abstract
A long-sought goal in tissue engineering (TE) is the development of tissues able to recapitulate the complex architecture of the native counterpart. Microtissues, by resembling the functional units of living structures, can be used to recreate tissues' architecture. Howbeit, microfabrication methodologies fail to reproduce cell-based tissues with uniform shape. At the macroscale, complex tissues are already produced by magnetic-TE using solely magnetized cells as building materials. The enhanced extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition guaranties the conservation of tissues' architecture, leading to a successful cellular engraftment. Following the same rational, now the combination of a versatile microfabrication-platform is proposed with magnetic-TE to generate robust micro-tissues with complex architecture for TE purposes. Small tissue units with circle, square, and fiber-like shapes are designed with high fidelity acting as building blocks for engineering complex tissues. Notably, freestanding microtissues maintain their geometry after 7 days post-culturing, overcoming the challenges of microtissues fabrication. Lastly, the ability of microtissues in invading distinct tissue models while releasing trophic factors is substantiated in methacryloyl laminarin (LAM) and platelet lysates (PLMA) hydrogels. By simply using cells as building units and such microfabrication-platform, the fabrication of complex multiscale and multifunctional tissues with clinical relevance is envisaged, including for therapies or disease models.
keywords
STEM-CELLS; FORCE; NANOPARTICLES; DELIVERY; BEHAVIOR
subject category
Engineering; Science & Technology - Other Topics; Materials Science
authors
Santos, LF; Patricio, SG; Silva, AS; Mano, JF
our authors
Ana Sofia Matias da Silva
Assistant Researcher
João Mano
Vice Director
Lúcia Isabel Ferreira Santos
PhD Student
Sónia Gonçalves Patrício
Assistant ResearcherProjects
CICECO - Aveiro Institute of Materials (UIDB/50011/2020)
acknowledgements
Y The authors acknowledge the project CICECO-Aveiro Institute of Materials, UIDB/50011/2020 and UIDP/50011/2020, financed by national funds through the FCT/MEC and when appropriate co-financed by FEDER under the PT2020 Partnership Agreement and PROMENADE (Ref. PTDC/BTM-MAT/29830/2017). This work was also supported by the project ATLAS (ref. ERC-2014-ADG-669858). The authors also acknowledge financial support by FCT through a Ph.D. grant (SFRH/BD/141523/2018, L.F.S.) and through individual contracts (CEECIND/00366/2020, S.G.P.), (CEECIND/2020.04344, A.S.S.).