| Abstract Scope |
In the upper respiratory airways, diseases can often lead to abnormal mucosal tissue folding. Investigating the effects of these tissue anomalies on cellular behavior necessitates a reproducible in vitro model that can emulate this folding. To that end, we constructed bilayer systems utilizing robust double network (DN) hydrogels containing micromagnetic particles and covalently crosslinked hydrogels to replicate tissue-like morphologies and achieve dynamic folding capabilities. The DN hydrogels, synthesized from crosslinked polyacrylamide (12 wt%) and alginate (2 wt%), were incorporated with neodymium microparticles (NdFeB, 5 μm diameter) for magnetization, shaped using specific molds, and then subjected to ultraviolet crosslinking, followed by crosslinking a ~100 µm thick layer of methacrylated hyaluronic acid (MeHA) atop. The inclusion of magnetic microparticles facilitated the creation of dynamic, reversible patterns under a variable magnetic field.
In conclusion, our engineered gels, by means of mechanical instabilities and magnetic modulation, which will offer promising platforms for cell studies. |