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Engineering a Bilayered Hydrogel to Control ASC Differentiation
Published on: May 25, 2012
Nanostructuring of PEG-fibrinogen polymeric scaffolds
Ilya Frisman1, Dror Seliktar, Havazelet Bianco-Peled
1Department of Chemical Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel.
Acta Biomaterialia
|July 21, 2009
Summary
This study demonstrates how nanostructuring poly(ethylene glycol)-fibrinogen hydrogels with Pluronic F127 affects cell behavior. Modifying hydrogel nanostructure and mechanical properties offers a new strategy for controlling cellular responses in tissue engineering.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Tissue Engineering
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Nanostructuring of tissue engineering scaffolds significantly influences cell interactions.
- Polymeric hydrogels are promising scaffolds, but their cellular response needs optimization.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the nanostructuring of poly(ethylene glycol)-fibrinogen hydrogels using Pluronic F127.
- To correlate nanostructure modifications with mechanical properties and cellular behavior.
Main Methods:
- Hydrogel nanostructuring via Pluronic F127 addition.
- Cryo-transmission electron microscopy for micelle visualization.
- Rheological testing to assess mechanical properties.
- In vitro cellular assays to evaluate cell morphology and extension.
Main Results:
- Pluronic F127 self-assembled into micelles within the hydrogel, with density and ordering increasing with concentration.
- Hydrogel storage modulus correlated positively with Pluronic F127 concentration.
- Increased mechanical stiffness did not impede cellular extension and spindling within the 3-D hydrogel.
Conclusions:
- Nanostructuring poly(ethylene glycol)-fibrinogen hydrogels with Pluronic F127 alters mechanical properties.
- This strategy can be used to control cellular behavior in three-dimensional environments by tuning scaffold mechanics.
