Self-organizing tissue-engineered constructs in collagen hydrogels.
A novel self-organizing behavior of cellularized gels composed of collagen type 1 that may have utility for tissue engineering is described. Depending on the starting geometry of the tissue culture well, toroidal rings of cells or hollow spheroids were prompted to form autonomously when cells were seeded onto the top of gels and the gels released from attachment to the culture well 12 to 24 h after seeding. Cells within toroids assumed distinct patterns of alignment not seen in control gels in which cells had been mixed in. In control gels, cells formed complex three-dimensional arrangements and assumed relatively higher levels of heterogeneity in expression of the fibronectin splice variant ED-A--a marker of epithelial mesenchymal transformation. The tissue-like constructs resulting from this novel self-organizing behavior may have uses in wound healing and regenerative medicine, as well as building blocks for the iterative assembly of synthetic biological structures.
Department of Regenerative Medicine and Cell Biology, Clemson-MUSC Bioengineering Program, MUSC, Charleston, SC 29425, USA. gourdier@musc.edu
Robert G
RG
Gourdie
Tereance A
TA
Myers
Alex
A
McFadden
Yin-xiong
YX
Li
Jay D
JD
Potts
D000818:Animals; D003094:Collagen / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D020100:Hydrogels; D011817:Rabbits; D051381:Rats; D044968:Regenerative Medicine / Q000379:methods; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods*
D020100:Hydrogels; D003094:Collagen