Study Deems Seaweed a Viable Tissue Scaffold Alternative

While seaweed is a vital component of marine ecosystems, it also benefits human health and nutrition and has been popularly called a superfood due to its nutrient density. In a study published in Biointerphases by an Oregon State University research group, a new application for seaweed was identified: serving as a green, sustainable, and animal-free scaffold for tissue engineering.

“Rather than using animal-derived or synthetic, we want to utilize naturally found materials to produce the tissues, especially for use in preclinical testing,” explained first author Gobinath Chithiravelu. Tissue scaffolds provide a supportive structure for cellular growth in tissue engineering, and seaweed’s biocompatibility makes it a promising alternative for reducing reliance on animal-derived materials.

The researchers acquired Pacific dulse, a marine red seaweed, from a commercial source. After cleaning and drying the seaweed, they processed it to remove its cells, isolating the extracellular matrix (ECM) for use as a scaffold. This ECM was found to be compatible with human cardiomyocytes.

Once the seaweed scaffold was established, cardiomyocytes were grown on it, and the researchers evaluated the cell growth under various treatment conditions to determine which protocols best mimicked the cells’ native environment. They discovered that sodium dodecyl sulfate, a common laboratory reagent, was particularly effective in preparing the seaweed scaffold by enhancing growth into fibrous networks and lowering unwanted cell interference.

The results of the study showed strong biocompatibility between the seaweed scaffold and the human heart cells. This promising outcome suggests that marine-derived scaffolds could decrease the need for animal testing in preclinical phases and provide an economical and environmentally beneficial alternative to existing synthetic scaffolds. Chithiravelu highlighted seaweed’s accessibility and affordability in stating, “Why can’t we utilize seaweed? It's abundant in the oceans and—when compared with animal derived or synthetic material—the cost is very low.”