Journal
SCIENCE CHINA-MATERIALS
Volume 60, Issue 9, Pages 857-865Publisher
SCIENCE PRESS
DOI: 10.1007/s40843-017-9081-5
Keywords
microfluidics; microcarrier; cell culture; microfiber; emulsion
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Funding
- National Natural Science Foundation of China [21473029, 51522302]
- NSAF Foundation of China [U1530260]
- Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu [BK20140028]
- Program for New Century Excellent Talents in University
- Scientific Research Foundation of Southeast University
- Scientific Research Foundation of Graduate School of Southeast University
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The fabrication of functional microcarriers capable of achieving in vivo-like three-dimensional cell culture is important for many tissue engineering applications. Here, inspired by the structure of Buddha beads, which are generally composed of moveable beads strung on a rope, we present novel cell microcarriers with controllable macropores and heterogeneous microstructures by using a capillary array microfluidic technology. Microfibers with a string of moveable and releasable microcarriers could be achieved by an immediate gelation reaction of sodium alginate spinning and subsequent polymerization of cell-dispersed gelatin methacrylate emulsification. The sizes of the microcarriers and their inner macropores could be well tailored by adjusting the flow rates of the microfluidic phases; this was of great importance in guaranteeing a sufficient supply of nutrients during cell culture. In addition, by infusing multiple cell-dispersed pregel solutions into the capillaries, the microcarriers with spatially heterogeneous cell encapsulations for mimicking physiological structures and functions could also be achieved.
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