Search Results
Biomineralization of Engineered Spider Silk Protein-Based Composite Materials for Bone Tissue Engineering
2016, Hardy, John G., Torres-Rendon, Jose Guillermo, Leal-Egaña, Aldo, Walther, Andreas, Schlaad, Helmut, Cölfen, Helmut, Scheibel, Thomas
Materials based on biodegradable polyesters, such as poly(butylene terephthalate) (PBT) or poly(butylene terephthalate-co-poly(alkylene glycol) terephthalate) (PBTAT), have potential application as pro-regenerative scaffolds for bone tissue engineering. Herein, the preparation of films composed of PBT or PBTAT and an engineered spider silk protein, (eADF4(C16)), that displays multiple carboxylic acid moieties capable of binding calcium ions and facilitating their biomineralization with calcium carbonate or calcium phosphate is reported. Human mesenchymal stem cells cultured on films mineralized with calcium phosphate show enhanced levels of alkaline phosphatase activity suggesting that such composites have potential use for bone tissue engineering.
Large-scale, thick, self-assembled, nacre-mimetic brick-walls as fire barrier coatings on textiles
2017, Das, Paramita, Thomas, Helga, Moeller, Martin, Walther, Andreas
A 3-dimensional Block Copolymer Micellar nanoLithography (BCML) process was used to prepare AuxPt1−x alloy nanoparticles (NPs) monodisperse in size and composition, strongly anchored onto SiO2-particles (0.2 wt.% AuxPt1−x/SiO2). The particles possess a face-centered cubic (fcc) crystal structure and their size could be varied from 3–12 nm. We demonstrate the uniformity of the Au/Pt composition by analyzing individual NPs by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The strongly bound AuxPt1−x NPs catalyzed the oxidation of CO with high activity. Thermal ageing experiments in pure CO2 as well as in ambient atmosphere demonstrated stability of the size distribution for times as long as 22 h.
Granular Cellulose Nanofibril Hydrogel Scaffolds for 3D Cell Cultivation
2020, Gehlen, David B., Jürgens, Niklas, Omidinia-Anarkoli, Abdolrahman, Haraszti, Tamás, George, Julian, Walther, Andreas, Ye, Hua, De Laporte, Laura
The replacement of diseased and damaged organs remains an challenge in modern medicine. However, through the use of tissue engineering techniques, it may soon be possible to (re)generate tissues and organs using artificial scaffolds. For example, hydrogel networks made from hydrophilic precursor solutions can replicate many properties found in the natural extracellular matrix (ECM) but often lack the dynamic nature of the ECM, as many covalently crosslinked hydrogels possess elastic and static networks with nanoscale pores hindering cell migration without being degradable. To overcome this, macroporous colloidal hydrogels can be prepared to facilitate cell infiltration. Here, an easy method is presented to fabricate granular cellulose nanofibril hydrogel (CNF) scaffolds as porous networks for 3D cell cultivation. CNF is an abundant natural and highly biocompatible material that supports cell adhesion. Granular CNF scaffolds are generated by pre-crosslinking CNF using calcium and subsequently pressing the gel through micrometer-sized nylon meshes. The granular solution is mixed with fibroblasts and crosslinked with cell culture medium. The obtained granular CNF scaffold is significantly softer and enables well-distributed fibroblast growth. This cost-effective material combined with this efficient and facile fabrication technique allows for 3D cell cultivation in an upscalable manner. © 2020 The Authors. Published by Wiley-VCH GmbH
Cellulose Nanofibril Hydrogel Promotes Hepatic Differentiation of Human Liver Organoids
2020, Krüger, Melanie, Oosterhoff, Loes A., van Wolferen, Monique E., Schiele, Simon A., Walther, Andreas, Geijsen, Niels, De Laporte, Laura, van der Laan, Luc J.W., Kock, Linda M., Spee, Bart
To replicate functional liver tissue in vitro for drug testing or transplantation, 3D tissue engineering requires representative cell models as well as scaffolds that not only promote tissue production but also are applicable in a clinical setting. Recently, adult liver-derived liver organoids are found to be of much interest due to their genetic stability, expansion potential, and ability to differentiate toward a hepatocyte-like fate. The current standard for culturing these organoids is a basement membrane hydrogel like Matrigel (MG), which is derived from murine tumor material and apart from its variability and high costs, possesses an undefined composition and is therefore not clinically applicable. Here, a cellulose nanofibril (CNF) hydrogel is investigated with regard to its potential to serve as an alternative clinical grade scaffold to differentiate liver organoids. The results show that its mechanical properties are suitable for differentiation with overall, either equal or improved, functionality of the hepatocyte-like cells compared to MG. Therefore, and because of its defined and tunable chemical definition, the CNF hydrogel presents a viable alternative to MG for liver tissue engineering with the option for clinical use. © 2020 The Authors. Published by WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim