This work was supported by the Singapore National Research Foundation administered by one of its Research Centers of Excellence, the Mechanobiology Institute, Singapore. MFAC is supported by the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (Singapore) and National Agency for Research (France) joint program under project number 1122703037. BKKT is supported by the Mechanobiology Institute. We thank Mr. Daniel HC Wong for proof-reading the manuscript and Ms. Dawn JH Neo for assisting in the video production.

1. Preparation of Polyelectrolyte Solutions
<ol>
	<li>Purify chitosan, as detailed in Liao et al. Briefly, create a 1% (w/v) solution of chitosan in 2% (v/v) acetic acid and vacuum filter using grade 93 filter paper. Neutralize the filtrate using 5M NaOH until the pH stabilized to 7. Centrifuge the precipitated chitosan at 1,200 x g for 10 min. Decant the supernatant and add deionized water to wash the chitosan. Repeat the centrifugation and washing step two more times. Freeze the precipitated chitosan at -80 &#176;C and lyophilize O/N to obtain the purified form. Store purified chitosan in a dehumidified cabinet.</li>
	<li>Weigh out 1 g of purified chitosan into a sterile tissue culture dish. Place the chitosan in the tissue culture dish as close as possible to the UV lamp in the biological safety cabinet and expose to UV light for 15 min. Using sterile forceps, place the sterilized chitosan into a glass container. Dissolve chitosan using filtered 0.15M acetic acid to a final concentration between 0.5% and 1% (w/v).</li>
	<li>Weigh out 0.1 g of alginic acid sodium salt and dissolve in 10 ml distilled deionized (DDI) water to obtain a 1% (w/v) solution. Mix the alginic acid sodium salt for at least 2 hr on the vortex mixer to ensure complete dissolution. Filter the alginate solution through 0.2 &#181;m syringe filter. Store the alginate solution at 4 &#176;C.</li>
	<li>Reconstitute human recombinant growth factors such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) or beta - nerve growth factor (NGF), as recommended by manufacturer.</li>
</ol>
2. Drawing of IPC Fibers
<ol>
	<li>Mix proteins, growth factors or other biomolecules into 10-20 &#181;l aliquot of the polyelectrolyte solution that has a similar net charge. Biological molecules with net negative charge (eg bovine serum albumin [BSA]) should be mixed with alginate solution. Biological molecules with net positive charge (eg VEGF) should be mixed with chitosan solution.</li>
	<li>Place small aliquots (10-20 &#181;l) of chitosan and alginate on a stable flat surface that is covered with parafilm. The droplets of chitosan and alginate should be placed in close proximity but not in contact with each other.</li>
	<li>Lightly dip each tip on a pair of forceps into the chitosan and alginate droplets. Bring the droplets of polyelectrolytes together by pinching the forceps. When the droplets come into contact with each other, slowly pull the forceps vertically upward to draw the IPC fiber from the interface of the two droplets (Figure 1A).</li>
	<li>Carefully place the end of the drawn IPC fiber on the forceps on a collector, such as a flat polymeric scaffold affixed on a rotating mandrel (see section 3 and 4). Rotate the mandrel at a fixed speed of 10 mm/sec to allow formation of uniform and beadless IPC fibers. Increasing the speed of drawing the IPC fibers will form beads, which will cause a burst release of incorporated biochemical and premature fiber termination.10</li>
	<li>To determine incorporation efficiency, collect all the remaining liquids left on the parafilm by diluting with 500 &#181;l of 1X phosphate buffered saline (PBS). Measure the protein or growth factor content in the residue through BCA assay (for BSA), ELISA (for VEGF and NGF) or an appropriate assay to detect incorporated biomolecule.</li>
</ol>
3. Fabrication of&#160;Composite&#160;Hydrogel Scaffold of Pullulan-Dextran (PD) Polysaccharide and IPC Fibers
<ol>
	<li>Fabricating sacrificial pullulan frame for IPC fiber collection
	<ol>
		<li>Weigh out pullulan polysaccharide and mix with distilled deionized (DDI) water to create a 20% (w/v) aqueous solution. Mix the pullulan solution O/N to ensure homogeneity.</li>
		<li>Cast 15 g of pullulan solution into a 10&#160;cm diameter tissue culture polystyrene (TCPS) dish. Dry the pullulan solution O/N at 37&#160;&#176;C. Cut the pullulan films into 7 mm x 7 mm square frames.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Preparing pullulan-dextran polysaccharide solution
	<ol>
		<li>Create a 30% (w/v) solution of the polysaccharides pullulan and dextran (3:1 ratio) in DDI water. Mix O/N to ensure homogeneity of the polysaccharide solution. Slowly add in sodium bicarbonate to the polysaccharide solution to achieve a final concentration of 20% (w/v). Mix O/N to ensure homogeneity of the solution. Store the polysaccharide solution at 4 &#176;C.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Collecting IPC fibers on pullulan frame
	<ol>
