Effects of cryo-processing on the mechanical and biological properties of poly(vinyl alcohol)-gelatin theta-gels

Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), a synthetic, nontoxic polymer, is widely studied for use as a biomedical hydrogel due to its structural and physicomechanical properties. Depending on the synthesis method, PVA hydrogels can exhibit a range of selected characteristics-strength, creep resistance, energy dissipation, degree of crystallinity, and porosity. While the structural integrity and behavior of the hydrogel can be fine-tuned, common processing techniques result in a brittle, linear elastic material. In addition, PVA lacks functionality to engage and participate in cell adhesion, which can be a limitation for integrating PVA materials with tissue in situ. Thus, there is a need to further engineer PVA hydrogels to optimize its physicomechanical properties while enhancing cell adhesion and bioactivity. While the inclusion of gelatin into PVA hydrogels has been shown to impart cell-adhesive properties, the optimization of the mechanical properties of PVA-gelatin blends has not been studied in the context of traditional PVA hydrogel processing techniques. The incorporation of poly(ethylene glycol) with PVA prior to solidification forms an organized, cell instructive hydrogel with improved stiffness. The effect of cryo-processing, i.e., freeze-thaw (FT) cycling was elucidated by comparing 1 FT and 8 FT theta-cryo-gels and cryo-gels. To confirm the viability of the gels, human mesenchymal stem cell (hMSC) protein and sulfated glycosaminoglycan assays were performed to verify the nontoxicity and influence on hMSC differentiation. We have devised an elastic PVA-gelatin hydrogel utilizing the theta-gel and cryo-gel processing techniques, resulting in a stronger, more elastic material with greater potential as a scaffold for complex tissues.

Internalized FGF-2-Loaded Nanoparticles Increase Nuclear ERK1/2 Content and Result in Lung Cancer Cell Death

Innovative cancer treatments, which improve adjuvant therapy and reduce adverse events, are desperately needed. Nanoparticles provide controlled intracellular biomolecule delivery in the absence of activating external cell surface receptors. Prior reports suggest that intracrine signaling, following overexpression of basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF-2) after viral transduction, has a toxic effect on diseased cells. Herein, the research goals were to (1) encapsulate recombinant FGF-2 within stable, alginate-based nanoparticles (ABNs) for non-specific cellular uptake, and (2) determine the effects of ABN-mediated intracellular delivery of FGF-2 on cancer cell proliferation/survival. In culture, human alveolar adenocarcinoma basal epithelial cell line (A549s) and immortalized human bronchial epithelial cell line (HBE1s) internalized ABNs through non-selective endocytosis. Compared to A549s exposed to empty (i.e., blank) ABNs, the intracellular delivery of FGF-2 via ABNs significantly increased the levels of lactate dehydrogenase, indicating that FGF-2-ABN treatment decreased the transformed cell integrity. Noticeably, the nontransformed cells were not significantly affected by FGF-2-loaded ABN treatment. Furthermore, FGF-2-loaded ABNs significantly increased nuclear levels of activated-extracellular signal-regulated kinase ½ (ERK1/2) in A549s but had no significant effect on HBE1 nuclear ERK1/2 expression. Our novel intracellular delivery method of FGF-2 via nanoparticles resulted in increased cancer cell death via increased nuclear ERK1/2 activation.

PVA-gelatin hydrogels formed using combined theta-gel and cryo-gel fabrication techniques

Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) is a synthetic, biocompatible polymer that has been widely studied for use in bioengineered tissue scaffolds due to its relatively high strength, creep resistance, water retention, and porous structure. However, PVA hydrogels traditionally exhibit low percent elongation and energy dissipation. PVA material and mechanical properties can be fine-tuned by controlling the physical, non-covalent crosslinks during hydrogel formation through various techniques; PVA scaffolds were modified with gelatin, a natural collagen derivative also capable of forming reversible hydrogen bonds. Blending in gelatin and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) with PVA prior to solidification formed a highly organized hydrogel with improved toughness and dynamic elasticity. Theta-gels were formed from the solidification of warm solutions and the phase separation of high molecular weight gelatin and PVA from a low molecular PEG porogen upon cooling. While PVA-gelatin hydrogels can be synthesized in this manner, the hydrogels exhibited low toughness with increased elasticity. Thus, theta-gels were additionally processed using cryo-gel fabrication techniques, which involved freezing theta-gels, lyophilizing and re-hydrating. The result was a stronger, more resilient material. We hypothesized that the increased formation of physical hydrogen bonds between the PVA and gelatin allowed for the combination of a stiffer material with energy dissipation characteristics. Rheological data suggested significant changes in the storage moduli of the new PVA-gelatin theta-cryo-gels. Elastic modulus, strain to failure, hysteresis and resilience were studied through uniaxial tension and dynamic mechanical analysis in compression.

