Journal
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Volume 107, Issue 48, Pages 20709-20714Publisher
NATL ACAD SCIENCES
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1005211107
Keywords
tissue engineering; cell encapsulation; hydrogel network properties; hepatitis C virus
Categories
Funding
- Mogam Scientific Scholarship
- American Liver Foundation
- Stanford Dean's Postdoctoral Fellowship
- Beckman Interdisciplinary Translational Research
- Burroughs Welcome Fund Clinical Scientist Award in Translational Research
- Center for Translational Research in Chronic Viral Infections
- Center on Polymer Interfaces and Macromolecular Assemblies
- National Science Foundation Materials Research Science and Engineering Center
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Cell encapsulating poly(ethylene glycol) hydrogels represent a promising approach for constructing 3D cultures designed to more closely approximate in vivo tissue environment. Improved strategies are needed, however, to optimally balance hydrogel permeability to support metabolic activities of encapsulated cells, while maintaining patternability to restore key aspects of tissue architecture. Herein, we have developed one such strategy incorporating hydrophobic nanoparticles to partially induce looser cross-linking density at the particle-hydrogel interface. Strikingly, our network design significantly increased hydrogel permeability, while only minimally affecting the matrix mechanical strength or prepolymer viscosity. This structural advantage improved viability and functions of encapsulated cells and permitted micron-scale structures to control over spatial distribution of incorporated cells. We expect that this design strategy holds promise for the development of more advanced artificial tissues that can promote high levels of cell metabolic activity and recapitulate key architectural features.
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