title: Composite ECM-alginate microfibers produced by microfluidics as scaffolds with biomineralization potential.
abstract: A novel approach to produce artificial bone composites (microfibers) with distinctive features mimicking natural tissue was investigated. Currently proposed inorganic materials (e.g. apatite matrixes) lack self-assembly and thereby limit interactions between cells and the material. The present work investigates the feasibility of creating "bio-inspired materials" specifically designed to overcome certain limitations inherent to current biomaterials. We examined the dimensions, morphology, and constitutive features of a composite hydrogel which combined an alginate based microfiber with a gelatin solution or a particulate form of urinary bladder matrix (UBM). The effectiveness of the composite microfibers to induce and modulate osteoblastic differentiation in three-dimensional (3D) scaffolds without altering the viability and morphological characteristics of the cells was investigated. The present study describes a novel alginate microfiber production method with the use of microfluidics. The microfluidic procedure allowed for precise tuning of microfibers which resulted in enhanced viability and function of embedded cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical and Specialty Surgical Sciences, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Angelozzi
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.
authors.forename: Martina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Miotto
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical and Specialty Surgical Sciences, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.
authors.forename: Letizia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Penolazzi
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mazzitelli
authors.affiliation: McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Timothy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Keane
authors.affiliation: McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Stephen F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Badylak
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical and Specialty Surgical Sciences, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Piva
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nastruzzi
mesh_terms: D000464:Alginates / Q000737:chemistry*; D001031:Apatites / Q000737:chemistry; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000737:chemistry*; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000187:drug effects; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000235:genetics*; D005780:Gelatin / Q000737:chemistry; D020723:Glucuronic Acid / Q000737:chemistry; D006603:Hexuronic Acids / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D020100:Hydrogels / Q000737:chemistry; D020894:Microfibrils / Q000737:chemistry*; D044085:Microfluidics / Q000379:methods; D010006:Osteoblasts / Q000187:drug effects; D012996:Solutions / Q000737:chemistry; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000464:Alginates; D001031:Apatites; D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D006603:Hexuronic Acids; D020100:Hydrogels; D012996:Solutions; D020723:Glucuronic Acid; D005780:Gelatin
keywords: Alginate; Microfibers; Microfluidics; Osteoblastic differentiation; UBM