		<li>Affix the sacrificial pullulan frame (section 3.1) using an alligator clip. Stick the alligator clip and pullulan frame on the end of the rotating mandrel using plastic-coated adhesive tape. Rotate the mandrel with the affixed frame at a constant speed of 10 mm/sec.&#160;The pullulan frame can be affixed onto the rotating mandrel in desired orientations.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Draw the IPC fibers using a pair of forceps (section 1) and attach the drawn end of the IPC fibers onto the rotating pullulan frame. Draw the IPC fibers at a constant speed. Upon reaching the terminal end of the IPC fiber, dry the fibers-on-frame construct O/N at RT.</li>
	<li>Embedding IPC fibers into PD hydrogel scaffold</li>
	<li>To crosslink every gram of pullulan-dextran solution, add 100 &#181;l of 11% (w/v) sodium trimetaphosphate aqueous solution and 100 &#181;l 10M sodium hydroxide.7 Mix the solution at 60 rpm using a stirplate for 1 to 2 min. After the addition of sodium trimetaphosphate and sodium hydroxide, the polysaccharide solution will crosslink almost immediately. Pour the viscous polysaccharide solution onto the fibers-on-frame construct to fully embed the IPC fibers. Incubate the combined pullulan-dextran-IPC fibers (PD-IPC) at 60 &#176;C for 30 min&#160;to form a chemically crosslinked composite scaffolds (Figure 1B).</li>
	<li>CAUTION: Perform step 3.3.2 in the fume hood and use proper protective equipment as acetic acid is a corrosive and flammable.</li>
	<li>To induce pore formation in the PD-IPC scaffold, submerge the whole scaffold in 20% (w/v) acetic acid for 20 min.</li>
	<li>Remove unreacted reagents by washing PD-IPC scaffolds in 1X PBS for 5 min&#160;while shaking at 100 rpm. Repeat this step 2 times.</li>
	<li>Remove the excess PBS and immediately freeze the PD-IPC scaffolds at -80 &#176;C O/N. Lyophilize the scaffolds at least 24 hr before use in any controlled release or bioactivity assays.</li>
</ol>
4. Fabrication of Composite Scaffold of PCL and IPC Fibers
CAUTION: Dichloromethane is a hazardous material. Use the fume hood and personal protective equipment when handling dichloromethane.&#160;
<ol>
	<li>Creating pristine and patterned PDMS substrates
	<ol>
		<li>Create a pristine polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) elastomeric substrate using a piece of TCPS of desired dimension using soft lithography process. Create patterned PDMS substrates by using standard soft lithographic methods on poly(methyl methacrylate) templates with the desired topography.12</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Fabricating sacrificial PCL frame for IPC fiber collection
	<ol>
		<li>Weigh out PCL and dissolve in dichloromethane to create a 0.9% (w/v) solution. For every 1 cm2 area of the PDMS substrate, drop 500 &#181;l of 0.9% PCL solution. Allow all of the dichloromethane solvent to fully evaporate in the fume hood. Repeat the process of casting 0.9% PCL to thicken the film to the desired thickness. Remove the dried PCL film from the PDMS substrate. Create a hole in the PCL frame using a suitably-sized puncher.2</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Collecting IPC fibers on the PCL frame
	<ol>
		<li>Affix the sacrificial PCL frame with hole (from 4.2.1) on an alligator clip. Stick the alligator clip onto the rotating mandrel by using plastic-coated adhesive tape. Attach the drawn end of the IPC fiber onto the PCL frame before starting the rotation at a constant speed of 10mm/sec (section 2). After the end of IPC fiber drawing, dry the fiber-on-frame construct O/N at 4 &#176;C.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Embedding fiber-on-frame construct into patterned PCL substrate
	<ol>
		<li>Drop 500 &#181;l of 0.9% PCL solution onto the PDMS substrate to create a pristine or patterned PCL base, as required. Cast multiple layers of 0.9% PCL solution to obtain a scaffold with the desired thickness. Allow all of the dichloromethane solvent to fully evaporate in the fume hood.</li>
		<li>Place the fiber-on-frame construct (section 4.3.1) on top of the PCL base. Add 0.9% PCL solution on the fiber-on-frame construct multiple times to get the desired thickness and fully embed the IPC fibers, fabricating a PCL-IPC composite scaffold (Figure 1C).</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
</ol>
5. Measurement of Release of Biological Agents from Composite IPC Scaffolds
<ol>
	<li>Place composite PD-IPC or PCL-IPC scaffolds and stand-alone IPC fibers separately in a 24-well plate.</li>
	<li>Immerse the scaffold and stand-alone IPC fibers with 500 &#181;l of 1X PBS. Incubate the samples at 37 &#176;C. Collect PBS at various time points (release media) and replace with 500 &#181;l of 1X PBS.</li>
	<li>Measure the amount of protein or growth factor in the release media using a BCA assay (BSA), ELISA (VEGF and NGF) or other appropriate assay to calculate the cumulative release profile for the incorporated biomolecule.</li>
</ol>
6. Seeding of Cells on Composite IPC Scaffolds to Test Bioactivity of Released Biological Agents
<ol>
	<li>Sterilize the lyophilized PD-IPC or PCL-IPC composite scaffolds using UV light in the biological safety cabinet for at least 20 min.</li>
	<li>Use standard cell culture techniques to obtain a cell suspension of 2 x 105 cells in 200 &#181;l growth media. Seed the concentrated cell suspension onto the composite scaffolds. After 20 min, top-up the volume of growth media to fully submerge the scaffolds.</li>
	<li>Measure cell activity through standard techniques such as Alamar blue metabolic activity assay, PC12 neurite outgrowth assay or immunofluorescence.</li>
</ol>

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The authors have nothing to disclose.

IPC fibers are formed by the interaction of two oppositely charged polyelectrolytes. The process utilizes the extraction of the complex from the interface of the polyelectrolytes, facilitating a self-assembly process for stable fiber formation. The mechanism of IPC fiber formation ensures that any biomolecule added into a similarly charged polyelectrolyte can be incorporated during the complexation process.10,11 Conversely, addition of a biomolecule into the oppositely charged polyelectrolyte will result in in...

The extracellular matrix has inherent biochemical and biophysical cues that direct cell behaviors. Mimicking this physiological three-dimensional (3D) microenvironment is a widely explored strategy for regenerative medicine and tissue engineering applications. For example, both naturally-derived and synthetic substrates have been modified with topographical cues as a means to mimic the biophysical cellular environment.1 For example, polycaprolactone (PCL) scaffolds can be easily patterned by casting on patterned PDMS substrates.2 However, most synthetic scaffolds inadequately recapitulate the controlled biochemical environment in vivo. Bulk or surface modification of synthetic materials only present biochemical cues for cell attachment but still lack temporal regulation of biochemical delivery.3 Thus, there is a need for optimal scaffolds that can mimic the temporally regulated biochemical delivery system of the extracellular matrix. 
Biochemical delivery systems such as microspheres are plagued by problems of loss of bioactivity and low incorporation efficiency due to the severity and complexity of multi-step synthesis process.4-6 Alternative methods that use a one-step fabrication and incorporation method were proven to have excellent potential to create a favorable biochemical microenvironment without the accompanying inefficiency in incorporation and loss of bioactivity. One viable solution is the use of interfacial polyelectrolyte complexation (IPC) fibers to deliver and protect biological agents. When two oppositely charged polyelectrolyte aqueous solutions are brought together, IPC fibers can be drawn out from the interface. Virtually any type of hydrophlic biomolecule in aqueous solution can be added into either the negatively- or positively-charged polyelectrolyte solution, thus facilitating the incorporation of useful biomolecules into the IPC fiber during the complexation process. Furthermore, this process only requires aqueous and ambient conditions, thereby decreasing the risk of loss of bioactivity. Using this method, active growth factors2,7 even cells8,9 have been successfully delivered. In addition, the simple method of forming IPC fibers allows molding into any shape or orientation. The stability of such fibers has been advantageous in its incorporation into both hydrophobic2 and hydrophilic polymers7 to create composite scaffolds. These composite scaffolds with IPC fibers are beneficial for creating a physiologically relevant biochemical environment while providing physical anchorage for cells. 
In this study, we show a method to incorporate IPC fibers into a hydrophilic and a hydrophobic scaffold with topography for controlled release of active biomolecules. As a proof-of-concept, we incorporate IPC fibers made from chitosan and alginate into the biocompatible, non-immunogenic and non-antigenic pullulan-dextran hydrophilic hydrogel or the biocompatible polycaprolactone hydrophobic scaffold.

<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>Pullulan&#160;</td>
			<td>Hayashibara Inc Okayama Japan</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Molecular weight (MW) 200 kDa. This material is pharmaceutical grade pullulan used to make pullulan frames and PD-IPC scaffolds.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Dextran</td>
			<td>Sigma Aldrich</td>
			<td>D1037</td>
			<td>MW 500 kDa. This material is no longer being produced by Sigma Aldrich. Alternative suggested is catalog number 31392 (Sigma Aldrich). This material is used to make PD-IPC scaffolds.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Sodium Bicarbonate&#160;</td>
			<td>Sigma Aldrich</td>
			<td>S5761</td>
			<td>Sodium bicarbonate must be slowly added to the pullulan-dextran polysaccharide solution. Rapid addition of sodium bicarbonate will result in precipitation.&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Sodium Trimetaphosphate</td>
			<td>Sigma Aldrich</td>
			<td>T5508</td>
			<td>This chemical is hygroscopic and must be stored in the dehumidifying cabinet. Aqueous solution of sodium trimetaphosphate must always be made fresh.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Sodium Hydroxide</td>
			<td>Sigma Aldrich</td>
			<td>S5881</td>
			<td>This material is hazardous and must be handled with proper protective equipment such as nitrile gloves.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Chitosan</td>
			<td>Sigma Aldrich</td>
			<td>448877</td>
			<td>MW 190-310 kDa. Acetylation degree of 75 to 85%. Purification of chitosan is required to create stable IPC fibers.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Acetic Acid</td>
			<td>Merck</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>This can be replaced by another brand type. This material is corrosive and flammable. Protective equipment such as face shield, nitrile gloves, lab coat and shoe cover must be worn when handling this chemical in the fume hood.&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Alginic acid sodium salt from brown algae, low viscosity</td>
			<td>Sigma Aldrich</td>
			<td>A2158</td>
			<td>Dissolve in water overnight. Filter through sterile 0.2&#181;m syringe filter before use. Store at 4 &#176;C.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Bovine Serum Albumin</td>
			<td>Sinopharm Chemical Reagent</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Dissolve in sterile PBS and filter using 0.2 &#181;m syringe filter before use.&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>BCA assay kit</td>
			<td>Pierce</td>
			<td>23225</td>
			<td>This kit was used to measure BSA release from PD-IPC scaffolds.&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Human Recombinant Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor</td>
			<td>R&#38;D systems</td>
			<td>293-VE</td>
			<td>Dissolve growth factor in 0.2% heparin solution to a final concentration of 5 mg/ml.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Heparin Sodium Salt From Porcine</td>
			<td>Sigma Aldrich</td>
			<td>H3393</td>
			<td>This can be replaced by another brand type. Dissolve heparin salt in sterile water at a final concentration of 1% and filter through 0.2 &#181;m syringe filter before use.&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells (HUVEC)</td>
			<td>Lonza</td>
			<td>C2517A</td>
			<td>This primary cell type was used in the assay to determine VEGF bioactivity after release from PD-IPC scaffolds.&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Alamar blue</td>
			<td>Life Technologies</td>
			<td>DAL1025</td>
			<td>This is used to measure cell metabolic activity. Incubate Alamar blue with cells and maintain in standard cell culture conditions for 2 to 4 hours. Measure absorbance at 570 nm to determine Alamar blue percent reduction, which is correlated to the cell activity.&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>ScanVac Coolsafe Lyophilizer</td>
			<td>Labogene</td>
			<td>7.001.200.060</td>
			<td>This is a non-programmable freeze dryer that operates at -105 to -110 &#176;C, This can be replaced by other standard lab lyophilizers.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Polycaprolactone (PCL)</td>
			<td>Sigma Aldrich</td>
			<td>181609</td>
			<td>MW 65 kDa. This is no longer being manufactured by Sigma Aldrich. This can be replaced by Sigma Aldrich catalog number 704105.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Dichloromethane</td>
			<td>Sigma Aldrich</td>
			<td>V800151</td>
			<td>This can be replaced by another brand type. This material is hazardous and must be handled in the fume hood. Protective equipment must be worn at all times when handling this chemical.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS; 184 Silicone Elastomer Kit)</td>
			<td>Dow Corning</td>
			<td>(240)4019862</td>
			<td>The elastomer kit comes with polymer base and crosslinker. Mixing the polymer base and crosslinker in different ratios will result in different stiffness of the PDMS.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Human Recombinant Beta-Nerve Growth Factor (NGF)</td>
			<td>R&#38;D systems</td>
			<td>256-GF</td>
			<td>Reconstituted in sterile DI water to a final concentration of 100 &#181;g/ml. Aliquot and store in -20 &#176;C until use.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells (hMSC)</td>
			<td>Cambrex</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>This cell type was used in the assay to determine synergistic effect of NGF and nanotopography.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Rat PC12 Pheochromocytoma Cells&#160;</td>
			<td>ATCC</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>This cell type was used in the neurite outgrowth assay to determine bioactivity of NGF. After exposure to release media with NGF, measure number of cells with neurite extensions and normalize to total number of cells.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Grade 93 filter paper</td>
			<td>Whatman</td>
			<td>Z699675</td>
			<td>This is used for the purification of chitosan after its precipitation with sodium hydroxide at pH 7.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Swing bucket centrifuge</td>
			<td>Eppendorf</td>
			<td>5810R</td>
			<td>To be used during the purification of chitosan using 1200 x g speed.&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Motor with mandrel rotating at constant speed</td>
			<td>Rhymebus</td>
			<td>RM5E</td>
			<td>The motor is used for the fabrication of IPC fibers on pullulan or PCL frame.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Phosphate buffered saline</td>
			<td>FirstBase</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Sterilize through filtration (0.2 &#181;m filter) and autoclave.&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>10-mm diameter Tissue Culture Polystyrene Dish (TCPS)</td>
			<td>Greiner</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>The TCPS dish is used for casting of pullulan frame.&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Human VEGF ELISA kit</td>
			<td>R&#38;D systems</td>
			<td>DVE00</td>
			<td>The ELISA kit is used for detection of VEGF in the release medium.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Human NGF ELISA kit</td>
			<td>R&#38;D systems</td>
			<td>DY256</td>
			<td>&#160;The ELISA kit is used for detection of NGF in the release medium.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Plastic Coated Adhesive Tape</td>
			<td>Bel-Art</td>
			<td>9040336</td>
			<td>The adhesive tape is used to securely stick the alligator clip to the rotating mandrel</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

composite scaffolds of interfacial polyelectrolyte fibers for temporally controlled release of biomolecules

Various scaffolds used in tissue engineering require a controlled biochemical environment to mimic the physiological cell niche. Interfacial polyelectrolyte complexation (IPC) fibers can be used for controlled delivery of various biological agents such as small molecule drugs, cells, proteins and growth factors. The simplicity of the methodology in making IPC fibers gives flexibility in its application for controlled biomolecule delivery. Here, we describe a method of incorporating IPC fibers into two different polymeric scaffolds, hydrophilic polysaccharide and hydrophobic polycaprolactone, to create a multi-component composite scaffold. We showed that IPC fibers can be easily embedded into these polymeric structures, enhancing the capability for sustained release and improved preservation of biomolecules. We also created a composite polymeric scaffold with topographical cues and sustained biochemical release that can have synergistic effects on cell behavior. Composite polymeric scaffolds with IPC fibers represent a novel and simple method of recreating the cellular niche.

In this article, we sought to create composite scaffolds with IPC fibers for the sustained release of various biomolecules. Characteristics of the biomolecules used in this study are found in Table 1. IPC fibers were first embedded into a hydrophilic PD hydrogel to create a PD-IPC composite scaffold (Figure 1B). Model molecule BSA was first tested to determine the feasibility of using a composite scaffold for controlled biomolecule release. BSA was incorporated into PD-IPC scaffolds with...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Composite Scaffolds of Interfacial Polyelectrolyte Fibers for Temporally Controlled Release of Biomolecules at JoVE.com

Composite Scaffolds of Interfacial Polyelectrolyte Fibers for Temporally Controlled Release of Biomolecules

Scaffolds for tissue engineering need to recapitulate the complex biochemical and biophysical microenvironment of the cellular niche. Here, we show the use of interfacial polyelectrolyte complexation fibers as a platform to create composite, multi-component polymeric scaffolds with sustained biochemical release.

Various scaffolds used in tissue engineering require a controlled biochemical environment to mimic the physiological cell niche. Interfacial ...

composite-scaffolds-interfacial-polyelectrolyte-fibers-for-temporally

Research

JoVE Journal

Bioengineering

8.3K Views.  National University of Singapore. Scaffolds for tissue engineering need to recapitulate the complex biochemical and biophysical microenvironment of the cellular niche. Here, we show the use of interfacial polyelectrolyte complexation fibers as a platform to create composite, multi-component polymeric scaffolds with sustained biochemical release.

Video: Composite Scaffolds of Interfacial Polyelectrolyte Fibers for Temporally Controlled Release of Biomolecules

Elastomeric PGS Scaffolds in Arterial Tissue Engineering

Cardiovascular disease is one of the leading cause of mortality in the US and especially, coronary artery disease increases with an aging population and increasing obesity1. Currently, bypass surgery using autologous vessels, allografts, and synthetic grafts are known as a commonly used for arterial substitutes2. However, these grafts have limited applications when an inner diameter of arteries is less than 6 mm due to low availability, thrombotic complications, compliance mismatch, and late intimal hyperplasia3,4. To overcome these limitations, tissue engineering has been successfully applied as a promising alternative to develop small-diameter arterial constructs that are nonthrombogenic, robust, and compliant. Several previous studies have developed small-diameter arterial constructs with tri-lamellar structure, excellent mechanical properties and burst pressure comparable to native arteries5,6. While high tensile strength and burst pressure by increasing collagen production from a rigid material or cell sheet scaffold, these constructs still had low elastin production and compliance, which is a major problem to cause graft failure after implantation. Considering these issues, we hypothesized that an elastometric biomaterial combined with mechanical conditioning would provide elasticity and conduct mechanical signals more efficiently to vascular cells, which increase extracellular matrix production and support cellular orientation.
The objective of this report is to introduce a fabrication technique of porous tubular scaffolds and a dynamic mechanical conditioning for applying them to arterial tissue engineering. We used a biodegradable elastomer, poly (glycerol sebacate) (PGS)7 for fabricating porous tubular scaffolds from the salt fusion method. Adult primary baboon smooth muscle cells (SMCs) were seeded on the lumen of scaffolds, which cultured in our designed pulsatile flow bioreactor for 3 weeks. PGS scaffolds had consistent thickness and randomly distributed macro- and micro-pores. Mechanical conditioning from pulsatile flow bioreactor supported SMC orientation and enhanced ECM production in scaffolds. These results suggest that elastomeric scaffolds and mechanical conditioning of bioreactor culture may be a promising method for arterial tissue engineering.

Elastomeric PGS scaffolds with vascular smooth muscle cells cultured in a pulsatile flow bioreactor may lead to promising small-diameter arterial constructs with native ECM production in a relatively short culture period.

Cardiovascular disease is one of the leading cause of mortality in the US and especially, coronary artery disease increases with an aging population and ...

Preparation of 3D Fibrin Scaffolds for Stem Cell Culture Applications

Stem cells are found in naturally occurring 3D microenvironments in vivo, which are often referred to as the stem cell niche 1. Culturing stem cells inside of 3D biomaterial scaffolds provides a way to accurately mimic these microenvironments, providing an advantage over traditional 2D culture methods using polystyrene as well as a method for engineering replacement tissues 2. While 2D tissue culture polystrene has been used for the majority of cell culture experiments, 3D biomaterial scaffolds can more closely replicate the microenvironments found in vivo by enabling more accurate establishment of cell polarity in the environment and possessing biochemical and mechanical properties similar to soft tissue.3 A variety of naturally derived and synthetic biomaterial scaffolds have been investigated as 3D environments for supporting stem cell growth. While synthetic scaffolds can be synthesized to have a greater range of mechanical and chemical properties and often have greater reproducibility, natural biomaterials are often composed of proteins and polysaccharides found in the extracelluar matrix and as a result contain binding sites for cell adhesion and readily support cell culture. Fibrin scaffolds, produced by polymerizing the protein fibrinogen obtained from plasma, have been widely investigated for a variety of tissue engineering applications both in vitro and in vivo 4. Such scaffolds can be modified using a variety of methods to incorporate controlled release systems for delivering therapeutic factors 5. Previous work has shown that such scaffolds can be used to successfully culture embryonic stem cells and this scaffold-based culture system can be used to screen the effects of various growth factors on the differentiation of the stem cells seeded inside 6,7.
 This protocol details the process of polymerizing fibrin scaffolds from fibrinogen solutions using the enzymatic activity of thrombin. The process takes 2 days to complete, including an overnight dialysis step for the fibrinogen solution to remove citrates that inhibit polymerization. These detailed methods rely on fibrinogen concentrations determined to be optimal for embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cell culture. Other groups have further investigated fibrin scaffolds for a wide range of cell types and applications - demonstrating the versatility of this approach 8-12.

This work details the preparation of 3D fibrin scaffolds for culturing and differentiating plutipotent stem cells. Such scaffolds can be used to screen the effects of various biological compounds on stem cell behavior as well as modified to contain drug delivery systems.

Stem cells are found in naturally occurring 3D microenvironments in vivo, which are often referred to as the stem cell niche 1. Culturing stem cells ...

Non-contact, Label-free Monitoring of Cells and Extracellular Matrix using Raman Spectroscopy

Non-destructive, non-contact and label-free technologies to monitor cell and tissue cultures are needed in the field of biomedical research.1-5 However, currently available routine methods require processing steps and alter sample integrity. Raman spectroscopy is a fast method that enables the measurement of biological samples without the need for further processing steps. This laser-based technology detects the inelastic scattering of monochromatic light.6 As every chemical vibration is assigned to a specific Raman band (wavenumber in cm-1), each biological sample features a typical spectral pattern due to their inherent biochemical composition.7-9 Within Raman spectra, the peak intensities correlate with the amount of the present molecular bonds.1 Similarities and differences of the spectral data sets can be detected by employing a multivariate analysis (e.g. principal component analysis (PCA)).10
Here, we perform Raman spectroscopy of living cells and native tissues. Cells are either seeded on glass bottom dishes or kept in suspension under normal cell culture conditions (37 &deg;C, 5% CO2) before measurement. Native tissues are dissected and stored in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) at 4 &deg;C prior measurements. Depending on our experimental set up, we then either focused on the cell nucleus or extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins such as elastin and collagen. For all studies, a minimum of 30 cells or 30 random points of interest within the ECM are measured. Data processing steps included background subtraction and normalization.

Raman spectroscopy is a suitable technique for the non-contact, label-free analysis of living cells, tissue-engineered constructs and native tissues. Source-specific spectral fingerprints can be generated and analyzed using multivariate analysis.

Non-destructive, non-contact and label-free technologies to monitor cell and tissue cultures are needed in the field of biomedical research.1-5 However, ...

Preparation of Light-responsive Membranes by a Combined Surface Grafting and Postmodification Process

In order to modify the surface tension of commercial available track-edged polymer membranes, a procedure of surface-initiated polymerization is presented. The polymerization from the membrane surface is induced by plasma treatment of the membrane, followed by reacting the membrane surface with a methanolic solution of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA). Special attention is given to the process parameters for the plasma treatment prior to the polymerization on the surface. For example, the influence of the plasma-treatment on different types of membranes (e.g.&#160;polyester, polycarbonate, polyvinylidene fluoride) is studied. Furthermore, the time-dependent stability of the surface-grafted membranes is shown by contact angle measurements. When grafting poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA) in this way, the surface can be further modified by esterification of the alcohol moiety of the polymer with a carboxylic acid function of the desired substance. These reactions can therefore be used for the functionalization of the membrane surface. For example, the surface tension of the membrane can be changed or a desired functionality as the presented light-responsiveness can be inserted. This is demonstrated by reacting PHEMA with a carboxylic acid functionalized spirobenzopyran unit which leads to a light-responsive membrane. The choice of solvent plays a major role in the postmodification step and is discussed in more detail in this paper. The permeability measurements of such functionalized membranes are performed using a Franz cell with an external light source. By changing the wavelength of the light from the visible to the UV-range, a change of permeability of aqueous caffeine solutions is observed.

A plasma-induced polymerization procedure is described for the surface-initiated polymerization on polymer membranes. Further postmodification of the grafted polymer with photochromic substances is presented with a protocol of conducting permeability measurements of light-responsive membranes.

In order to modify the surface tension of commercial available track-edged polymer membranes, a procedure of surface-initiated polymerization is ...

Alternating Magnetic Field-Responsive Hybrid Gelatin Microgels for Controlled Drug Release

Magnetically-responsive nano/micro-engineered biomaterials that enable a tightly controlled, on-demand drug delivery have been developed as new types of smart soft devices for biomedical applications. Although a number of magnetically-responsive drug delivery systems have demonstrated efficacies through either in vitro proof of concept studies or in vivo preclinical applications, their use in clinical settings is still limited by their insufficient biocompatibility or biodegradability. Additionally, many of the existing platforms rely on sophisticated techniques for their fabrications. We recently demonstrated the fabrication of biodegradable, gelatin-based thermo-responsive microgel by physically entrapping poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-acrylamide) chains as a minor component within a three-dimensional gelatin network. In this study, we present a facile method to fabricate a biodegradable drug release platform that enables a magneto-thermally triggered drug release. This was achieved by incorporating superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles and thermo-responsive polymers within gelatin-based colloidal microgels, in conjunction with an alternating magnetic field application system.

We present a facile method to fabricate a biodegradable gelatin-based drug release platform that is magneto-thermally responsive. This was achieved by incorporating superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles and poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-acrylamide) within a spherical gelatin micro-network crosslinked by genipin, in conjunction with an alternating magnetic field application system.

Magnetically-responsive nano/micro-engineered biomaterials that enable a tightly controlled, on-demand drug delivery have been developed as new types of ...

Generation of ESC-derived Mouse Airway Epithelial Cells Using Decellularized Lung Scaffolds

Lung lineage differentiation requires integration of complex environmental cues that include growth factor signaling, cell-cell interactions and cell-matrix interactions. Due to this complexity, recapitulation of lung development in vitro to promote differentiation of stem cells to lung epithelial cells has been challenging. In this protocol, decellularized lung scaffolds are used to mimic the 3-dimensional environment of the lung and generate stem cell-derived airway epithelial cells. Mouse embryonic stem cell are first differentiated to the endoderm lineage using an embryoid body (EB) culture method with activin A. Endoderm cells are then seeded onto decellularized scaffolds and cultured at air-liquid interface for up to 21 days. This technique promotes differentiation of seeded cells to functional airway epithelial cells (ciliated cells, club cells, and basal cells) without additional growth factor supplementation. This culture setup is defined, serum-free, inexpensive, and reproducible. Although there is limited contamination from non-lung endoderm lineages in culture, this protocol only generates airway epithelial populations and does not give rise to alveolar epithelial cells. Airway epithelia generated with this protocol can be used to study cell-matrix interactions during lung organogenesis and for disease modeling or drug-discovery platforms of airway-related pathologies such as cystic fibrosis.

This protocol efficiently directs mouse embryonic stem cell-derived definitive endoderm to mature airway epithelial cells. This differentiation technique uses 3-dimensional decellularized lung scaffolds to direct lung lineage specification, in a defined, serum-free culture setting.

Lung lineage differentiation requires integration of complex environmental cues that include growth factor signaling, cell-cell interactions and ...

Polyelectrolyte Complex for Heparin Binding Domain Osteogenic Growth Factor Delivery

During reconstructive bone surgeries, supraphysiological amounts of growth factors are empirically loaded onto scaffolds to promote successful bone fusion. Large doses of highly potent biological agents are required due to growth factor instability as a result of rapid enzymatic degradation as well as carrier inefficiencies in localizing sufficient amounts of growth factor at implant sites. Hence, strategies that prolong the stability of growth factors such as BMP-2/NELL-1, and control their release could actually lower their efficacious dose and thus reduce the need for larger doses during future bone regeneration surgeries. This in turn will reduce side effects and growth factor costs. Self-assembled PECs have been fabricated to provide better control of BMP-2/NELL-1 delivery via heparin binding and further potentiate growth factor bioactivity by enhancing in vivo stability. Here we illustrate the simplicity of PEC fabrication which aids in the delivery of a variety of growth factors during reconstructive bone surgeries.

