title: Microengineered PEG hydrogels: 3D scaffolds for guided cell growth.
abstract: Designing three-dimensional (3D) scaffolds for selective manipulation of cell growth is of high relevance for applications in regenerative medicine. Especially, scaffolds with oriented morphologies bear high potential to guide the restoration of specific tissues. The fabrication of hydrogel scaffolds that support long-term survival, proliferation, and unidirectional growth of embedded cells is presented here. Parallel channel structures are introduced into the bulk hydrogels by uniaxial freezing, providing stable, and uniform porosity suitable for cell invasion (pore diameters of 5-15 µm). In vitro assessment of the scaffolds with murine fibroblasts (NIH L929) shows a remarkable unidirectional movement along the channels, with the cells traveling several millimeters through the hydrogel.
authors: DWI an der RWTH Aachen e.V., Forckenbeckstr. 50, 52056 Aachen, Germany; Present address: Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH, 52425 Juelich, Germany.
authors: Vera A
authors: VA
authors: Schulte
authors: Dora F
authors: DF
authors: Alves
authors: Paul P
authors: PP
authors: Dalton
authors: Martin
authors: M
authors: Moeller
authors: Marga C
authors: MC
authors: Lensen
authors: Petra
authors: P
authors: Mela
mesh_terms: D000179:Acrylates / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004852:Epoxy Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology; D005027:Ethylene Oxide / Q000494:pharmacology; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D005615:Freezing; D020136:Hydrogel, Polyethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051379:Mice; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000494:pharmacology*; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods*; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000179:Acrylates; D004852:Epoxy Compounds; D020136:Hydrogel, Polyethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; C036658:acrylic acid; D005027:Ethylene Oxide; C009068:propylene oxide