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Dynamic cell patterning of photoresponsive hyaluronic acid hydrogels
Author(s) -
Goubko Catherine A.,
Basak Ajoy,
Majumdar Swapan,
Cao Xudong
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
journal of biomedical materials research part a
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.849
H-Index - 150
eISSN - 1552-4965
pISSN - 1549-3296
DOI - 10.1002/jbm.a.34712
Subject(s) - self healing hydrogels , hyaluronic acid , materials science , adhesive , nanotechnology , tissue engineering , biocompatible material , biophysics , microcontact printing , cell , cell encapsulation , biomedical engineering , chemistry , polymer chemistry , anatomy , biochemistry , biology , medicine , layer (electronics)
Techniques to pattern cells on biocompatible hydrogels allow for the creation of highly controlled cell microenvironments within materials that mimic the physicochemical properties of native tissues. Such technology has the potential to further enhance our knowledge of cell biology and to play a role in the development of novel tissue engineering devices. Light is an ideal stimulus to catalyze pattern formation since it can be controlled spatially as well as temporally. Herein, we have developed and enhanced a hydrogel cell patterning strategy. It is based on photoactive caged RGDS peptides incorporated into a hyaluronic acid (HA) hydrogel, which can be subsequently activated with near‐UV light to create cell‐adhesive regions within an otherwise non‐adhesive hydrogel. With this strategy, we have been able to pattern multiple cell populations—either in contact with one another or held apart—on an underlying chemically patterned HA hydrogel. Furthermore, the hydrogel cell pattern could be altered with time, even 2 weeks after initial seeding, to create additional adhesive regions to regulate the direction of cell growth and migration. These dynamic hydrogel cell patterns, created with a standard fluorescence microscope, were shown to be robust and lasted at least 3 weeks in vitro . © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 102A: 381–391, 2014.