TY - JOUR

T1 - Gelatin-Methacryloyl (GelMA) Hydrogels with Defined Degree of Functionalization as a Versatile Toolkit for 3D Cell Culture and Extrusion Bioprinting

AU - Pepelanova, Iliyana

AU - Kruppa, Katharina

AU - Scheper, Thomas

AU - Lavrentieva, Antonina

N1 - Funding information: Acknowledgments: This work was supported by the German Research Foundation (DFG project 398007461 “3D Dual-Gradient Systems for Functional Cell Screening”) and by the BIOFABRICATION FOR NIFE initiative, which is financially supported by the Lower Saxony Ministry of Science and Culture. We would like to thank the group of Tatiana Tennikova, St. Petersburg State University, for providing the AlgHEMA material. Our gratitude also goes to Peter Vogt and Sarah Strauß, Hannover Medical School, for providing the adipose tissues and corresponding regulatory framework. This work was supported by the German Research Foundation (DFG project 398007461 “3D Dual-Gradient Systems for Functional Cell Screening”) and by the BIOFABRICATION FOR NIFE initiative, which is financially supported by the Lower Saxony Ministry of Science and Culture. We would like to thank the group of Tatiana Tennikova, St. Petersburg State University, for providing the AlgHEMA material. Our gratitude also goes to Peter Vogt and Sarah Strauß, Hannover Medical School, for providing the adipose tissues and corresponding regulatory framework.

PY - 2018/9

Y1 - 2018/9

N2 - Gelatin-methacryloyl (GelMA) is a semi-synthetic hydrogel which consists of gelatin derivatized with methacrylamide and methacrylate groups. These hydrogels provide cells with an optimal biological environment (e.g., RGD motifs for adhesion) and can be quickly photo-crosslinked, which provides shape fidelity and stability at physiological temperature. In the present work, we demonstrated how GelMA hydrogels can be synthesized with a specific degree of functionalization (DoF) and adjusted to the intended application as a three-dimensional (3D) cell culture platform. The focus of this work lays on producing hydrogel scaffolds which provide a cell promoting microenvironment for human adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hAD-MSCs) and are conductive to their adhesion, spreading, and proliferation. The control of mechanical GelMA properties by variation of concentration, DoF, and ultraviolet (UV) polymerization conditions is described. Moreover, hAD-MSC cell viability and morphology in GelMA of different stiffness was evaluated and compared. Polymerized hydrogels with and without cells could be digested in order to release encapsulated cells without loss of viability. We also demonstrated how hydrogel viscosity can be increased by the use of biocompatible additives, in order to enable the extrusion bioprinting of these materials. Taken together, we demonstrated how GelMA hydrogels can be used as a versatile tool for 3D cell cultivation.

AB - Gelatin-methacryloyl (GelMA) is a semi-synthetic hydrogel which consists of gelatin derivatized with methacrylamide and methacrylate groups. These hydrogels provide cells with an optimal biological environment (e.g., RGD motifs for adhesion) and can be quickly photo-crosslinked, which provides shape fidelity and stability at physiological temperature. In the present work, we demonstrated how GelMA hydrogels can be synthesized with a specific degree of functionalization (DoF) and adjusted to the intended application as a three-dimensional (3D) cell culture platform. The focus of this work lays on producing hydrogel scaffolds which provide a cell promoting microenvironment for human adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hAD-MSCs) and are conductive to their adhesion, spreading, and proliferation. The control of mechanical GelMA properties by variation of concentration, DoF, and ultraviolet (UV) polymerization conditions is described. Moreover, hAD-MSC cell viability and morphology in GelMA of different stiffness was evaluated and compared. Polymerized hydrogels with and without cells could be digested in order to release encapsulated cells without loss of viability. We also demonstrated how hydrogel viscosity can be increased by the use of biocompatible additives, in order to enable the extrusion bioprinting of these materials. Taken together, we demonstrated how GelMA hydrogels can be used as a versatile tool for 3D cell cultivation.

KW - 3D cell culture

KW - Adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (AD-MSCs)

KW - ASCs

KW - Bioprinting

KW - GelMA

KW - Hydrogels

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85056764849&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.3390/bioengineering5030055

DO - 10.3390/bioengineering5030055

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85056764849

VL - 5

JO - Bioengineering

JF - Bioengineering

IS - 3

M1 - 55

ER -