Issue 10, 2020

Mechanical and physicochemical behavior of a 3D hydrogel scaffold during cell growth and proliferation

Abstract

Some of the essential properties for cellular scaffolding are the capability to maintain the three-dimensional (3D) structure, good adhesion, and adequate elastic modulus during cell growth, migration, and proliferation. Biocompatible synthetic hydrogels are commonly used as cellular scaffolds because they can mimic the natural extracellular matrices (ECMs). However, it is possible that the physicochemical and mechanical behavior of the scaffold changes during cell proliferation and loses the scaffold properties but this is rarely monitored. In this work, the physicochemical and mechanical properties of a macroporous soft material based on poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) (PNIPAM) have been studied during a period of 75 days at culture condition while bovine fetal fibroblasts (BFF) were grown within the matrix. The interconnected macroporous hydrogel was obtained by cryogelation at −18 °C. The swelling capacity of the scaffold was not altered during cell proliferation but changes in the mechanical properties were observed, beginning with the high elastic modulus (280 kPa) that progressively decreased until mechanical stability (40 kPa) was achieved after 20 culture days. It was observed that the matrix–cell interactions together with collagen production favor normal cellular processes such as cell morphology, adhesion, migration, and proliferation. Therefore, the observed behavior of macroporous PNIPAM as a 3D scaffold during cell growth indicates that the soft matrix is cytocompatible for a long time and preserves the suitable properties that can be applied in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.

Graphical abstract: Mechanical and physicochemical behavior of a 3D hydrogel scaffold during cell growth and proliferation

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
08 okt 2019
Accepted
20 yan 2020
First published
05 fev 2020
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY-NC license

RSC Adv., 2020,10, 5827-5837

Mechanical and physicochemical behavior of a 3D hydrogel scaffold during cell growth and proliferation

R. E. Rivero, V. Capella, A. Cecilia Liaudat, P. Bosch, C. A. Barbero, N. Rodríguez and C. R. Rivarola, RSC Adv., 2020, 10, 5827 DOI: 10.1039/C9RA08162C

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