Evaluation of Polymeric Particles for Modular Tissue Cultures in Developmental Engineering

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Tissue Engineering
• Developmental Biology

Background:

• Developmental engineering (DE) seeks to create functional tissues by culturing mammalian cells on modular scaffolds.
• Understanding cell-scaffold interactions is crucial for advancing DE and tissue manufacturing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of polymeric particles on modular tissue cultures.
• To evaluate the suitability of different polymers for cell colonization and tissue formation.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), poly(lactic acid) (PLA), and polystyrene (PS) particles (5-100 µm).
• Submerging particles in culture medium within tissue culture plastics (TCPs) for modular tissue cultures.
• Seeding and culturing human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs) on particles and TCPs.

Main Results:

• PMMA and PLA particles aggregated, while PS particles did not.
• HDFs could be seeded directly onto large PMMA particles but not small PMMA, PLA, or PS particles.
• HDFs migrated onto all particle types and colonized clustered PMMA and PLA particles, forming modular tissues.
• HDFs employed cell bridging and stacking strategies on particles and 3D-printed PLA discs.

Conclusions:

• Polymeric particle properties significantly influence cell attachment and tissue formation in DE.
• PMMA and PLA particles show potential as scaffolds for microcarrier-based cell expansion in modular tissue manufacturing.
• Cellular strategies for colonization are adaptable to various scaffold topographies, including clustered particles and 3D-printed structures.