JSR photolithography based microvessel scaffold fabrication and cell seeding

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Engineering
• Tissue Engineering
• Microfluidics

Background:

• Fabricating microvessel scaffolds is crucial for tissue engineering and studying cellular responses.
• Existing methods may face challenges in cost, complexity, or cell culture efficiency.
• Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) are common materials in microfluidic device fabrication.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a simple, inexpensive microvessel scaffold for cell culture.
• To evaluate the feasibility of cultivating bovine endothelial cells (BECs) within the scaffold.
• To improve nutrient and oxygen exchange for enhanced cell viability.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of microchannel structures using a lithography approach with negative photoresist JSR on a PMMA substrate.
• Creation of a soft PDMS-based microvessel scaffold using a JSR mold.
• Surface modification of PDMS via O(2) plasma treatment to enhance hydrophilicity.
• Static cell culture of BECs followed by dynamic seeding using a novel apparatus.

Main Results:

• A functional microvessel scaffold was successfully fabricated using cost-effective lithography.
• PDMS scaffold surface modification improved hydrophilicity, facilitating cell culture initiation.
• Static culture showed BEC growth, but inefficient nutrient/oxygen exchange was observed.
• Dynamic seeding significantly improved culture medium circulation and enabled successful BEC cultivation.

Conclusions:

• The developed lithography-based method provides a simple and affordable route to microvessel scaffold fabrication.
• Surface treatment and dynamic seeding are critical for overcoming limitations in static cell culture within microvessel scaffolds.
• This approach holds promise for advanced applications in tissue engineering and in vitro vascular modeling.