work proposes biotechnologically produced extracellular microbial melanin as both a structural modulator and a bioactive component in a 3D hMSC culture platform.
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BibTeX
@article{kordjazi2026reinforcement,
title = {{Reinforcement of alginate hydrogels with microbial melanin as multifunctional platforms for 3D human mesenchymal stem cell culture}},
author = {Talayeh Kordjazi and Zhengdong Gao and Loredana Mariniello and Odile Francesca Restaino and Lorenzo Moroni},
journal = {Carbohydrate Polymer Technologies and Applications},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1016/j.carpta.2026.101259},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carpta.2026.101259},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Reinforcement of alginate hydrogels with microbial melanin as multifunctional platforms for 3D human mesenchymal stem cell culture
AU - Talayeh Kordjazi
AU - Zhengdong Gao
AU - Loredana Mariniello
AU - Odile Francesca Restaino
AU - Lorenzo Moroni
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/30
JO - Carbohydrate Polymer Technologies and Applications
DO - 10.1016/j.carpta.2026.101259
UR - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carpta.2026.101259
AB - The development of biomaterials that combine structural support with bioactive functionality is essential for advanced tissue engineering. In this study, microbial melanin produced by Streptomyces nashvillensis DSM 40314 was incorporated into alginate hydrogels to create multifunctional scaffolds for three-dimensional (3D) culture of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs). Melanin incorporation enhanced the physico–chemical properties of the hydrogels by preserving the fundamental chemical structure of alginate. In particular, improvements were observed in viscoelastic behavior, electrical conductivity, and antioxidant activity, along with a reduction in enzymatic degradation. The structural characterization of the new formulated hydrogels revealed a high compact and heterogeneous network, due to interactions between the microbial melanin and alginate. Melanin-containing hydrogels supported hMSC viability and proliferation, also promoting cell spreading and cytoskeletal organization. Furthermore, in melanin-containing hydrogels intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) production was reduced and a modulation of the inflammatory gene expression occurred by up-regulation of IL-10 and downregulation of IL-1β gene expression. These findings demonstrate that the insertion of microbial melanin enhanced both the functional and biological performances of alginate hydrogels suitable for 3D cell culture. Unlike previously reported systems mainly based on animal-derived or synthetic melanin, this work proposes biotechnologically produced extracellular microbial melanin as both a structural modulator and a bioactive component in a 3D hMSC culture platform.
SN - 2666-8939
ER -