Gupta, Kriti. Inducing mechanical stresses in electroactive hydrogels to influence the fate of mesenchymal stem cells. Retrieved from https://doi.org/doi:10.7282/t3-w63m-7j40
DescriptionMesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can differentiate into bone, cartilage, muscle, tendon, and other mesenchyme-derived tissue with the right treatment of growth factors or the right mechanical stimuli. Therefore, these cells are widely used in tissue engineering. Though the MSC response to biochemical signals is well understood, their response to biophysical signals is still being described. Exploring the behavior of MSCs in response to a variety of biochemical, biophysical, or bioelectrical signals can lead to better scaffolds for tissue engineering. Scaffolds do not entirely mimic the native environment that cells experience, particularly for excitable tissues. For instance, in their native environment smooth muscle cells experience contraction and relaxation. While electroactive materials can deform, at present, few such materials are suitable as cell scaffolds. Herein, this thesis describes the development of poly(ethyelene glycol) diacrylate – poly(acrylic acid) (PEGDA-PAA) as an electroactive scaffold for MSCs. PEGDA-PAA hydrogels experience a change in volume with the application of an electric field, producing bending, wave-like movements similar to that of smooth muscle. Electroactive hydrogels were capable of deformation and seeded cells proliferated on the surface. Ongoing work is investigating a stimulation profile for the hydrogels that will be nonlethal for cells.