Affiliations: DL Biotech USA, Gaithersburg, MD, USA | Theracell, Northridge, CA, USA | Department of Materials Science and Engineering, INSIGNEO Institute for in silico Medicine, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK | College of Dental Medicine, Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
Note: [] Address for correspondence: Gregory Yourek, PhD, DL Biotech USA, Gaithersburg, MD, USA. Tel.: +1 630 728 3696; E-mail: gyourek@gmail.com
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Attachment of cells to fully hydrated hydrogel biomaterials, such as PEGDA, has proven challenging because of the hydrophobic cellular membrane. OBJECTIVE: To demonstrate undifferentiated human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) and hMSC-derived chondrocytes infiltrated and attached to unmodified PEGDA hydrogel. METHODS: Human MSCs and MSC-Cys were cultured in and on PEGDA hydrogel. Attachment was verified by SEM and confocal microscopy and was accompanied by vinculin expression, indicating the presence of focal contacts. Infiltration was confirmed by H&E and fluorescence staining. RESULTS: Cells cultured on top of PEGDA hydrogel infiltrated the material on the order of micrometers. CONCLUSIONS: These findings will aid in understanding the cell-scaffold interaction for regenerative medicine constructs.
