面向微流控组织工程反应器的高机械性能仿生水凝胶研究

Hydrogel, consisting of cross-linked macromolecules and water, is a biomaterial which best mimics the soft tissues in human body. But its poor mechanical properties (such as hardness, strength and toughness) largely limit the application in many fields including tissue engineering bioreactors. This project aims to design and synthesize the multi-arm polymers with alternating hydrophilic and hydrophobic groups via mimicking the structure of collagen fiber which shows high mechanical properties in vivo. Based on such specific polymers, new hydrogels with high mechanical properties will be fabricated for evaluating the cytocompatibility and regulation of cell behaviors with hydrogel hardness. Using technique of microfabrication, three-dimensional micro-channels with varying shapes and sizes will be fabricated in hydrogel. Finally, we will design and prepare the microfluidic reactors based on hydrogel with highly expressed cell functions. This project will facilitate the investigation on new methodology of hydrogel fabrication, cell regulations by microenvironments, and design of new tissue engineering bioreactors. This research will also promote the application of hydrogel in tissue engineering.

作为一种高含水量的高分子网络，水凝胶是目前最接近人体软组织特性的生物材料，但其存在机械性能（如刚性、强度和韧性）差的致命缺陷，限制了其在组织工程反应器等领域中的应用。本项目拟从仿生学角度出发，模拟体内高机械性能分子- - 胶原纤维的结构特征，设计并合成亲疏水相间的多臂高分子，制备得到具有高机械性能的水凝胶，评价其细胞相容性，并考察水凝胶刚性对细胞形态与功能的调控规律。本项目有助于开拓水凝胶制备的新方法和阐明微环境调控细胞行为等基础科学问题，为水凝胶在组织工程中的广泛应用奠定理论和技术基础。

作为一种高含水量的高分子网络，水凝胶是目前最接近人体软组织特性的生物材料，但其存在机械性能差的缺陷，限制了其在组织工程等领域中的应用。本项目首先设计合成了亲水-疏水嵌段的聚丙二醇-磺基甜菜碱（SBMA）分子，用于制备高强度水凝胶。采用不同成分/配比/交联剂组成的溶液，获得了高强度且具有细胞相容性的SBMA/明胶以及海藻酸钙/胶原水凝胶，并可制作成纤维、柱状和管状等各种形状。肾细胞和血管内皮细胞可在这些水凝胶空腔内粘附和生长融合，并表达高细胞功能。本项目有助于开拓水凝胶制备的新方法和构建基于水凝胶的组织工程反应器，为水凝胶在组织工程中的广泛应用奠定了一些基础。