Electroactive hydrogel scaffolds based on gelatin and poly (2-methacryloyloxyethyl...

The neuroblastoma (NB) cells are versatile in the development of NB models to investigate drug response, cell motility, and tumor-matrix interactions, and especially in neural tissue engineering (NTE) applications. Though NB cultures are established in traditional 2-dimensional systems, they cannot ideally reflect tissue complexity and heterogeneity. Thus, NB cell culture in three-dimensional (3D) polymeric scaffolds is beneficial for creating in vitro NB models and for NTE, as it enables the development of new treatment and tissue-engineering platforms. The development of 3D scaffolds from cell-friendly natural and synthetic polymers for NB culture is promising, as these scaffolds can maintain higher cell densities and mimic the native geometry, heterogeneity, metabolic gradients, and microenvironment of NB cell growth. Towards the fabrication of an ideal 3D scaffold for NB culture, a newly designed block copolymer, poly(2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphoryl choline-b-poly(L-tyrosine) (p(MPC-b-p(Tyr)) is synthesized by combining RAFT, ring-opening polymerization, and azide-alkyne click reaction. Subsequently, a p(MPC)-b-p(Tyr) and gelatin (Gel)- derived hydrogel is synthesized, and microporous scaffolds from the hydrogel are fabricated via freeze-drying. The porous scaffold exhibited ideal swelling and degradation profiles, electroactivity, and mechanical characteristics suitable for NTE. The IMR-32 human NB cell culture on the porous scaffold demonstrated cytocompatibility, cell adhesion, and proliferative capability. Collectively, the electrical conductivity and promising cell-scaffold interactions indicate the potential of the scaffold for 3D culture of NB and NTE.