Anticancer Therapeutic Alginate-Based Tissue Sealants for Lung Repair

Injury to the connective tissue that lines the lung, the pleura, or the lung itself can occur from many causes including trauma or surgery, as well as lung diseases or cancers. To address current limitations for patching lung injuries, to stop air or fluid leaks, an adherent hydrogel sealant patch system was developed, based on methacrylated alginate (AMA) and AMA dialdehyde (AMA-DA) blends, which is capable of sealing damaged tissues and sustaining physiological pressures. Methacrylation of alginate hydroxyl groups rendered the polysaccharide capable of photo-cross-linking when mixed with an eosin Y-based photoinitiator system and exposed to visible green light. Oxidation of alginate yields functional aldehyde groups capable of imine bond formation with proteins found in many tissues. The alginate-based patch system was rigorously tested on a custom burst pressure testing device. Blending of nonoxidized material with oxidized (aldehyde modified) alginates yielded patches with improved burst pressure performance and decreased delamination as compared with pure AMA. Human mesothelial cell (MeT-5A) viability and cytotoxicity were retained when cultured with the hydrogel patches. The release and bioactivity of doxorubicin-encapsulated submicrospheres enabled the fabrication of drug-eluting adhesive patches and were effective in decreasing human lung cancer cell (A549) viability.

Dual-Cross-Linked Methacrylated Alginate Sub-Microspheres for Intracellular Chemotherapeutic Delivery

Intracellular delivery vehicles comprised of methacrylated alginate (Alg-MA) were developed for the internalization and release of doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX). Alg-MA was synthesized via an anhydrous reaction, and a mixture of Alg-MA and DOX was formed into sub-microspheres using a water/oil emulsion. Covalently cross-linked sub-microspheres were formed via exposure to green light, in order to investigate effects of cross-linking on drug release and cell internalization, compared to traditional techniques, such as ultraviolet (UV) light irradiation. Cross-linking was performed using light exposure alone or in combination with ionic cross-linking using calcium chloride (CaCl2). Alg-MA sub-microsphere diameters were between 88 and 617 nm, and ζ-potentials were between -20 and -37 mV. Using human lung epithelial carcinoma cells (A549) as a model, cellular internalization was confirmed using flow cytometry; different sub-microsphere formulations varied the efficiency of internalization, with UV-cross-linked sub-microspheres achieving the highest internalization percentages. While blank (nonloaded) Alg-MA submicrospheres were noncytotoxic to A549 cells, DOX-loaded sub-microspheres significantly reduced mitochondrial activity after 5 days of culture. Photo-cross-linked Alg-MA sub-microspheres may be a potential chemotherapeutic delivery system for cancer treatment.

Mechanical properties and failure analysis of visible light crosslinked alginate-based tissue sealants

Moderate to weak mechanical properties limit the use of naturally-derived tissue sealants for dynamic medical applications, e.g., sealing a lung leak. To overcome these limitations, we developed visible-light crosslinked alginate-based hydrogels, as either non-adhesive methacrylated alginate (Alg-MA) hydrogel controls, or oxidized Alg-MA (Alg-MA-Ox) tissue adhesive tissue sealants, which form covalent bonds with extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins. Our study investigated the potential for visible-light crosslinked Alg-MA-Ox hydrogels to serve as effective surgical tissue sealants for dynamic in vivo systems. The Alg-MA-Ox hydrogels were designed to be an injectable system, curable in situ. Burst pressure experiments were conducted on a custom-fabricated burst pressure device using constant air flow; burst pressure properties and adhesion characteristics correlated with the degrees of methacrylation and oxidation. In summary, visible light crosslinked Alg-MA-Ox hydrogel tissue sealants form effective seals over critically-sized defects, and maintain pressures up to 50mm Hg.

