Abstract
Hydrogel substrate-based micropatterns can be adjusted using the pattern shape and size, affecting cell behaviors such as proliferation and differentiation under various cellular environment parameters. An electrically conductive hydrogel pattern system mimics the native muscle tissue environment. In this study, we incorporated polyaniline (PANi) in a poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) hydrogel matrix through UV-induced photolithography with photomasks, and electrically conductive hydrogel micropatterns were generated within a few seconds. The electrical conductance of the PANi/PEG hydrogel was 30.5 ± 0.5 mS/cm. C2C12 myoblasts were cultured on the resulting substrate, and the cells adhered selectively to the PANi/PEG hydrogel regions. Myogenic differentiation of the C2C12 cells was induced, and the alignment of myotubes was consistent with the arrangement of the line pattern. The expression of myosin heavy chain on the line pattern showed potential as a substrate for myogenic cell functionalization.
Highlights
Hydrogel-based cellular patterns have been widely used in various biomedical applications, such as biosensors, tissue engineering, and cellular behavior observation [1,2,3,4]
Polyaniline(emeraldine salt), (1R)-(-)-10-Camphorsulfonic acid 98% (CSA), poly diacrylate (PEG-DA, MW 575 Da), N,N-dimethyl formamide (DMF), 2-hydroxy-2-methylpropiophenone (HOMPP), poly-L-lysine, ethanol, 0.01 M phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), bovine serum albumin (BSA), sulfuric acid, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT), and Triton X-100 were purchased from Sigma-Aldrich (Milwaukee, WI, USA)
The process of using poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-DA to pattern a PANi-incorporated PEG hydrogel was well established in previous studies [25]
Summary
Hydrogel-based cellular patterns have been widely used in various biomedical applications, such as biosensors, tissue engineering, and cellular behavior observation [1,2,3,4]. A cellular pattern is a suitable tool for the efficient observation of cells in a small area, and various functions have been adapted to the microcellular pattern system. The endowment of an electrically conductive property to the hydrogel pattern is critical for applying neural or myogenic cells. Some researchers combined soft materials and electrically conductive property for stretchable bioelectronics [6,7,8], cardiac tissue engineering [9], and wound healing [10]. Few successful electrically conductive hydrogel micropatterns were synchronized with cell patterning because combining the hydrogel patterning with an electrically conductive material is challenging
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