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Immobilized fibrinogen in PEG hydrogels does not improve chondrocyte‐mediated matrix deposition in response to mechanical stimulation
Author(s) -
Schmidt Orit,
Mizrahi Joseph,
Elisseeff Jennifer,
Seliktar Dror
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
biotechnology and bioengineering
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.136
H-Index - 189
eISSN - 1097-0290
pISSN - 0006-3592
DOI - 10.1002/bit.21072
Subject(s) - mechanotransduction , self healing hydrogels , scaffold , peg ratio , chondrocyte , biomedical engineering , mechanobiology , biophysics , chemistry , stimulation , ethylene glycol , chondrogenesis , tissue engineering , glycosaminoglycan , materials science , microbiology and biotechnology , cell , biochemistry , polymer chemistry , medicine , neuroscience , in vitro , biology , organic chemistry , finance , economics
The present investigation aims to explore the role of cell‐scaffold interactions and whole cell compression in chondrocyte mechanotransduction using encapsulating poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) hydrogel scaffolds and primary bovine chondrocytes. Scaffolds made from PEG hydrogels with immobilized fibrinogen molecules were seeded with chondrocytes and subjected to 15% dynamic compressive strain at 1‐Hz frequency. Dynamic strain stimulation resulted in a 37% increase in the levels of sulfated glycosaminoglycan (sGAG) after 2 weeks of stimulation, when compared to static controls. Comparing results of the PEG‐fibrinogen scaffolds with their respective PEG control group did not show significant differences between the two, even following 2 weeks of dynamic mechanical stimulation. Accordingly, these findings indicate that while cell deformations cause metabolic changes in chondrocytes seeded in PEG hydrogels, it is difficult to ascertain the role of matrix bioactivity in enhancing chondrocyte mechanotransduction in encapsulating scaffolds subjected to physical deformations. This study shows how interactions between mechanical stimulation and scaffold composition are evaluated using an experimental approach and customized biomaterial scaffolds. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.