Self-Healing and Thermoresponsive Dual-Cross-Linked Alginate Hydrogels Based on Supramolecular Inclusion Complexes

β-Cyclodextrin (β-CD), with a lipophilic inner cavity and hydrophilic outer surface, interacts with a large variety of nonpolar guest molecules to form noncovalent inclusion complexes. Conjugation of β-CD onto biomacromolecules can form physically cross-linked hydrogel networks upon mixing with a guest molecule. Herein, the development and characterization of self-healing, thermoresponsive hydrogels, based on host-guest inclusion complexes between alginate-graft-β-CD and Pluronic F108 (poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(propylene glycol)-b-poly(ethylene glycol)), are described. The mechanics, flow characteristics, and thermal response were contingent on the polymer concentration and the host-guest molar ratio. Transient and reversible physical cross-linking between host and guest polymers governed self-assembly, allowing flow to occur under shear stress and facilitating complete recovery of the material's properties within a few seconds of unloading. The mechanical properties of the dual-cross-linked, multi-stimuli-responsive hydrogels were tuned as high as 30 kPa at body temperature and are advantageous for biomedical applications such as drug delivery and cell transplantation.

Visible light crosslinking of methacrylated hyaluronan hydrogels for injectable tissue repair

Tissue engineering hydrogels are primarily cured in situ using ultraviolet (UV) radiation which limits the use of hydrogels as drug or cell carriers. Visible green light activated crosslinking systems are presented as a safe alternative to UV photocrosslinked hydrogels, without compromising material properties such as viscosity and stiffness. The objective of this study was to fabricate and characterize photocrosslinked hydrogels with well-regulated gelation kinetics and mechanical properties for the repair or replacement of soft tissue. An anhydrous methacrylation of hyaluronan (HA) was performed to control the degree of modification (DOM) of HA, verified by (1) H-NMR spectroscopy. UV-activated crosslinking was compared to visible green light activated crosslinking. While the different photocrosslinking techniques resulted in varied crosslinking times, comparable mechanical properties of UV and green light activated crosslinked hydrogels were achieved using each photocrosslinking method by adjusting time of light exposure. Methacrylated HA (HA-MA) hydrogels of varying molecular weight, DOM, and concentration exhibited compressive moduli ranging from 1 kPa to 116 kPa, for UV crosslinking, and 3 kPa to 146 kPa, for green light crosslinking. HA-MA molecular weight and concentration were found to significantly influence moduli values. HA-MA hydrogels did not exhibit any significant cytotoxic effects toward human mesenchymal stem cells. Green light activated crosslinking systems are presented as a viable method to form natural-based hydrogels in situ. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 104B: 1229-1236, 2016.

Osteogenic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells through alginate-graft-poly(ethylene glycol) microsphere-mediated intracellular growth factor delivery

The intracellular delivery of growth factors increases opportunities for controlling cell behavior and maintaining tissue homeostasis. Recently, VEGFA was reported to enhance osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) through an intracrine mechanism, suggesting a new strategy to promote bone tissue formation in osteoporotic patients. The goal of this study was to design and fabricate ligand-conjugated alginate-graft-poly(ethylene glycol) microspheres for intracellular delivery and release of VEGFA in primary human MSCs to enhance osteogenic differentiation as a potential therapeutic. Three types of microspheres were synthesized and characterized by scanning electron microscopy, in vitro drug release kinetics, MSC uptake and internalization: alginate alone (Alg), alginate-graft-poly(ethylene glycol) (Alg-g-PEG) and alginate-graft-poly(ethylene glycol)-S-S-arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (Alg-g-RGD). Each of the different microsphere formulations successfully transported bioactive VEGFA into primary human MSCs within 48h of culture, and significantly enhanced osteogenic differentiation compared to control treatments with empty microspheres (intracellular control) or non-encapsulated VEGFA (extracellular control). Adipogenic differentiation was not affected by the presence of VEGFA intracellularly or extracellularly. These results demonstrating the internalization of alginate-based microspheres and intracellular delivery of VEGFA support the efficacy of using this drug delivery and intracrine mechanism to control the fate of human MSCs and enhance osteogenic differentiation.

Three-dimensional scaffolds of acellular human and porcine lungs for high throughput studies of lung disease and regeneration

Acellular scaffolds from complex whole organs such as lung are being increasingly studied for ex vivo organ generation and for in vitro studies of cell-extracellular matrix interactions. We have established effective methods for efficient de and recellularization of large animal and human lungs including techniques which allow multiple small segments (∼ 1-3 cm(3)) to be excised that retain 3-dimensional lung structure. Coupled with the use of a synthetic pleural coating, cells can be selectively physiologically inoculated via preserved vascular and airway conduits. Inoculated segments can be further sliced for high throughput studies. Further, we demonstrate thermography as a powerful noninvasive technique for monitoring perfusion decellularization and for evaluating preservation of vascular and airway networks following human and porcine lung decellularization. Collectively, these techniques are a significant step forward as they allow high throughput in vitro studies from a single lung or lobe in a more biologically relevant, three-dimensional acellular scaffold.

Integrated bi-layered scaffold for osteochondral tissue engineering

Osteochondral tissue engineering poses the challenge of combining both cartilage and bone tissue engineering fundamentals. In this study, a sphere-templating technique was applied to fabricate an integrated bi-layered scaffold based on degradable poly(hydroxyethyl methacrylate) hydrogel. One layer of the integrated scaffold was designed with a single defined, monodispersed pore size of 38 μm and pore surfaces coated with hydroxyapatite particles to promote regrowth of subchondral bone while the second layer had 200 μm pores with surfaces decorated with hyaluronan for articular cartilage regeneration. Mechanical properties of the construct as well as cyto-compatibility of the scaffold and its degradation products were elucidated. To examine the potential of the biphasic scaffold for regeneration of osteochondral tissue the designated cartilage and bone layers of the integrated bi-layered scaffold were seeded with chondrocytes differentiated from human mesenchymal stem cells and primary human mesenchymal stem cells, respectively. Both types of cells were co-cultured within the scaffold in standard medium without soluble growth/differentiation factors over four weeks. The ability of the integrated bi-layered scaffold to support simultaneous matrix deposition and adequate cell growth of two distinct cell lineages in each layer during four weeks of co-culture in vitro in the absence of soluble growth factors was demonstrated.

Dynamic mechanical analysis and biomineralization of hyaluronan-polyethylene copolymers for potential use in osteochondral defect repair

Treatment options for damaged articular cartilage are limited due to its lack of vasculature and its unique viscoelastic properties. This study was the first to fabricate a hyaluronan (HA)-polyethylene copolymer for potential use in the replacement of articular cartilage and repair of osteochondral defects. Amphiphilic graft copolymers consisting of HA and high-density polyethylene (HA-co-HDPE) were fabricated with 10, 28 and 50 wt.% HA. Dynamic mechanical analysis was used to assess the effect of varying constituent weight ratios on the viscoelastic properties of HA-co-HDPE materials. The storage moduli of HA-co-HDPE copolymers ranged from 2.4 to 15.0 MPa at physiological loading frequencies. The viscoelastic properties of the HA-co-HDPE materials were significantly affected by varying the wt.% of HA and/or crosslinking of the HA constituent. Cytotoxicity and the ability of the materials to support mineralization were evaluated in the presence of bone marrow stromal cells. HA-co-HDPE materials were non-cytotoxic, and calcium and phosphorus were present on the surface of the HA-co-HDPE materials 2 weeks after osteogenic differentiation of the bone marrow stromal cells. This study is the first to measure the viscoelastic properties and osseocompatibility of HA-co-HDPE for potential use in orthopedic applications.

Synthesis and characterization of a Hyaluronan-polyethylene copolymer for biomedical applications

Hyaluronan (HA)-based biomaterials are of interest for bone and cartilage tissue engineering because HA plays an important role in orthopedic tissue development, function, and repair. The goal of this project was to develop a biomaterial that incorporated the constituents of both a hydrogel and a hydrophobic polymer for biomedical applications. A series of amphiphilic graft copolymers consisting of HA, a glycosaminoglycan, and high-density polyethylene (HDPE), that is, HA-co-HDPE, were fabricated. The chemical characteristics, physical and viscoelastic properties, and cytocompatibility of novel HA-co-HDPE materials were characterized via Fourier Transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, solid state nuclear magnetic resonance (ssNMR) spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), dynamic shear testing, and an in vitro human osteoblast cell study. The esterification reaction between HA and functionalized HDPE resulted in semicrystalline, insoluble powder. The dynamic shear properties of HA-co-HDPE concentrated solutions were more like natural proteoglycans than the HA control. HA-co-HDPE was successfully compression molded into disks that swelled upon hydration. Osteoblasts were viable and expressed the osteoblast phenotype after 7 days of culture on HA-co-HDPE materials. These HA-co-HDPE materials may have several biomaterial applications in saline suspension or molded form, including orthopedic tissue repair.