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Cellular Encapsulation in 3D Hydrogels for Tissue Engineering
Published on: October 26, 2009
Methods for photocrosslinking alginate hydrogel scaffolds with high cell viability
Andrew D Rouillard1, Caroline M Berglund, Jae Youn Lee
1Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA.
Tissue Engineering. Part C, Methods
|August 14, 2010
Summary
New photocrosslinking methods using VA-086 enable high-viability seeding of three-dimensional (3D) alginate-chondrocyte hydrogels. This approach minimizes cell death during scaffold fabrication for tissue engineering applications.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Tissue Engineering
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Developing methods for creating viable three-dimensional (3D) tissue-engineered constructs is crucial.
- Alginate hydrogels are promising biomaterials for cell encapsulation, but photocrosslinking methods must ensure cell viability.
- Photoinitiators play a key role in photocrosslinking, but their cytotoxicity can impact cell survival.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present methods for seeding high-viability (>85%) three-dimensional (3D) alginate-chondrocyte hydrogel scaffolds.
- To evaluate the efficacy of the photoinitiator VA-086 compared to other photoinitiators, like Irgacure 2959.
- To assess the impact of photocrosslinking parameters on chondrocyte viability in 2D and 3D cultures.
Main Methods:
- Photocrosslinking of methacrylate-modified alginate using the photoinitiator VA-086.
- Comparative analysis of VA-086 with other photoinitiators (e.g., Irgacure 2959) regarding cytotoxicity and process viability.
- Assessment of cell viability in 2D cultures and 3D hydrogel constructs using flow cytometry or similar methods.
- Measurement of the aggregate moduli of the 3D constructs.
Main Results:
- VA-086 enabled photocrosslinking without significant cell death, with non-cytotoxic radical generation at concentrations up to 1.5% w/v.
- Hydrogels with encapsulated bovine chondrocytes achieved >85% viability using VA-086.
- The commonly used Irgacure 2959 resulted in cell viabilities below 70% due to the cytotoxicity of its photogenerated radical, despite lower alginate crosslinking concentrations.
Conclusions:
- VA-086 is a suitable photoinitiator for creating high-viability 3D alginate-chondrocyte hydrogel scaffolds for tissue engineering.
- Photocrosslinking parameters, including photoinitiator choice, solvent, and UV exposure, significantly influence cell viability.
- The developed method offers a promising approach for fabricating functional tissue-engineered constructs with preserved cell viability.
