Soft, flexible hydrogels have enabled significant advancements in engineering biological tissue by mimicking the natural scaffolding that provides structure and support to cells. Existing engineered hydrogels, however, fall short in a significant way. Unlike in nature, they do not have the dynamic ability to change their structure or support depending on what the biological tissue needs. The answer may rest in shining a light on the problem—literally, according to a team led by researchers at Yokohama National University.
The researchers found that precisely applying light to a gelatin-based hydrogel they developed allows them to accurately control the shape of the gel, which allowed them to direct the growth direction and shape of nearby cells. The team published their work, which they said could have implications for tissue growth in health and in disease, on Sept. 2 in ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering.
“The ability to control the morphology of pre-encapsulated cells on demand is useful for mimicking tissues, such as blood vessels and nerves, which change their growth direction according to their environment,” said corresponding author Kazuhiro Iijima, an associate professor in the Faculty of Engineering at Yokohama National University.
