Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Antonina M. Araszkiewicz, Eduarda P. Oliveira, Terje Svendsen, Katarzyna Drela, Piotr Rogujski, Izabela Malysz-Cymborska, Michal Fiedorowicz, Rui L. Reis, Joaquim Miguel Oliveira, Piotr Walczak, Miroslaw Janowski, Barbara Lukomska, Luiza Stanaszek
Summary: Cell transplantation is a promising strategy for treating neurological disorders, but its effectiveness is limited by various challenges. This study developed alginate-based hydrogels as cell carriers, which improved the delivery accuracy and efficacy of transplanted cells. These hydrogels also enabled non-invasive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for monitoring the fate of the cells.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Loredana Elena Nita, Aurica P. Chiriac, Alina Ghilan, Alina Gabriela Rusu, Nita Tudorachi, Daniel Timpu
Summary: Alginate hydrogels, similar to extracellular matrix, have great potential for cell and tissue regeneration. By crosslinking with phytic acid, the properties and versatility of the hydrogels can be controlled and adjusted.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
(2021)
Article
Polymer Science
Weijie Jiao, Xiaohong Li, Jingxin Shan, Xiaohong Wang
Summary: Hydrogel is a special system of polymer solutions that can be obtained through crosslinking of polymer chains. It has diverse applications in biomedical fields. In this study, alginate-based composite hydrogels were constructed and their physicochemical properties and biocompatibility were investigated. The results showed that G-A-A and F-A-A hydrogels are the most suitable for in vitro 3D cell culture and pathological model construction.
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Xiaochan Huang, Yuting Wang, Tianci Wang, Feiqiu Wen, Sixi Liu, Gerile Oudeng
Summary: This article discusses the use of hydrogels for the culture of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). Hydrogels provide a method for mimicking the hematopoietic niche and efficiently expanding HSCs. Advanced biomimetic strategies and organ-on-a-chip technology offer new approaches for studying the hematopoietic microenvironment. In addition, stimulus-responsive hydrogels hold promise for establishing intelligent dynamic cell microenvironments.
FRONTIERS IN BIOENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
E. Baigorria, S. Souza dos Santos, M. R. de Moura, L. F. Fraceto
Summary: In this study, 3D printing of bioinks was used to develop nanocomposite hybrid adsorbent hydrogels. By adding clay to the biopolymer matrix, the resulting hydrogels showed improved rheological, mechanical, thermal, and porous properties. The SA-B30 bioink and corresponding 3D-printed device were found to be the best systems for adsorption of the pesticide paraquat. The synthesized eco-friendly, biodegradable, and low-cost materials can contribute to a circular economy and ensuring safe water for human consumption.
MATERIALS TODAY CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Medicinal
Simonida L. J. Tomic, Marija M. Babic M. Radic, Jovana S. Vukovic, Vuk V. Filipovic, Jasmina Nikodinovic-Runic, Marija Vukomanovic
Summary: This review paper discusses the multifunctional biomedical applications of alginate-based hydrogels and scaffolds, highlighting the influence of alginate on the essential properties of these applications. The first part reviews the scientific achievements of alginate in dermal tissue regeneration, drug delivery systems, cancer treatment, and antimicrobials. The second part presents the author's research on hydrogel materials for scaffolds based on alginate in synergy with different materials. The study shows that alginate plays a crucial role in achieving the desired properties of these materials.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Kokkarachedu Varaprasad, Chandrasekaran Karthikeyan, Murali M. Yallapu, Rotimi Sadiku
Summary: Natural biopolymers like alginate are commonly used in 3D bioprinting for healthcare applications. To enhance its applicability in advanced medical settings, alginate is often modified with polymers and nanomaterials for better printability.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jae Won Lee, Hyun Seung Kim, Soo-Jeong Yon, Takuya Matsumoto, Sang-Kyung Lee, Kuen Yong Lee
Summary: Regulation of cell-cell interactions using a synthetic extracellular matrix could help create a hematopoietic stem cell niche in vitro. Alginate hydrogel modified with Ang1 was able to provide a niche for HSC quiescence without a co-culture system.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
(2022)
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
B. M. Tiemeijer, J. Tel
Summary: Single-cell techniques, especially microfluidics and microgel technology, are playing an increasingly important role in cell biological research. This review provides a comprehensive overview of how different types of hydrogels can be incorporated into droplet-based methods, offering novel and reliable analytic and screening applications in cell biology research.
FRONTIERS IN BIOENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Polymer Science
Michael Zanon, Laura Montalvillo-Jimenez, Paula Bosch, Raquel Cue-Lopez, Enrique Martinez-Campos, Marco Sangermano, Annalisa Chiappone
Summary: Surgical interventions play a crucial role in modern medicine, but the rehabilitation process is essential for patients with post-treatment consequences. This study proposes a sodium alginate hydrogel, synthesized using a thiol-yne reaction, which demonstrates good self-standing properties and desirable mechanical, rheological, and topographical behavior. The hydrogels are also cytocompatible and have the potential to be used in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.
Article
Polymer Science
Yue Xie, Pan Gao, Fangfang He, Chun Zhang
Summary: Alginate is an excellent hemostatic biomaterial with excellent biocompatibility and biodegradability, and it has been widely used in hemostatic applications. This review discusses the structure, properties, and history of alginate, as well as its research progress and future development prospects in clinical applications.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Wangfang Deng, Yanjun Tang, Jiangchun Mao, Yiming Zhou, Tianying Chen, Xianmei Zhu
Summary: This study reinforced sodium alginate/chitosan hydrogels using cellulose nanofibril (CNF) as a crosslinker, improving mechanical properties and demonstrating excellent sustained release performance. The addition of CNF effectively strengthened the network structure of the hydrogels, but also reduced their swelling performance.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
(2021)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yuanchun Du, Guangfu Feng
Summary: The rapid development of nanocellulose and hydrogels has significantly contributed to the progress of renewable smart material technologies. Nanocellulose hydrogels, which combine the advantages of both materials, have emerged as pioneering materials in the green chemistry revolution. This comprehensive study provides a systematic classification and analysis of nanocellulose hydrogels, focusing on their applications in medicine, electricity, sensors, environmental governance, food, and agriculture, as well as their design innovation advantages.
Review
Cell Biology
Yuan Qiu, Chen-Chi Chien, Basile Maroulis, Jiani Bei, Angelo Gaitas, Bin Gong
Summary: This article presents a review of the applications of atomic force microscopy (AFM) and fluidic atomic force microscopy (fluidFM) in single-cell studies. It discusses the use of AFM in studying single cells, extracellular vesicles, colloidal force spectroscopy, and single-cell adhesion measurements. FluidFM, a combination of microfluidics and AFM, allows for biological, pathological, and pharmacological studies on single cells in a liquid environment. The review focuses on the capabilities of fluidFM in measuring adhesion, binding forces, and manipulating single cells, as well as its applications in patch clamping and mass measurements.
JOURNAL OF CELLULAR PHYSIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Melanie Kappelmann-Fenzl, Sonja K. Schmidt, Stefan Fischer, Rafael Schmid, Lisa Laemmerhirt, Lena Fischer, Stefan Schruefer, Ingo Thievessen, Dirk W. Schubert, Alexander Matthies, Rainer Detsch, Aldo R. Boccaccini, Andreas Arkudas, Annika Kengelbach-Weigand, Anja K. Bosserhoff
Summary: By utilizing whole transcriptome analysis for 3D cell cultivation in hydrogels, this study revealed gene regulation differences and the significant role of EGR1 in tumor plasticity and progression in melanoma. The combination of biomaterial-based cell culture models with transcriptome analysis provides a deeper molecular understanding and identifies new therapeutic targets in cancer research.
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Amelie Beduer, Martina Genta, Nicolas Kunz, Connor Verheyen, Mariana Martins, Joe Brefie-Guth, Thomas Braschler
Summary: Soft tissue reconstruction is a challenging field, and this study analyzes the performance of an elastic porous injectable biomaterial for volume retention and tissue colonization. The material shows nearly quantitative volumetric stability and effective colonization with autologous fibrovascular tissue. Comparative analysis with clinical reference materials provides important design rules for volume stability and tissue induction in soft tissue regeneration.
ACTA BIOMATERIALIA
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Sanae El Harane, Stephane Durual, Thomas Braschler, Dominik Andre-Levigne, Nicolo Brembilla, Karl-Heinz Krause, Ali Modarressi, Olivier Preynat-Seauve
Summary: This study developed a novel method to produce homogeneous adipose-derived stem cell (ASC) spheroids and demonstrated their efficacy in improving the stability of fat transplants. The ASC spheroids maintained regenerative gene expression and had an enriched secreted proteome compared to single-cell suspensions of ASC. In an animal model, the addition of ASC spheroids to fat grafts resulted in better long-term stability compared to single ASC suspension.
JOURNAL OF CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Henry S. C. Yu, Ana Conde-Rubio, Hsiang-Chu Wang, Olivier J. F. Martin, Giovanni Boero, Jurgen Brugger
Summary: This study demonstrates the fabrication and characterization of reusable templates with nanoscale traps for precise nanoparticle placement in the capillary-assisted particle assembly (CAPA) technique. The results show that the nanotemplates made by electron-beam lithography can be reused for repeatable CAPA processes, making the technique more cost-efficient.
PARTICLE & PARTICLE SYSTEMS CHARACTERIZATION
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Ceramics
Lorenz Hageluken, Pradeep Vallachira Warriam Sasikumar, Ho-Yun Lee, David Di Stadio, Yashoda Chandorkar, Markus Rottmar, Katharina Maniura-Weber, Gurdial Blugan, Juergen Brugger
Summary: In this study, a fast and pressureless process for fabricating SiCN is presented, which exhibits excellent properties in terms of adjustable electrical conductivity, improved flexural strength, and demonstrated cytocompatibility. Furthermore, this processing route is successfully applied to a new multiscale microshaping method combining two-photon polymerization and casting advantages.
JOURNAL OF THE EUROPEAN CERAMIC SOCIETY
(2022)
Article
Physics, Multidisciplinary
Dorian Herle, Philippe Renaud, Olivier Parriaux
Summary: This study explores the reflection switching concept of a free-space wave impinging on an array of dielectric or semiconductor pillars. By splitting the pillars and creating low-index gaps between them, the reflection of the wave can be effectively canceled. The study also designs a gapless experimental model and a pillar structure with nanometer-thick low-index gaps, achieving a broad reflection maximum at a specific wavelength and no reflection peak over a wide wavelength range.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICS COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Shiva Taheri, Zahra Sadat Ghazali, Leila Montazeri, Fatemeh Ale Ebrahim, Jafar Javadpour, Khorshid Kamguyan, Esben Thormann, Philippe Renaud, Shahin Bonakdar
Summary: The effect of cell imprinted substrates on the differentiation of ADSCs was investigated. The results showed that cell imprinted substrates can induce differentiation signals better than engineered lithographic substrates. Therefore, the patterns must include nano-topographies to have reliable and reproducible engineered substrates.
BIOMEDICAL MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Fatemeh Navaee, Philippe Renaud, Alexander Kleger, Thomas Braschler
Summary: Biochemical and biophysical properties of cardiac tissue can be manipulated by using a blend of decellularized extracellular matrix (dECM) from porcine ventricular tissue and fibrinogen, which has shown enhanced cardiogenic differentiation and beating motion in a 3D cardiac cell culture model.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Yi-Chiang Sun, Giovanni Boero, Jurgen Brugger
Summary: This research proposes a new method to address the issue of bend and break in suspended stencil membranes caused by mechanical stress during physical vapor deposition. By introducing auxiliary bridges, the aperture openings can have almost arbitrary geometry, allowing for the deposition of metal on a wide range of substrate materials. This design demonstrates the versatility of stencil lithography in fabricating functional devices.
ADVANCED MATERIALS TECHNOLOGIES
(2023)
Article
Physics, Fluids & Plasmas
Jiande Zhou, Yves-Marie Ducimetiere, Daniel Migliozzi, Ludovic Keiser, Arnaud Bertsch, Francois Gallaire, Philippe Renaud
Summary: This work reports a novel breakup regime in the widely studied T-junction geometry, where the pinch-off occurs laterally in the two outlet channels, leading to the formation of three daughter droplets. It is driven by surface tension, and a design rule for the T-junction geometry is proposed. A model is developed to predict the formation and growth of an underlying carrier fluid pocket that accounts for this lateral breakup mechanism.
PHYSICAL REVIEW FLUIDS
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Fatemeh Navaee, Niloofar Khornian, David Longet, Sarah Heub, Stephanie Boder-Pasche, Gilles Weder, Alexander Kleger, Philippe Renaud, Thomas Braschler
Summary: Alignment of cardiomyocytes in myocardium tissue is important for the functions of the myocardium. This paper proposes a simple method to align cells in a 3D in vitro heart model using microfabricated PDMS grooves. The functionality of the model was evaluated by comparing beating rates between aligned and non-aligned structures. This model has potential applications in drug screening, tissue engineering, and heart-on-chip studies.
Article
Engineering, Manufacturing
Ander Reizabal, Taavet Kangur, Paula G. Saiz, Sonke Menke, Christophe Moser, Juergen Brugger, Paul D. Dalton, Simon Luposchainsky
Summary: Melt electrowriting (MEW) is an additive manufacturing technique that uses a charged molten polymer to create fibrous and porous macrostructures with microscale resolution. MEW has potential applications in tissue engineering, cancer research, bio-fabrication, and biomaterials. The high cost and lack of standardization of commercial MEW devices hinder further research.
ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Fatemeh Navaee, Philippe Renaud, Niccolo Piacentini, Mathilde Durand, Dara Zaman Bayat, Diane Ledroit, Sarah Heub, Stephanie Boder-Pasche, Alexander Kleger, Thomas Braschler, Gilles Weder
Summary: Myocardium is composed of cardiac cells that interact with their environment and their structure affects the physiology, function, and metabolism of cardiac tissue. This study aims to understand the mechanism of generating off-axis alignments in the myocardium and develop a reliable in vitro cardiac model. By applying cyclic mechanical stimulation and groove constraint, the researchers were able to engineer off-axis alignments similar to the helical arrangements observed in vivo. The study also shows that cyclical stretching supports cell survival and development, improving the model's function.
BIOENGINEERING-BASEL
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Nicolas Maino, Arnaud Bertsch, Philippe Renaud
Summary: For more than 30 years, carbon fiber microelectrodes have been the gold standard for measuring processes at the synaptic level. However, these microelectrodes have limitations in terms of low throughput and detecting molecules due to their featureless nature. In this study, a new electrochemical sensor with insulated protruding volcano-shaped tips is introduced, which allows confined and parallel recordings of exocytosis from adherent cells. The sensor reveals faster exocytosis kinetics, potentially due to the perturbation of the plasma membrane by the sensor's topography, suggesting that substrate geometry can manipulate exocytosis kinetics and open up new avenues for studying synaptic processes.
