Photocrosslinkable laminin-functionalized polyethylene glycol hydrogel for intervertebral disc regeneration
Abstract
Intervertebral disc (IVD) disorders and age-related degeneration are believed to contribute
to lower back pain. There is significant interest in cell-based strategies for regenerating
the nucleus pulposus (NP) region of the disc; however, few scaffolds have been evaluated
for their ability to promote or maintain an immature NP cell phenotype. Previous studies
have shown that NP cell-laminin interactions promote cell adhesion and biosynthesis,
which suggests a laminin-functionalized biomaterial may be useful for promoting or
maintaining the NP cell phenotype. Here, a photocrosslinkable poly(ethylene glycol)-laminin
111 (PEG-LM111) hydrogel was developed. The mechanical properties of PEG-LM111 hydrogel
could be tuned within the range of dynamic shear moduli values previously reported
for human NP. When primary immature porcine NP cells were seeded onto PEG-LM111 hydrogels
of varying stiffnesses, LM111-presenting hydrogels were found to promote cell clustering
and increased levels of sGAG production as compared to stiffer LM111-presenting and
PEG-only gels. When cells were encapsulated in 3-D gels, hydrogel formulation was
found to influence NP cell metabolism and expression of proposed NP phenotypic markers,
with higher expression of N-cadherin and cytokeratin 8 observed for cells cultured
in softer (<1 kPa) PEG-LM111 hydrogels. Overall, these findings suggest that soft,
LM111-functionalized hydrogels may promote or maintain the expression of specific
markers characteristic of an immature NP cell phenotype. © 2013 Acta Materialia Inc.
Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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https://hdl.handle.net/10161/8876Published Version (Please cite this version)
10.1016/j.actbio.2013.11.013Publication Info
Francisco, Aubrey T; Hwang, Priscilla Y; Jeong, Claire G; Jing, Liufang; Chen, Jun;
& Setton, Lori A (2014). Photocrosslinkable laminin-functionalized polyethylene glycol hydrogel for intervertebral
disc regeneration. Acta Biomaterialia, 10(3). pp. 1102-1111. 10.1016/j.actbio.2013.11.013. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10161/8876.This is constructed from limited available data and may be imprecise. To cite this
article, please review & use the official citation provided by the journal.
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Show full item recordScholars@Duke
Jun Chen
Associate Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery
This author no longer has a Scholars@Duke profile, so the information shown here reflects
their Duke status at the time this item was deposited.
Lori A. Setton
Adjunct Professor of Biomedical Engineering
Research in Setton's laboratory is focused on the role of mechanical factors in the
degeneration and repair of soft tissues of the musculoskeletal system, including the
intervertebral disc, articular cartilage and meniscus. Work in the Laboratory is focused
on engineering and evaluating materials for tissue regeneration and drug delivery.
Studies combining engineering and biology are also used to determine the role of mechanical
factors to promote and control healing of cartilaginous tissues. Re
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