Synthesis of bioinspired collagen/alginate/fibrin based hydrogels for soft tissue engineering

• DOI: 10.1016/j.msec.2018.04.101
• Publication Date: 2018-05-17T03:54:56Z
• Authors: G. Montalbano; S. Toumpaniari; A. Popov; P. Duan; J. Chen; K. Dalgarno; W.E. Scott; A.M. Ferreira
• Keywords: Fibrin; 0303 health sciences; Tissue Engineering; Alginates; Alginate; Soft tissue engineering; Alginate; Collagen; Fibrin; Hydrogels; Soft tissue engineering; Alginates; Animals; Cell Line; Collagen Type I; Fibrin; Fibroblasts; Humans; Hydrogels; Insulin-Secreting Cells; Materials Testing; Mesenchymal Stem Cells; Mice; Tissue Engineering; Materials Science (all); Condensed Matter Physics; Mechanics of Materials; Mechanical Engineering; Hydrogels; Mesenchymal Stem Cells; Fibroblasts; Collagen Type I; Cell Line; Mice; 03 medical and health sciences; Insulin-Secreting Cells; Materials Testing; Animals; Humans; Collagen

Hydrogels based on natural polymers offer a range of properties to mimic the native extracellular matrix, and provide microenvironments to preserve cellular function and encourage tissue formation. A tri-component hydrogel using collagen, alginate and fibrin (CAF) was developed and investigated at three collagen concentrations for application as a functional extracellular matrix analogue. Physical-chemical characterization of CAF hydrogels demonstrated a thermo-responsive crosslinking capacity at physiological conditions with stiffness similar to native soft tissues. CAF hydrogels were also assessed for cytocompatibility using L929 murine fibroblasts, pancreatic MIN6 β-cells and human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs); and demonstrated good cell viability, proliferation and metabolic activity after 7 days of in vitro culture. CAF hydrogels, especially with 2.5% w/v collagen, increased alkaline phosphatase production in hMSCs indicating potential for the promotion of osteogenic activity. Moreover, CAF hydrogels also increased metabolic activity of MIN6 β-cells and promoted the reconstitution of spherical pseudoislets with sizes ranging between 50 and 150 μm at day 7, demonstrating potential in diabetic therapeutic applications.