Continuous Formation of Ultrathin, Strong Collagen Sheets with Tunable Anisotropy and Compaction.

ABSTRACT: The multiscale organization of protein-based fibrillar materials is a hallmark of many organs, but the recapitulation of hierarchal structures down to fibrillar scales, which is a requirement for withstanding physiological loading forces, has been challenging. We present a microfluidic strategy for the continuous, large-scale formation of strong, handleable, free-standing, multicentimeter-wide collagen sheets of unprecedented thinness through the application of hydrodynamic focusing with the simultaneous imposition of strain. Sheets as thin as 1.9 μm displayed tensile strengths of 0.5-2.7 MPa, Young's moduli of 3-36 MPa, and modulated the diffusion of molecules as a function of collagen nanoscale structure. Smooth muscle cells cultured on engineered sheets oriented in the direction of alig

SUBMITTER: Malladi S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7362332 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature