Structural Reinforcement of Cell-Laden Hydrogels with Microfabricated Three Dimensional Scaffolds.

ABSTRACT: Hydrogels commonly used in tissue engineering are mechanically soft, thus often display structural weakness. Herein, we introduce a strategy for enhancing the structural integrity and fracture toughness of cell-laden hydrogels by incorporating a three-dimensional (3D) microfabricated scaffold as a structural element. A digital micromirror device projection printing (DMD-PP) system, a rapid prototyping technology which employs a layer-by-layer stereolithographic approach, was utilized to efficiently fabricate 3D scaffolds made from photocrosslinkable poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA). The scaffold was incorporated into a photocrosslinkable gelatin hydrogel by placing it in a pre-gel solution, and inducing in situ hydrogel formation. The resulting scaffold-reinforced hydrogels demonst

SUBMITTER: Cha C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4000042 | biostudies-literature | 2014 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature