Interpenetrating networks of fibrillar and amorphous collagen promote cell spreading and hydrogel stability.

ABSTRACT: Hydrogels composed of collagen, the most abundant protein in the human body, are widely used as scaffolds for tissue engineering due to their ability to support cellular activity. However, collagen hydrogels with encapsulated cells often experience bulk contraction due to cell-generated forces, and conventional strategies to mitigate this undesired deformation often compromise either the fibrillar microstructure or cytocompatibility of the collagen. To support the spreading of encapsulated cells while preserving the structural integrity of the gels, we present an interpenetrating network (IPN) of two distinct collagen networks with different crosslinking mechanisms and microstructures. First, a physically self-assembled collagen network preserves the fibrillar microstructure and enables th

SUBMITTER: Brunel LG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11908676 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature