Composite Hydrogels With Controlled Degradation in 3D Printed Scaffolds

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Engineering
• Tissue Engineering
• Regenerative Medicine

Background:

• Controlled cell delivery systems are crucial for therapeutic applications.
• Traditional methods face challenges in optimizing cell viability and release kinetics.
• Engineering advanced scaffolds is key to improving cell delivery outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a 3D printed hydrogel scaffold for controlled cell delivery.
• To improve cell viability and enable tunable release profiles.
• To investigate the use of a composite degradable hydrogel core.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a 3D printed poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) scaffold.
• Infusion of a composite hydrogel core with poly(lactic acid)-poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(lactic acid) (PLA-PEG-PLA) and poly(ethylene glycol) norbornene (PEGNB).
• Microfluidic encapsulation of cells within PEGNB microspheres and polymerization within the composite hydrogel.

Main Results:

• The PEGDA scaffold provided structural integrity and supported long-term cell viability.
• Cells encapsulated in PEGNB microspheres within the composite hydrogel maintained excellent viability for over a week.
• Tunable cell release was achieved by adjusting the PEGNB and PLA-PEG-PLA composition.
• Released cells demonstrated validated functionality, including viability and proliferation potential.

Conclusions:

• A 3D printed hydrogel scaffold with a composite degradable core offers a viable strategy for controlled cell delivery.
• The developed system enhances cell viability and allows for precise control over cell release rates.
• This approach, combining microencapsulation, composite hydrogels, and 3D printing, presents a novel route for advanced cell delivery applications.