Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/2445/179829
Title: Microfabrication of poly(acrylamide) hydrogels with independently controlled topography and stiffness
Author: Comelles Pujadas, Jordi
Fernandez Majada, Vanesa
Berlanga-Navarro, Núria
Acevedo, Verónica
Paszkowska, Karolina
Martínez Fraiz, Elena
Keywords: Intestins
Cultiu de teixits
Intestines
Tissue culture
Issue Date: 4-Mar-2020
Publisher: Institute of Physics Pub.
Abstract: The stiffness and topography of a cell's extracellular matrix are physical cues that play a key role in regulating processes that determine cellular fate and function. While substrate stiffness can dictate cell differentiation lineage, migration, and self-organization, topographical features can change the cell's differentiation profile or migration ability. Although both physical cues are present and intrinsic to the native tissues in vivo, in vitro studies have been hampered by the lack of technological set-ups that would be compatible with cell culture and characterization. In vitro studies therefore either focused on screening stiffness effects in cells cultured on flat substrates or on determining topography effects in cells cultured onto hard materials. Here, we present a reliable, microfabrication method to obtain well defined topographical structures of micrometer size (5-10 µm) on soft polyacrylamide hydrogels with tunable mechanical stiffness (3-145 kPa) that closely mimic the in vivo situation. Topographically microstructured polyacrylamide hydrogels are polymerized by capillary force lithography using flexible materials as molds. The topographical microstructures are resistant to swelling, can be conformally functionalized by extracellular matrix proteins and sustain the growth of cell lines (fibroblasts and myoblasts) and primary cells (mouse intestinal epithelial cells). Our method can independently control stiffness and topography, which allows to individually assess the contribution of each physical cue to cell response or to explore potential synergistic effects. We anticipate that our fabrication method will be of great utility in tissue engineering and biophysics, especially for applications where the use of complex in vivo-like environments is of paramount importance.
Note: Versió postprint del document publicat a: https://doi.org/10.1088/1758-5090/ab7552
It is part of: Biofabrication, 2020, vol. 12, num. 2, p. 025023
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/2445/179829
Related resource: https://doi.org/10.1088/1758-5090/ab7552
ISSN: 1758-5082
Appears in Collections:Articles publicats en revistes (Enginyeria Electrònica i Biomèdica)
Publicacions de projectes de recerca finançats per la UE
Articles publicats en revistes (Institut de Bioenginyeria de Catalunya (IBEC))

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