WANA (Oct 31) – A team of researchers from the Reproductive Sciences Research Institute in Yazd, Iran, has successfully developed nanofiber scaffolds made from collagen and gelatin extracted from the skin of the longtail tuna fish. This achievement marks a promising step forward in the field of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.

 

The project, titled “Investigation of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cell Differentiation on Nanostructured Collagen and Gelatin Scaffolds Derived from Longtail Tuna Fish for Tissue Engineering Applications,” was carried out by a group of specialists including Dr. Habib Nikookar, Dr. Shahla Jamili, Dr. Vahid Rezban, and Dr. Mohammad Hadi Samiei.

 

The researchers extracted natural, biocompatible polymers—collagen and gelatin—from fish skin, offering an ethical and sustainable alternative to mammalian sources, which often pose religious and biological limitations.

 

According to the research team, the goal was to isolate and characterize the physical and chemical properties of marine-derived collagen and gelatin, and to evaluate their performance in supporting cell adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells.

The findings showed that the fabricated scaffolds provided a suitable microenvironment for the growth of fibroblasts and mesenchymal stem cells, promoting their differentiation into bone, cartilage, and adipose tissues.

 

Among the main advantages of these scaffolds are their high biodegradability, excellent biocompatibility, and reduced risk of zoonotic disease transmission. Moreover, using marine sources such as tuna fish offers an effective approach to producing bio-based materials free from religious restrictions—an important consideration in Muslim communities.

 

The researchers believe this breakthrough represents a significant step toward the advancement of regenerative medicine technologies, the development of locally produced bio-scaffolds, and the reduction of dependence on imported biomedical materials.

 

This innovation highlights Iran’s growing capabilities in advanced biotechnology and its potential to contribute meaningfully to global biomedical research.