Mousumi Sukul

• Hlinková, Jana; Huo, Yiru; Sukul, Mousumi; Lewis, David J.; Reseland, Janne Elin & Haugen, Håvard Jostein [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2026). Dual-crosslinked chitosan nanofibres - Balancing mechanical enhancement with cytotoxic risk. Biomaterials Advances. ISSN 2772-9516. p. 215050–215050. doi: 10.1016/j.bioadv.2026.215050. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This study evaluated the effects of dual-crosslinking strategies on the mechanical performance and biocompati- bility of chitosan-norbornene (Chi-NB) nanofibres for tissue reconstruction. Chi-NB, bearing 28.6 ± 1.4 mol% alkene groups, was processed into nanofibres via solution blow spinning. Dual crosslinking was conducted by photo-initiated thiol-ene crosslinking with dithiothreitol (DTT), achieving >95% norbornene conversion with minimal thiol oxidation, followed by exposure to tannic acid (TA). Structural and chemical validation was per- formed using SEM, NMR, XPS, FT-IR, and tensile testing. In vitro, unmodified fibres supported robust cell viabil- ity, however, TA/DTT-modified fibres caused up to 15-fold higher LDH release at low seeding-densities, mirrored in indirect conditioned medium exposure, implicating cytotoxic leachates. Confocal imaging confirmed cell ad- hesion and cytoskeletal organisation whereas transcript analysis revealed altered expression of genes related to stress response, metabolism, growth, and differentiation. Overall, TA/DTT crosslinking improved nanofibre me- chanical properties but introduced bioactive residues, highlighting the need for post-processing and seeding den- sity optimisation. These findings support the translational potential of Chi-NB scaffolds in skin and neural tissue engineering, but future refinements are required for these applications.

• Sukul, Mousumi; Sahariah, Priyanka; Lauzon, Hélène L.; Borges, João; Másson, Már & Mano, Joao F. [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2021). In vitro biological response of human osteoblasts in 3D chitosan sponges with controlled degree of deacetylation and molecular weight. Carbohydrate Polymers. ISSN 0144-8617. 254, p. 117434–117434. doi: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2020.117434. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  We have studied the effect of chitosan sponges, produced from chitosan batches with distinct degree of deacetylation (DDA) and molecular weight (Mw), on the adhesion, growth and differentiation of primary human osteoblasts with an aim to offer a suitable tool for guided bone regeneration. All the chitosan sponges revealed similar microstructure, irrespective of the DDA (58, 73, 82, 88, and 91 %) and Mw (749, 547, 263, 215, and 170 kDa, respectively). Cell spreading was higher on sponges having a higher DDA. Higher DDA induced a more pronounced increase in alkaline phosphatase activity, osteopontin (OPN), vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and reduction in monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), sclerostin (SOST) and dickkopf related protein-1 as compared to lower DDA. Lower DDA induced the increased secretion of osteoprotegerin and SOST as compared to higher DDA. The combination of higher DDA and Mw induced an increased secretion of VEGF and IL-6, however reduced the secretion of OPN as compared to chitosan with similar DDA but with lower Mw. In summary, the variations in cellular responses to the different chitosan sponges indicate a potential for individual tailoring of desired responses in guided

• Sukul, Mousumi; Cama, Giuseppe; Dubruel, Peter; Reseland, Janne Elin & Haugen, Håvard Jostein (2020). Methacrylation increase growth and differentiation of primary human osteoblasts for gelatin hydrogels. Emergent Materials. ISSN 2522-5731. 3, p. 559–566. doi: 10.1007/s42247-020-00101-5. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The role of gelatin methacrylate hydrogels with varying degree of methacrylation (69% and 84%) was accessed with FTIR, NMR, microCT and subsequently exposure to human osteoblasts. The cells responded positively to the degree of methacrylation and showed attachment, growth and proliferated on both hydrogels. The cell reacted differently to the degree of methacrylation with higher proliferation on higher substitution; however, cell differentiation behavior was improved for less substitution. The secretion of late osteogenic markers (Osteoprotegerin (OPG), Osteopontin (OPN) and Osteocalcein (OCN)) and angiogenic factor Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) was increased for gelatin methacrylate hydrogels with 69% degree of methacrylation and thus would be the better candidate for future bone regenerative applications amongst the three tested hydrogels

• Haugen, Håvard Jostein; Basu, Poulami; Sukul, Mousumi; Mano, Joao F. & Reseland, Janne Elin (2020). Injectable biomaterials for Dental Tissue Regeneration. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. ISSN 1661-6596. 21, p. 3442–3442. doi: 10.3390/ijms21103442. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Injectable biomaterials scaffolds play a pivotal role for dental tissue regeneration, as such materials are more applicable in the dental field, particularly when compared to pre-formed scaffolds. The defects in maxilla-oral area are normally small, confined and sometimes hard to access. This narrative review described different types of biomaterials for dental tissue regeneration, also discussing the potential use of nanofibres for dental tissues. Various studies suggest that the tissue engineering approaches involving the use of injectable biomaterials have the potential of restoring not only dental tissue function but also their biological purposes

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