Issue 1, 2021

Mechanically tunable elastomer and cellulose nanocrystal composites as scaffolds for in vitro cell studies

Abstract

Considering the range of properties that various materials offer for tissue engineering it has come clear that no one size fits all, as no one material can be fully effective for all types of cell and ensuing tissues. Scaffolds need to address the delicate balance between cell-scaffold interactions and the particular requirements of different cell types. To address the specific needs for the controlled growth of tissues it is imperative to match scaffold stiffness and elasticity to cells and tissues of interest to promote regeneration success. We here report an efficient method for creating scaffolds of tunable elasticity by generating a range of composites based on ε-caprolactone-D,L-lactide-based elastomer with cellulose nanocrystals (CNC). Two specific composites with different Young's modulus (E) values (∼5 MPa and ∼15 MPa) were selected and fully evaluated by tensile tests, Fourier Transform-Infrared (FT-IR), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), contact angle measurements, and X-ray scattering. As a proof of concept this work studies how matching the scaffold's mechanical properties to neuroblastomas and fibroblasts cells affects cell behavior. Specifically, the composite with lower E, by design with less CNC content, is more suitable for neuroblastomas, whereas the one with higher E via higher CNC content is more suited for human dermal fibroblasts. The approach of matching cells with appropriate mechanical environments can provide important insights into fundamental cell behaviors.

Graphical abstract: Mechanically tunable elastomer and cellulose nanocrystal composites as scaffolds for in vitro cell studies

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
03 9月 2020
Accepted
11 12月 2020
First published
15 12月 2020
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY-NC license

Mater. Adv., 2021,2, 464-476

Mechanically tunable elastomer and cellulose nanocrystal composites as scaffolds for in vitro cell studies

S. Ustunel, M. E. Prévôt, G. A. R. Rohaley, C. R. Webb, B. Yavitt, G. Freychet, M. Zhernenkov, R. Pindak, E. Schaible, C. Zhu, T. Hegmann, R. J. Clements and E. Hegmann, Mater. Adv., 2021, 2, 464 DOI: 10.1039/D0MA00676A

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported Licence. You can use material from this article in other publications, without requesting further permission from the RSC, provided that the correct acknowledgement is given and it is not used for commercial purposes.

To request permission to reproduce material from this article in a commercial publication, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party commercial publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements