Creating Physicochemical Gradients in Modular Microporous Annealed Particle Hydrogels via a Microfluidic Method.

ABSTRACT: Microporous annealed particle (MAP) hydrogels are an attractive platform for engineering biomaterials with controlled heterogeneity. Here, we introduce a microfluidic method to create physicochemical gradients within poly(ethylene glycol) based MAP hydrogels. By combining microfluidic mixing and droplet generator modules, microgels with varying properties were produced by adjusting the relative flow rates between two precursor solutions and collected layer-by-layer in a syringe. Subsequently, the microgels were injected out of the syringe and then annealed with thiol-ene click chemistry. Fluorescence intensity measurements of constructs annealed in vitro and after mock implantation into a tissue defect showed that a continuous gradient profile was achieved and maintained after injec

SUBMITTER: Xin S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10783553 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature