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Fabrication of Microchannels and Evaluation of Guided Vascularization in Biomimetic Hydrogels

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Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine Aims and scope

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

The fabrication of microchannels in hydrogel can facilitate the perfusion of nutrients and oxygen, which leads to guidance cues for vasculogenesis. Microchannel patterning in biomimetic hydrogels is a challenging issue for tissue regeneration because of the inherent low formability of hydrogels in a complex configuration. We fabricated microchannels using wire network molding and immobilized the angiogenic factors in the hydrogel and evaluated the vasculogenesis in vitro and in vivo.

METHODS:

Microchannels were fabricated in a hyaluronic acid-based biomimetic hydrogel by using “wire network molding” technology. Substance P was immobilized in acrylated hyaluronic acid for angiogenic cues using Michael type addition reaction. In vitro and in vivo angiogenic activities of hydrogel with microchannels were evaluated.

RESULTS:

In vitro cell culture experiment shows that cell viability in two experimental biomimetic hydrogels (with microchannels and microchannels + SP) was higher than that of a biomimetic hydrogel without microchannels (bulk group). Evaluation on differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) in biomimetic hydrogels with fabricated microchannels shows that the differentiation of hMSC into endothelial cells was significantly increased compared with that of the bulk group. In vivo angiogenesis analysis shows that thin blood vessels of approximately 25–30 μm in diameter were observed in the microchannel group and microchannel + SP group, whereas not seen in the bulk group.

CONCLUSION:

The strategy of fabricating microchannels in a biomimetic hydrogel and simultaneously providing a chemical cue for angiogenesis is a promising formula for large-scale tissue regeneration.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by a grant from the Ministry of Health and Welfare in the Republic of Korea (HI14C2143).

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    Authors and Affiliations

    1. Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Medicine, Korea University, 73 Inchon-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea

      Jaeyeon Lee & Yongdoo Park

    2. Department of Mechanical Design Engineering, College of Engineering, Wonkwang University, 460 Iksandae-ro, Iksan, Jeonbuk, 54538, Republic of Korea

      Se-Hwan Lee & Young-Sam Cho

    3. Department of Biomedical Engineering, Asan Medical Center, College of Medicine, Ulsan University, 88 Olympic-ro 43-gil, Songpa-gu, Seoul, 05505, Republic of Korea

      Bu-Kyu Lee

    4. Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Asan Medical Center, College of Medicine, Ulsan University, 88 Olympic-ro 43-gil, Songpa-gu, Seoul, 05505, Republic of Korea

      Bu-Kyu Lee

    5. Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pukyong National University, 45 Yongso-ro, Nam-Gu, Busan, 48513, Republic of Korea

      Sang-Hyug Park

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    1. Jaeyeon Lee
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    Correspondence to Young-Sam Cho or Yongdoo Park.

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    Ethical statement

    The animal experiment procedures were approved by the institutional animal care and use committee of Korea University College of Medicine (KUIACUC-2015-165).

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    Jaeyeon Lee and Se-Hwan Lee contributed equally to this work.

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    Lee, J., Lee, SH., Lee, BK. et al. Fabrication of Microchannels and Evaluation of Guided Vascularization in Biomimetic Hydrogels. Tissue Eng Regen Med 15, 403–413 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13770-018-0130-1

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