title: Improving the integrity of three-dimensional vascular patterns by poly(ethylene glycol) conjugation.
abstract: Development of functional tissue-engineering constructs may require that multiple cell types be organized in controlled three-dimensional (3-D) microarchitectures with proper nutrient diffusion and vascularization. In the past few years, a variety of microscale techniques have demonstrated the ability to control protein and cell attachment in defined patterns. Nevertheless, maintenance of these patterns over time has been a significant challenge due to nonspecific protein adsorption and cell migration. To this end, we have investigated the effectiveness of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) thin films in maintaining the integrity of 3-D cellular patterns, using human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) as a model system. These HUVEC constructs were created using extracellular matrix (ECM)-based microfluidic patterning. Our results indicated that PEG-conjugated substrates improve cell pattern integrity as compared to control silicon. The compliance multifactor (a measure of pattern integrity; higher value means lower pattern integrity) was about 3.66 +/- 0.29 on day 5 for PEG-conjugated surfaces, compared with 8.23 +/- 0.42 for control surfaces ECM-based microfluidic patterning coupled with stable PEG-conjugated surfaces may serve as a vital tool for vascularized tissue engineering.
authors.affiliation: Davis Heart & Lung Research Institute, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA.
authors.forename: Sadhana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: Tejal A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Desai
mesh_terms: D002478:Cells, Cultured; D019610:Cytoprotection / Q000502:physiology; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005340:Fibrinogen / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D044085:Microfluidics / Q000379:methods; D008954:Models, Biological; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000379:methods*; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000737:chemistry*; D012825:Silicon / Q000737:chemistry; D013997:Time Factors; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods*; D014471:Umbilical Veins / Q000166:cytology
chemical_list: D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D005340:Fibrinogen; D012825:Silicon