Open AccessDouble-Network Hydrogel with Tunable Mechanical Performance and Biocompatibility for the Fabrication of Stem Cells-Encapsulated Fibers and 3D Assemble
Author(s) -
Zhe Liang,
Chenguang Liu,
Lili Li,
Peidi Xu,
Guangsheng Luo,
Mingyu Ding,
Qionglin Liang
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
scientific reports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.24
H-Index - 213
ISSN - 2045-2322
DOI - 10.1038/srep33462
Subject(s) - biocompatibility , self healing hydrogels , tissue engineering , ethylene glycol , materials science , fabrication , embryonic stem cell , regenerative medicine , nanotechnology , biomedical engineering , cell , chemical engineering , chemistry , polymer chemistry , medicine , biochemistry , alternative medicine , pathology , metallurgy , gene , engineering
Fabrication of cell-encapsulated fibers could greatly contribute to tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. However, existing methods suffered from not only unavoidability of cell damaging conditions and/or sophisticated equipment, but also unavailability of proper materials to satisfy both mechanical and biological expectations. In this work, a simple method is proposed to prepare cell-encapsulated fibers with tunable mechanical strength and stretching behavior as well as diameter and microstructure. The hydrogel fibers are made from optimal combination of alginate and poly(N-iso-propylacrylamide)-poly(ethylene glycol), characteristics of double-network hydrogel, with enough stiffness and flexibility to create a variety of three dimensional structures like parallel helical and different knots without crack. Furthermore, such hydrogel fibers exhibit better compatibility as indicated by the viability, proliferation and expression of pluripotency markers of embryonic stem cells encapsulated after 4-day culture. The double-network hydrogel possesses specific quick responses to either of alginate lyase, EDTA or lower environmental temperature which facilitate the optional degradation of fibers or fibrous assemblies to release the cells encapsulated for subsequent assay or treatment.