Characterization of Tissue Engineered Endothelial Cell Networks in Composite Collagen‑Agarose Hydrogels

Gels

Stefan Kalies¹  Andres Hilfiker²  Houda Ichanti²  Axel Haverich²  Birgit Andrée²  Sanja Sladic² 

[1] Institute of Quantum Optics, Leibniz University Hannover, 30167 Hannover, Germany;Leibniz Research Laboratories for Biotechnology and Artificial Organs (LEBAO), Department of Cardiothoracic, Transplantation and Vascular Surgery, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany;

关键词: collagen hydrogel;    hybrid hydrogel;    tissue engineering;    endothelial cell network;   

DOI  :  10.3390/gels6030027

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Scaffolds constitute an important element in vascularized tissues and are therefore investigated for providing the desired mechanical stability and enabling vasculogenesis and angiogenesis. In this study, supplementation of hydrogels containing either Matrigel^TM and rat tail collagen I (Matrigel^TM/rCOL) or human collagen (hCOL) with SeaPlaque^TM agarose were analyzed with regard to construct thickness and formation and characteristics of endothelial cell (EC) networks compared to constructs without agarose. Additionally, the effect of increased rCOL content in Matrigel^TM/rCOL constructs was studied. An increase of rCOL content from 1 mg/mL to 3 mg/mL resulted in an increase of construct thickness by approximately 160%. The high rCOL content, however, impaired the formation of an EC network. The supplementation of Matrigel^TM/rCOL with agarose increased the thickness of the hydrogel construct by approximately 100% while supporting the formation of a stable EC network. The use of hCOL/agarose composite hydrogels led to a slight increase in the thickness of the 3D hydrogel construct and supported the formation of a multi-layered EC network compared to control constructs. Our findings suggest that agarose/collagen-based composite hydrogels are promising candidates for tissue engineering of vascularized constructs as cell viability is maintained and the formation of a stable and multi-layered EC network is supported.

【 授权许可】

Unknown