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Generation of cell-laden GelMA microspheres using microfluidic chip and its cryopreservation method
Jia Tan1,2,3, Jiahui Li1,2,3, Xinli Zhou1,2,3
1Institute of Biothermal Science & Technology, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093, People's Republic of China.
Biomedical Materials (Bristol, England)
|August 15, 2023
Summary
Gelatin methacrylate (GelMA) hydrogel microspheres offer enhanced cell cryopreservation. GelMA hydrogels protect cells during freezing, potentially reducing the need for cryoprotective agents.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Tissue Engineering
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Gelatin methacrylate (GelMA) hydrogels are valuable in tissue engineering due to their biological and physical characteristics.
- Fabricating uniform, cell-laden GelMA hydrogel microspheres is crucial for applications like tissue engineering.
- Effective cell cryopreservation is essential for the long-term storage and accessibility of engineered tissues.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and optimize a microfluidic method for fabricating cell-laden GelMA hydrogel microspheres.
- To investigate the cryopreservation potential of these GelMA microspheres, including their protective effect on encapsulated cells.
- To assess the efficacy of GelMA hydrogels in reducing the requirement for traditional cryoprotective agents.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a polymethyl methacrylate-based microfluidic flow-focusing chip for microsphere fabrication.
- Optimized chip design (throat region, photocrosslinking region), flow rate ratios, and GelMA concentration for stable microsphere production.
- Evaluated cryopreservation of cell-laden GelMA microspheres using slow and rapid freezing methods, with and without dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO).
Main Results:
- Successfully fabricated stable, cell-laden GelMA hydrogel microspheres with optimized microfluidic parameters.
- Demonstrated that GelMA microspheres significantly improve encapsulated cell survival rates after rapid freezing compared to unencapsulated cells.
- Found that GelMA hydrogel encapsulation with 5% DMSO achieved comparable cell viability to traditional slow freezing with 10% DMSO, suggesting a protective role of GelMA.
Conclusions:
- Gelatin methacrylate hydrogels possess inherent cryoprotective properties, potentially reducing the concentration of external cryoprotective agents needed.
- Microfluidic fabrication of GelMA hydrogel microspheres provides a scalable method for creating cell-laden constructs suitable for cryopreservation.
- These findings advance the development of off-the-shelf tissue-engineered constructs by improving cell cryopreservation strategies.
