TY - JOUR

T1 - PEGDMA Hydrogels for Cell Adhesion and Optical Waveguiding

AU - Johannsmeier, Sonja

AU - Nguyen, Minh Thanh Truc

AU - Hohndorf, Ruben

AU - Dräger, Gerald

AU - Heinemann, Dag

AU - Ripken, Tammo

AU - Heisterkamp, Alexander

N1 - Funding information: This work was funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, Germany, within the funding program Photonics Research Germany, project BioPACE (13N14085).

PY - 2020/10/19

Y1 - 2020/10/19

N2 - Hydrogels are favored materials in tissue engineering as they can be used to imitate tissues, provide scaffolds, and guide cell behavior. Recent advances in the field of optogenetics have created a need for biocompatible optical waveguides, and hydrogels have been investigated to meet these requirements. However, combining favorable waveguiding characteristics, high biocompatibility, and controllable bioactivity in a single device remains challenging. Here, we investigate the use of poly(ethylene glycol) hydrogels as carriers and illumination systems for in vitro cell culture. We present a comprehensive and reproducible protocol for selective bioactivation of the hydrogels, achieving high proliferation rates and strong cell adhesion on the treated surface. A cell model expressing the photoconvertible fluorescent protein Dendra2 confirmed that light-cell interactions occur at the hydrogel surface. Monte Carlo simulations were performed as a tool to predict the extent of these interactions. This study demonstrates a hydrogel-based waveguiding system for targeted cell stimulation in vitro and potentially in vivo environments.

AB - Hydrogels are favored materials in tissue engineering as they can be used to imitate tissues, provide scaffolds, and guide cell behavior. Recent advances in the field of optogenetics have created a need for biocompatible optical waveguides, and hydrogels have been investigated to meet these requirements. However, combining favorable waveguiding characteristics, high biocompatibility, and controllable bioactivity in a single device remains challenging. Here, we investigate the use of poly(ethylene glycol) hydrogels as carriers and illumination systems for in vitro cell culture. We present a comprehensive and reproducible protocol for selective bioactivation of the hydrogels, achieving high proliferation rates and strong cell adhesion on the treated surface. A cell model expressing the photoconvertible fluorescent protein Dendra2 confirmed that light-cell interactions occur at the hydrogel surface. Monte Carlo simulations were performed as a tool to predict the extent of these interactions. This study demonstrates a hydrogel-based waveguiding system for targeted cell stimulation in vitro and potentially in vivo environments.

KW - cell adhesion

KW - hydrogel scaffold

KW - Monte Carlo simulation

KW - PEGDMA hydrogels

KW - photoconversion

KW - waveguides

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85096493642&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1021/acsabm.0c00885

DO - 10.1021/acsabm.0c00885

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85096493642

VL - 3

SP - 7011

EP - 7020

JO - ACS Applied Bio Materials

JF - ACS Applied Bio Materials

IS - 10

ER -