Riboflavin-Induced Photocrosslinking of Highly Concentrated Collagen: Printing Accuracy, Degradation Time, and Cytocompatibility

The effect of riboflavin-induced collagen photocrosslinking on the scaffold printing accuracy, namely on the area of formed niches and filament thickness, as well as on the degradation time and biocompatibility of scaffolds, has been studied. The thickness of the filaments in the riboflavin-modified scaffolds was 13–29% less and the niche area was 23–40% larger than in the control group without riboflavin. The riboflavin addition reduced weight loss and increased the scaffold degradation time in the buffer solution and collagenase solution by 1.2–1.3, and 1.4–2.0 times, respectively, depending on the time of exposure to UV light. The existence of an optimal illumination interval was established. Cultivation of mesenchymal stem cells on a riboflavin-crosslinked scaffold for a week did not lead to a decrease in their viability and proliferation rate.