# Extensible Collagen Hydrogels for Cartilage Tissue Engineering

> **NIH NIH F31** · CORNELL UNIVERSITY · 2021 · $46,836

## Abstract

This study aims to develop tissue engineered auricular cartilage with extensibility and toughness matching that
of native tissue. Auricular malformation in children due to congenital defects such as microtia present an unmet
clinical burden, with significant associated psychological morbidities and sound lateralization difficulties.
Autologous cartilage grafts, which are the current clinical standard of care, cannot be used in auricular
reconstruction for children under 5 years old, due to insufficient donor cartilage. Tissue engineered auricle
formation is a viable strategy for neo-cartilage formation and can be implemented in children unmet by current
standards of care. However, materials for tissue engineering of auricular cartilage have not been able to
achieve native levels of extensibility and toughness. Natural materials such as mussel byssal threads achieve
high extensibility and toughness through poly-histidine- and DOPA-metal complex formation. These complexes
improve extensibility and toughness in many hydrogel systems. However, this complex formation has not been
successfully applied to collagen hydrogel systems. Preliminary work by the author has shown that alginate
oligomers can be conjugated to collagen molecules without disruption of collagen structure or function and
leads to significant improvements in extensibility. The authors hypothesize that changing the extent of
conjugation of alginate oligomers, and the length of those oligomers, will lead to changes in extensibility in
resultant collagen gels. Thus, Aim 1 will determine the optimal parameters for extensibility and toughness,
without disruption of native structure and function. By improving the extensibility and toughness of the
underlying collagen hydrogel, the authors hypothesize that the mechanics of in vitro and in vivo cultured
auricular constructs will similarly be improved. Aim 2 is thus directed at fabrication of auricular chondrocyte-seeded constructs, with testing of resultant mechanical and biochemical development. Similarly, Aim 3 is
directed at fabrication of auricular chondrocytes in a murine sub-dermal model, with analysis of construct
mechanical, biochemical, and histological development. Combined, these aims will result in auricular cartilage
replacements that match the native mechanical function of elastic cartilage in patients with microtia and
auricular deformities.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10389343
- **Project number:** 1F31DE031513-01
- **Recipient organization:** CORNELL UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Leigh Slyker
- **Activity code:** F31 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $46,836
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2021-09-01 → 2024-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10389343

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10389343, Extensible Collagen Hydrogels for Cartilage Tissue Engineering (1F31DE031513-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-28 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10389343. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*