Lilong Wu

Master student

Pre-crosslinked Alginate-based Bioinks blended with Matrix Proteins for 3D-biofabrication

Supervisors: Jonas Röder, Prof. Aldo R. Boccaccini

Alginate, a type of polysaccharide extracted from algae, can be oxidized and crosslinked by CaCl₂. Combined with gelatin it can be printed as alginate dialdehyde-gelatin (ADA-gel) hydrogel, which possesses many favorable properties, such as excellent biocompatibility, ease of gelation, high tunability and structural similarity to extracellular matrix (ECM) in human body [1]. Thus, ADA-gel hydrogels are attractive for applications in drug delivery, cell encapsulation, wound healing, and many other medical fields [2]. The introduction of ADA hydrogel microparticles (HMPs) as pre-crosslinking agent has demonstrated its feasibility for tailoring the rheological properties of ADA-gel, in order to enhance its shape fidelity and 3D-printability [3]. However, further modifications are still necessary to enhance the cell attachment, spreading and proliferation inside the hydrogel network. This master thesis aims to optimize cell behavior inside the ADA-gel hydrogel network by incorporation of biomolecules on the premise of maintaining its printability and shape fidelity by pre-crosslinking. Studies on rheological and mechanical properties, degradation kinetics, and cell response of pre-crosslinked ADA-gel based multimaterial hydrogels will be investigated.

[1]  J. A. Rowley, G. Madlambayan, and D. J. Mooney, “Alginate hydrogels as synthetic extracellular matrix materials,” 1999.

[2]  S. Reakasame and A. R. Boccaccini, “Oxidized Alginate-Based Hydrogels for Tissue Engineering Applications: A Review,” Biomacromolecules, vol. 19, no. 1. American Chemical Society, pp. 3–21, Jan. 08, 2018. doi: 10.1021/acs.biomac.7b01331.

[3]  J. Hazur, J. Röder, J. Czwalinna, D. W. Schubert, and A. R. Boccaccini, “Pre-Crosslinking with Hydrogel Microparticles Enhances the Printability of Alginate-Based Inks,” Macromol Mater Eng, vol. 308, no. 12, Dec. 2023, doi: 10.1002/mame.202200675.