Abstract Scope |
Oxygen is fundamental to complex life as we know it, however, few biomaterial based strategies exist today to appropriately supply additional oxygen to sustain cellular processes for complex tissue functions. Our invention of crosslinked chitosan hydrogels with immobilized perfluorocarbons (PFCs) allows for the creation of biomimetic hydrogel platforms that harness PFC oxygenation abilities long-term. I will discuss the development of these materials and their subsequent applications. In vitro we have shown that our approach supports higher and tunable oxygen tensions, facilitates improved oxygen transport while enhancing cell survival/proliferation. We have gone on to apply these materials as wound dressings in animal models, and demonstrated improved healing responses due to enhanced oxygen bioavailability. Recently, we have formulated our materials into microfluidics generated microgels, which we have shown to significantly enhance 3D micro tissues, including liver spheroids that are larger, more viable, and more synthetically active compared to standard approaches. |