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Tuning the Phenotype of Cartilage Tissue Mimics by Varying Spheroid Maturation and Methacrylamide‐Modified Gelatin Hydrogel Characteristics
Author(s) -
De Moor Lise,
Minne Mendy,
Tytgat Liesbeth,
Vercruysse Chris,
Dubruel Peter,
Van Vlierberghe Sandra,
Declercq Heidi
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
macromolecular bioscience
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.924
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1616-5195
pISSN - 1616-5187
DOI - 10.1002/mabi.202000401
Subject(s) - spheroid , gelatin , methacrylamide , cartilage , extracellular matrix , self healing hydrogels , chemistry , chondrocyte , tissue engineering , chondrogenesis , microbiology and biotechnology , biomedical engineering , biophysics , anatomy , biology , in vitro , polymer chemistry , polymer , medicine , biochemistry , acrylamide , organic chemistry , copolymer
Abstract In hybrid bioprinting of cartilage tissue constructs, spheroids are used as cellular building blocks and combined with biomaterials for dispensing. However, biomaterial intrinsic cues can deeply affect cell fate and to date, the influence of hydrogel encapsulation on spheroid viability and phenotype has received limited attention. This study assesses this need and unravels 1) how the phenotype of spheroid‐laden constructs can be tuned through adjusting the hydrogel physico–chemical properties and 2) if the spheroid maturation stage prior to encapsulation is a determining factor for the construct phenotype. Articular chondrocyte spheroids with a cartilage specific extracellular matrix (ECM) are generated and different maturation stages, early‐, mid‐, and late‐stage (3, 7, and 14 days, respectively), are harvested and encapsulated in 10, 15, or 20 w/v% methacrylamide‐modified gelatin (gelMA) for 14 days. The encapsulation of immature spheroids do not lead to a cartilage‐like ECM production but when more mature mid‐ or late‐stage spheroids are combined with a certain concentration of gelMA, a fibrocartilage‐like as well as a hyaline cartilage‐like phenotype can be induced. As a proof of concept, late‐stage spheroids are bioprinted using a 10 w/v% gelMA–Irgacure 2959 solution with the aim to test the processing potential of the spheroid‐laden bioink.