title: The role of microscaffold properties in controlling the collagen assembly in 3D dermis equivalent using modular tissue engineering.
abstract: The realization of thick and viable tissues equivalents in vitro is one of the mayor challenges in tissue engineering, in particular for their potential use in tissue-on-chip technology. In the present study we succeeded in creating 3D viable dermis equivalent tissue, via a bottom-up method, and proved that the final properties, in terms of collagen assembly and organization of the 3D tissue, are tunable and controllable by micro-scaffold properties and degradation rate. Gelatin porous microscaffolds with controlled stiffness and degradation rate were realized by changing the crosslinking density through different concentrations of glyceraldehyde. Results showed that by modulating the crosslinking density of the gelatin microscaffolds it is possible to guide the process of collagen deposition and assembly within the extracellular space and match the processes of scaffold degradation, cell traction and tissue maturation to obtain firmer collagen network able to withstand the effect of contraction.
authors.affiliation: Center for Advanced Biomaterials for HealthCare@CRIB Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Largo Barsanti e Matteucci n. 53, 80125 Napoli, Italy. Giorgia.imparato@iit.it
authors.forename: Giorgia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Imparato
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Urciuolo
authors.forename: Costantino
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Casale
authors.forename: Paolo A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Netti
mesh_terms: D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000378:metabolism*; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002470:Cell Survival; D003094:Collagen / Q000378:metabolism*; D020405:Dermis / Q000737:chemistry*; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D005780:Gelatin / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D016062:Porosity; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods*; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D005780:Gelatin; D003094:Collagen
keywords: Collagen assembly; Dermis; Gelatin microscaffold; Modular tissue engineering; SHG; TOC