Self-assembled polyelectrolyte complexes (PEC) fabricated from heparin and protamine were deposited on alginate beads to entrap and regulate the release of osteogenic growth factors. This delivery strategy enables a 20-fold reduction of BMP-2 dose in spinal fusion applications. This article illustrates the benefits and fabrication of PECs.

During reconstructive bone surgeries, supraphysiological amounts of growth factors are empirically loaded onto scaffolds to promote successful bone ...

Preparation of Extracellular Matrix Protein Fibers for Brillouin Spectroscopy

Brillouin spectroscopy is an emerging technique in the biomedical field. It probes the mechanical properties of a sample through the interaction of visible light with thermally induced acoustic waves or phonons propagating at a speed of a few km/sec. Information on the elasticity and structure of the material is obtained in a nondestructive contactless manner, hence opening the way to in vivo applications and potential diagnosis of pathology. This work describes the application of Brillouin spectroscopy to the study of biomechanics in elastin and trypsin-digested type I collagen fibers of the extracellular matrix. Fibrous proteins of the extracellular matrix are the building blocks of biological tissues and investigating their mechanical and physical behavior is key to establishing structure-function relationships in normal tissues and the changes which occur in disease. The procedures of sample preparation followed by measurement of Brillouin spectra using a reflective substrate are presented together with details of the optical system and methods of spectral data analysis.

We present a protocol for the application of Brillouin light scattering spectroscopy to elastin and trypsin-purified type I collagen fibers of the extracellular matrix to extract their full elastic properties.

Brillouin spectroscopy is an emerging technique in the biomedical field. It probes the mechanical properties of a sample through the interaction of ...

Magnetic and Thermal-sensitive Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)-based Microgels for Magnetically Triggered Controlled Release

Magnetically and thermally sensitive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm)/Fe3O4-NH2 microgels with the encapsulated anti-cancer drug curcumin (Cur) were designed and fabricated for magnetically triggered release. PNIPAAm-based magnetic microgels with a spherical structure were produced via a temperature-induced emulsion followed with physical-crosslinking by mixing PNIPAAm, polyethylenimine (PEI), and Fe3O4-NH2 magnetic nanoparticles. Because of their dispersity, the Fe3O4-NH2 nanoparticles were embedded inside the polymer matrix. The amine groups exposed on the Fe3O4-NH2 and PEI surface supported the spherical structure by physically crosslinking with the amide groups of the PNIPAAm. The hydrophobic anti-cancer drug curcumin can be dispersed in water after encapsulation into the microgels. The microgels were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and UV-Vis spectral analysis. Furthermore, magnetically triggered release was studied under an external high frequency magnetic field (HFMF). A significant &#34;burst release&#34; of curcumin was observed after applying the HFMF to the microgels due to the magnetic inductive heating (hyperthermia) effect. This manuscript describes the magnetically triggered controlled release of Cur-PNIPAAm/Fe3O4-NH2 encapsulated curcumin, which can be potentially applied for tumor therapy.

Magnetic and Thermal-sensitive PolyN-isopropylacrylamide-based Microgels for Magnetically Triggered Controlled Release

This manuscript describes the preparation of magnetic and thermal-sensitive microgels via a temperature-induced emulsion without chemical reaction. These sensitive microgels were synthesized by mixing poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm), polyethylenimine (PEI) and Fe3O4-NH2 nanoparticles for the potential use in magnetically and thermally triggered drug-release.

Magnetically and thermally sensitive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm)/Fe3O4-NH2 microgels with the encapsulated anti-cancer drug curcumin (Cur) were ...

Fabrication of Decellularized Cartilage-derived Matrix Scaffolds

Osteochondral defects lack sufficient intrinsic repair capacity to regenerate functionally sound bone and cartilage tissue. To this extent, cartilage research has focused on the development of regenerative scaffolds. This article describes the development of scaffolds that are completely derived from natural cartilage extracellular matrix, coming from an equine donor. Potential applications of the scaffolds include producing allografts for cartilage repair, serving as a scaffold for osteochondral tissue engineering, and providing in vitro models to study tissue formation. By decellularizing the tissue, the donor cells are removed, but many of the natural bioactive cues are thought to be retained. The main advantage of using such a natural scaffold in comparison to a synthetically produced scaffold is that no further functionalization of polymers is required to drive osteochondral tissue regeneration. The cartilage-derived matrix scaffolds can be used for bone and cartilage tissue regeneration in both in vivo and in vitro settings.

Decellularized cartilage-derived scaffolds can be used as a scaffold to guide cartilage repair and as a means to regenerate osteochondral tissue. This paper describes the decellularization process in detail and provides suggestions to use these scaffolds in in vitro settings.

Osteochondral defects lack sufficient intrinsic repair capacity to regenerate functionally sound bone and cartilage tissue. To this extent, cartilage ...