Sea urchins possess unique anatomical and physiological features, such as Mutable Collagenous Tissues (MCTs), which offer eco-friendly opportunities for biomedical applications1. Up to 90% of edible sea urchins are discarded as waste, yet their peristomal membranes remain a valuable source of MCT-derived native collagen for producing biomimetic materials.

In recent years, our lab has developed collagen-based biomaterials for tissue regeneration1,2, ranging from collagen scaffolds (Coll) to composites with sea urchin-derived antioxidants (Coll-PHNQs). Although these materials performed well in in vitro and in vivo models3,4, improvements in mechanical and ultrastructural properties were needed.

Hydrogels represent a key advancement in collagen biomaterials, offering improved mechanical strength and structural fidelity through collagen network crosslinking5. This study aimed to develop a collagen methacrylate (CollMA) hydrogel using photo-crosslinking.

Collagen was extracted from sea urchin peristomal membranes1,2, methacrylated using methacrylic anhydride, and crosslinked via UV light and Irgacure®. The resulting hydrogels were analyzed for ultrastructure (SEM), degradation (PBS, collagenase), hydration, and swelling—and compared to Coll.

CollMA retained its fibrillar structure and showed higher porosity, enhanced stability, and a lower enzymatic degradation rate than Coll.

This marks the first development of methacrylated collagen hydrogels from sea urchins. Further studies should explore their biocompatibility and performance in real-world biomedical contexts.

1)Di Benedetto et al., Mar. Drugs 2014, 12, 4912-4933

2)Ferrario et al, Mar. Drugs 2020, 18, 414

3) Carolo et al.,, Mar. Drugs 2023, 21, 506

4) Zivelonghi et al., Front. Vet. Sci 2024, 11, 1491385

5) Leonard et al., Adv. Funct. Mater. 2024, 34, 2405335