Abstract
Biomaterials-based three dimensional scaffolds with tunable elasticity hold promise in replacing failed organs resulting from injuries, aging, and diseases by providing a suitable cellular microenvironment to facilitate regeneration of damaged tissues. However, controlled presentation of biological signals with tunable tissue mechanics and architecture remain a bottleneck that needs to be addressed to engineer functional artificial tissues. Nanocomposite hydrogels that promote cells adhesion and demonstrate tunable viscoelastic properties could mimic key properties and structures of native tissue. We have developed elastomeric fiber shaped cellular constructs from poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate, silicate nanoparticles, and gelatin methacrylate via ionic and covalent crosslinking. By controlling the interactions between nanoparticles and polymers, nanocomposite hydrogels with tunable mechanical and degradation properties are fabricated. By encapsulating multiple cell types in these cellular constructs, we demonstrate materials-based control of cell spreading, survival, and proliferation. As a proof-of-concept, we assembled the hydrogel microfibers to obtain multicellular elastomeric tissue constructs. These elastic microfibers may serve as model systems to explore the effect of mechanical stress on cell–matrix interactions. Moreover, such elastomeric hydrogel fibers can be used to engineer scaffold structures, fabric sheets, bundles, or as building blocks for 3D tissue construction.
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Acknowledgments
We would like to acknowledge Lauren Cross for hydrogel preparation, and Manish K. Jaiswal for SEM imaging. Ravi G. Patel of Cornell University for establishing focal adhesion protocol. We also like to thank Prof. Roland Kaunas (Texas A&M University) for providing RFP-mosJ cells.
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Charles W. Peak, James K. Carrow, Ashish Thakur, Ankur Singh, and Akhilesh K. Gaharwar declare that they have no conflicts of interest.
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Associate Editor Christine Schmidt oversaw the review of this article.
This article is part of the 2015 Young Innovators Issue.
Akhilesh K. Gaharwar is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Texas A&M University, where he directs the Inspired Nanomaterials and Tissue Engineering Laboratory. His research interest includes nanomaterials, cell-nanomaterials interactions, stem cell biology, and tissue engineering. His current research effort centers on creating bioactive nanomaterials for modulating the behavior of stem cells and understanding underlying nanomaterials induced cell signaling for developing bioengineering strategies. Dr. Gaharwar received his Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering at Purdue University and postdoctoral training at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University. Over 14 major international awards have recognized Dr. Gaharwar’s interdisciplinary research. He receives awards from three major societies: biomedical (2011 BMES Graduate Award, 2013 CMBE - BMES Rising Star/Fellows), materials science (2011 MRS Silver Award), and biomaterials (2010 Society For Biomaterials – STAR). He was awarded the prestigious “2010 Dimitris N. Chorafas Foundation Award” for an outstanding Ph.D dissertation. Other notable awards include “2011 ACTA Student Award”, “2005 DAAD Fellowship” and “2004 MHRD Fellowship”. He has published peer-reviewed research articles in Advanced Materials, ACS Nano, Advanced Functional Materials, Biomaterials, Acta Biomaterialia, Biomacromolecules, Journal of Controlled Release, and Tissue Engineering Part A.
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Peak, C.W., Carrow, J.K., Thakur, A. et al. Elastomeric Cell-Laden Nanocomposite Microfibers for Engineering Complex Tissues. Cel. Mol. Bioeng. 8, 404–415 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12195-015-0406-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12195-015-0406-7