title: Liquid Crystal Elastomer Microspheres as Three-Dimensional Cell Scaffolds Supporting the Attachment and Proliferation of Myoblasts.
abstract: We report that liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs), often portrayed as artificial muscles, serve as scaffolds for skeletal muscle cell. A simultaneous microemulsion photopolymerization and cross-linking results in nematic LCE microspheres 10-30 μm in diameter that when conjoined form a LCE construct that serves as the first proof-of-concept for responsive LCE muscle cell scaffolds. Confocal microscopy experiments clearly established that LCEs with a globular, porous morphology permit both attachment and proliferation of C2C12 myoblasts, while the nonporous elastomer morphology, prepared in the absence of a microemulsion, does not. In addition, cytotoxicity and proliferation assays confirm that the liquid crystal elastomer materials are biocompatible promoting cellular proliferation without any inherent cytotoxicity.
authors.forename: Tanmay
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bera
authors.forename: Ernest J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Freeman
authors.forename: Jennifer A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: McDonough
authors.forename: Robert J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Clements
authors.forename: Asaad
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aladlaan
authors.affiliation: #Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3E 0T6, Canada.
authors.forename: Donald W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Malcuit
authors.affiliation: #Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3E 0T6, Canada.
authors.forename: Torsten
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hegmann
authors.forename: Elda
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hegmann
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000187:drug effects*; D002460:Cell Line; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D020724:Elastomers / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D050866:Liquid Crystals / Q000737:chemistry*; D051379:Mice; D008863:Microspheres; D032446:Myoblasts; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D020724:Elastomers
keywords: 3D cell scaffold; artificial muscle; cell proliferation; liquid crystal elastomer; microspheres; myoblasts