Seaweed-based scaffolds offer a green path for tissue engineering

Seaweed plays a vital role in marine ecosystems and offers a wide range of applications for human health and science. A team at Oregon State University has now demonstrated that marine algae (seaweed) can be used as a sustainable and vegan alternative to animal-derived or synthetic tissue scaffolds.

“Rather than using animal-derived or synthetic [chemically derived scaffolds], we want to utilize naturally found materials to produce the tissues, especially for use in preclinical testing,” said Gobinath Chithiravelu, the study’s author.

The team worked with Pacific dulse, a red marine seaweed sourced from a local farmers market. After cleaning and drying the algae, the researchers removed its cells, leaving behind the extracellular matrix (ECM), a natural structure that proved biocompatible with human cardiomyocytes, the cells responsible for heart contractions.

“So initially, we want to utilize the natural framework [of the seaweed] — we don't want to disturb the structure,” explained Chithiravelu.

The researchers treated the ECM with sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), a common laboratory reagent, to improve the scaffold’s ability to support cell attachment and tissue growth. The treatment produced fibrous tissue networks while reducing interference from the seaweed material itself.

The study shows that seaweed-based scaffolds could become a sustainable alternative in tissue engineering. They combine excellent biocompatibility, low production costs, and the potential to reduce animal testing during preclinical development.

“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,” said Chithiravelu.

With its abundance and versatility, seaweed could play an important role in regenerative medicine, biomaterial science, and pharmaceutical testing, providing researchers with a greener and more ethical option for future medical applications.

MEDICA-tradefair.com; Source: American Institute of Physics (AIP)