Tuning of Mechanical Properties in Photopolymerizable Gelatin-Based Hydrogels for <i>In Vitro</i> Cell Culture Systems

Pamplona, Regina ; González-Lana, Sandra ; Romero, Pilar ; Ochoa, Ignacio (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; Martín-Rapún, Rafael (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; Sánchez-Somolinos, Carlos

Resumen: The mechanical microenvironment plays a crucial role in the evolution of colorectal cancer, a complex disease characterized by heterogeneous tumors with varying elasticity. Toward setting up distinct scenarios, herein, we describe the preparation and characterization of gelatin methacrylamide (GelMA)-based hydrogels via two different mechanisms: free-radical photopolymerization and photo-induced thiol-ene reaction. A precise stiffness modulation of covalently crosslinked scaffolds was achieved through the application of well-defined irradiation times while keeping the intensity constant. Besides, the incorporation of thiol chemistry strongly increased stiffness with low to moderate curing times. This wide range of finely tuned mechanical properties successfully covered from healthy tissue to colorectal cancer stages. Hydrogels prepared in phosphate-buffered saline or Dulbecco’s modified Eagle’s medium resulted in different mechanical and swelling properties, although a similar trend was observed for both conditions: thiol-ene systems exhibited higher stiffness and, at the same time, higher swelling capacity than free-radical photopolymerized networks. In terms of biological behavior, three of the substrates showed good cell proliferation rates according to the formation of a confluent monolayer of Caco-2 cells after 14 days of cell culture. Likewise, a characteristic apical-basal polarization of cells was observed for these three hydrogels. These results demonstrate the versatility of the presented platform of biomimetic materials as in vitro cell culture scaffolds.

Idioma: Inglés

DOI: 10.1021/acsapm.2c01980

Año: 2023

Publicado en: ACS applied polymer materials 5, 2 (2023), 1487-1498
ISSN: 2637-6105

Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/DGA-FSE/E15-20R
Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/DGA-FSE/E47-20R
Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/MICINN-FEDER/PGC2018-097583-B-I00
Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/MICINN/PID2019-109333RB-I00
Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/MICINN/PID2020-118485RB-I00

Tipo y forma: Artículo (Versión definitiva)

Área (Departamento): Area Histología (Dpto. Anatom.Histolog.Humanas)
Área (Departamento): Área Química Orgánica (Dpto. Química Orgánica)