Photo/thermo-sensitive chitosan and gelatin-based interpenetrating polymer network for mimicking muscle tissue extracellular matrix
Antonella Stanzione,
Alessandro Polini,
Francesca Scalera,
Giuseppe Gigli,
Lorenzo Moroni,
Francesca Gervaso
Affiliations
Antonella Stanzione
Università Del Salento, Dipartimento di Matematica e Fisica E. de Giorgi, Campus Ecotekne, via Monteroni, Lecce, 73100, Italy; CNR NANOTEC – Institute of Nanotechnology, Campus Ecotekne, via Monteroni, Lecce, 73100, Italy
Alessandro Polini
CNR NANOTEC – Institute of Nanotechnology, Campus Ecotekne, via Monteroni, Lecce, 73100, Italy; Corresponding author.
Francesca Scalera
CNR NANOTEC – Institute of Nanotechnology, Campus Ecotekne, via Monteroni, Lecce, 73100, Italy
Giuseppe Gigli
CNR NANOTEC – Institute of Nanotechnology, Campus Ecotekne, via Monteroni, Lecce, 73100, Italy; Università Del Salento, Dipartimento Medicina Sperimentale, Campus Ecotekne, via Monteroni, Lecce, 73100, Italy
Lorenzo Moroni
CNR NANOTEC – Institute of Nanotechnology, Campus Ecotekne, via Monteroni, Lecce, 73100, Italy; Maastricht University, MERLN Institute for Technology-Inspired Regenerative Medicine, Complex Tissue Regeneration Department, Universiteitssingel 40, 6229ER, Maastricht, the Netherlands
Francesca Gervaso
CNR NANOTEC – Institute of Nanotechnology, Campus Ecotekne, via Monteroni, Lecce, 73100, Italy; Corresponding author.
The dynamic interplay between extracellular matrix (ECM), its 3D architecture and resident cells plays a pivotal role in cell behavior influencing essential processes like proliferation, migration, and differentiation. Matrix-based 3D culture systems have emerged as valuable tools to model organ and tissue interactions in vitro. A 3D matrix analog must possess high biocompatibility and fully reproduce the characteristics of the native tissue in terms of mechanical properties. In this regard, interpenetrating polymer networks (IPNs) are particularly attractive because of the high tunability of their physicochemical properties. In this study, a chitosan (Ch) and modified gelatin (GelMA) IPN with a sol-gel transition triggered by two external physical stimuli, UV light and temperature, was designed to mimic the muscle tissue ECM in terms of mechanical stiffness. The system was deeply characterized demonstrating to support not only the growth and viability of muscle cells embedded within the hydrogel, but also cell differentiation toward muscle phenotype.
