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Matrix Stiffness in Three‐Dimensional Systems Effects on the Behavior of C3A Cells
Author(s) -
Huang Xiaobo,
Hang Ruiqiang,
Wang Xiaoguang,
Lin Naiming,
Zhang Xiangyu,
Tang Bin
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
artificial organs
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.684
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1525-1594
pISSN - 0160-564X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1525-1594.2012.01546.x
Subject(s) - self healing hydrogels , stiffness , matrix (chemical analysis) , bioartificial liver device , hepatocyte , biomedical engineering , phenotype , materials science , cell culture , viability assay , tissue engineering , in vitro , biophysics , microbiology and biotechnology , chemistry , biology , composite material , gene , biochemistry , medicine , polymer chemistry , genetics
The purpose of this study was to evaluate in vitro how the modulation of stiffness in a three‐dimensional (3D) system independently influenced the behaviors of hepatocytes. Cells of a human hepatocyte cell line, C3A, which have been used in a clinically tested bioartificial liver support system, were conducted as cell models. Using a 3D system of “mechanically tunable” alginate hydrogels, matrix stiffness was modeled by corresponding to values in normal and fibrotic livers. Through observing the cellular morphology, viability, functional protein analysis, and gene expression, the effect of the 3D matrix stiffness on C3A cells was investigated. When cultured in stiff hydrogels (12 Kpa), C3A cells adopt a growth arrested and dedifferentiated phenotype, whereas in soft hydrogels (1 Kpa), they remain differentiated phenotype. The behavior of C3A cells can be modulated via independent tuning of mechanical stimuli in the 3D alginate hydrogels, which is different from that in the two‐dimensional (2D) systems. The results indicate the importance of matrix stiffness choice for liver tissue engineering.