Investigation of Integrated Effects of Hydroxyapatite and VEGF on Capillary Morphogenesis of Endothelial Cells.

Major drawbacks of using autografts and allografts for repairing large bone defects/injuries are the shortage of available tissues and potential disease transmission. Bone tissue engineering is believed to be a promising alternative to bone grafts. The concomitant formation of vascular networks within the tissue engineered constructs for successful bone regeneration still remains a challenge.

Hydrogel-based suspension array for biomarker detection using horseradish peroxidase-mediated silver precipitation.

Advances in medical diagnostics and personalized therapy require robust, sensitive yet cost-effective diagnostic tools for rapid measurement of biomolecules including proteins in body fluids. State-of-the-art technologies are complex and rely on expensive or custom made detection system, and therefore, cannot be readily adapted for point-of-care (POC) analysis. The development of a novel detection platform, which leverages horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-mediated silver precipitation within antibody immobilized porosity tuned poly (ethylene) glycol diacrylate (PEGDA) hydrogel microparticles with the operational advantages of suspension arrays for sensitive quantification of biomarkers, is described.

Impact of matrix stiffness on fibroblast function.

Chronic non-healing wounds, caused by impaired production of growth factors and reduced vascularization, represent a significant burden to patients, health care professionals, and health care system. While several wound dressing biomaterials have been developed, the impact of the mechanical properties of the dressings on the residing cells and consequently on the healing of the wounds is largely overlooked. The primary focus of this study is to explore whether manipulation of the substrate mechanics can regulate the function of fibroblasts, particularly in the context of their angiogenic activity.

Impact of alginate concentration on the viability, cryostorage, and angiogenic activity of encapsulated fibroblasts.

Cryopreservation or cryostorage of tissue engineered constructs can enhance the off-the shelf availability of these products and thus can potentially facilitate the commercialization or clinical translation of tissue engineered products. Encapsulation of cells within hydrogel matrices, in particular alginate, is widely used for fabrication of tissue engineered constructs. While previous studies have explored the cryopreservation response of cells encapsulated within alginate matrices, systematic investigation of the impact of alginate concentration on the metabolic activity and functionality of cryopreserved cells is lacking.