Safe and natural innovation in regenerative medicine: enhancing collagen scaffold stability with vitamin B2 (riboflavin)-mediated UV crosslinking

Safe and natural innovation in regenerative medicine: enhancing collagen scaffold stability with vitamin B2 (riboflavin)-mediated UV crosslinking

Článek WoS

Collagen scaffolds are widely used in regenerative medicine but are limited by poor mechanical strength and rapid degradation. Traditional chemical crosslinkers, such as aldehydes or carbodiimides, can introduce cytotoxicity, necessitating safer alternatives. This study evaluates riboflavin-mediated UV crosslinking as a non-toxic method to enhance the stability of collagen scaffolds for wound healing, since riboflavin is naturally involved in tissue repair and regeneration. Collagen type I scaffolds were crosslinked using riboflavin (1–1000 µM) in water or ethanol while exposed to UV-A or UV-C light for varying durations. Structural integrity, swelling, enzymatic stability, and cytotoxicity were assessed and compared to carbodiimide-crosslinked controls. Results showed that water-based riboflavin solutions maintained scaffold porosity and the collagen’s triple-helix structure, while ethanol disrupted morphology. UV-A crosslinking with 1000 µM riboflavin achieved optimal stabilization, reducing water uptake and enzymatic degradation, while having minimal impact on collagen’s secondary structure. Although carbodiimide-crosslinked scaffolds exhibited slightly higher stability (>60% degradation vs. > 70% for riboflavin-UV after 3 days), riboflavin-UV crosslinking eliminated cytotoxic risks and simplified processing. In conclusion, riboflavin-mediated UV crosslinking offers a safe, effective, and tunable alternative for stabilizing collagen scaffolds, thereby enabling their use in regenerative medicine and wound healing applications.

Collagen scaffolds are widely used in regenerative medicine but are limited by poor mechanical strength and rapid degradation. Traditional chemical crosslinkers, such as aldehydes or carbodiimides, can introduce cytotoxicity, necessitating safer alternatives. This study evaluates riboflavin-mediated UV crosslinking as a non-toxic method to enhance the stability of collagen scaffolds for wound healing, since riboflavin is naturally involved in tissue repair and regeneration. Collagen type I scaffolds were crosslinked using riboflavin (1–1000 µM) in water or ethanol while exposed to UV-A or UV-C light for varying durations. Structural integrity, swelling, enzymatic stability, and cytotoxicity were assessed and compared to carbodiimide-crosslinked controls. Results showed that water-based riboflavin solutions maintained scaffold porosity and the collagen’s triple-helix structure, while ethanol disrupted morphology. UV-A crosslinking with 1000 µM riboflavin achieved optimal stabilization, reducing water uptake and enzymatic degradation, while having minimal impact on collagen’s secondary structure. Although carbodiimide-crosslinked scaffolds exhibited slightly higher stability (>60% degradation vs. > 70% for riboflavin-UV after 3 days), riboflavin-UV crosslinking eliminated cytotoxic risks and simplified processing. In conclusion, riboflavin-mediated UV crosslinking offers a safe, effective, and tunable alternative for stabilizing collagen scaffolds, thereby enabling their use in regenerative medicine and wound healing applications.

Tissue engineering; Collagen; Riboflavin; Photo-crosslinking; Scaffold; Biocompatibility

Tissue engineering; Collagen; Riboflavin; Photo-crosslinking; Scaffold; Biocompatibility

IZSÁK, D.; PAVLIŇÁKOVÁ, V.; MATULOVÁ, J.; DINPARVAR, S.; CHAMRADOVÁ, I.; VOJTOVÁ, L.

01.09.2026

Elsevier BV

Materials & Design

269

September 2026

Spojené království Velké Británie a Severního Irska

116595

15

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264127526011706#kg005

http://hdl.handle.net/11012/527881