Wychowaniec Jacek K, Litowczenko Jagoda, Tadyszak Krzysztof, Natu Varun, Aparicio Claudia, Peplińska Barbara, Barsoum Michel W, Otyepka Michal, Scheibe Błażej
Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, NanoBioMedical Centre, Wszechnicy Piastowskiej 3, Poznań PL61614, Poland; School of Chemistry, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland.
Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, NanoBioMedical Centre, Wszechnicy Piastowskiej 3, Poznań PL61614, Poland.
Acta Biomater. 2020 Oct 1;115:104-115. doi: 10.1016/j.actbio.2020.08.010. Epub 2020 Aug 11.
Two-dimensional (2D) materials remain highly interesting for assembling three-dimensional (3D) structures, amongst others, in the form of macroscopic hydrogels. Herein, we present a novel approach for inducing chemical inter-sheet crosslinks via an ethylenediamine mediated reaction between TiCT and graphene oxide in order to obtain a reduced graphene oxide-MXene (rGO-MXene) hydrogel. The composite hydrogels are hydrophilic with a stiffness of ~20 kPa. They also possess a unique inter-connected porous architecture, which led to a hitherto unprecedented ability of human cells across three different types, epithelial adenocarcinoma, neuroblastoma and fibroblasts, to form inter-connected three-dimensional networks. The attachments of the cells to the rGO-MXene hydrogels were superior to those of the sole rGO-control gels. This phenomenon stems from the strong affinity of cellular protrusions (neurites, lamellipodia and filopodia) to grow and connect along architectural network paths within the rGO-MXene hydrogel, which could lead to advanced control over macroscopic formations of cellular networks for technologically relevant bioengineering applications, including tissue engineering and personalized diagnostic networks-on-chip. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Conventional hydrogels are made of interconnected polymeric fibres. Unlike conventional case, we used hydrothermal and chemical approach to form interconnected porous hydrogels made of two-dimensional flakes from graphene oxide and metal carbide from a new family of MXenes (TiCT). This way, we formed three-dimensional porous hydrogels with unique porous architecture of well-suited chemical surfaces and stiffness. Cells from three different types cultured on these scaffolds formed extended three-dimensional networks - a feature of extended cellular proliferation and pre-requisite for formation of organoids. Considering the studied 2D materials typically constitute materials exhibiting enhanced supercapacitor performances, our study points towards better understanding of design of tissue engineering materials for the future bioengineering fields including personalized diagnostic networks-on-chip, such as artificial heart actuators.
二维（2D）材料在组装三维（3D）结构方面一直备受关注，尤其是以宏观水凝胶的形式。在此，我们提出了一种新颖的方法，通过乙二胺介导的TiCT与氧化石墨烯之间的反应诱导化学层间交联，以获得还原氧化石墨烯-MXene（rGO-MXene）水凝胶。复合水凝胶具有亲水性，刚度约为20 kPa。它们还具有独特的相互连接的多孔结构，这使得三种不同类型的人类细胞（上皮腺癌、神经母细胞瘤和成纤维细胞）前所未有的能够形成相互连接的三维网络。细胞与rGO-MXene水凝胶的附着优于单独的rGO对照凝胶。这种现象源于细胞突起（神经突、片状伪足和丝状伪足）沿着rGO-MXene水凝胶内的结构网络路径生长和连接的强烈亲和力，这可能导致对细胞网络宏观形成的先进控制，用于技术相关的生物工程应用，包括组织工程和个性化诊断芯片网络。重要性声明：传统水凝胶由相互连接的聚合物纤维制成。与传统情况不同，我们采用水热和化学方法形成由氧化石墨烯的二维薄片和来自新型MXenes家族（TiCT）的金属碳化物制成的相互连接的多孔水凝胶。通过这种方式，我们形成了具有独特多孔结构、合适化学表面和刚度的三维多孔水凝胶。在这些支架上培养的三种不同类型的细胞形成了扩展的三维网络——这是细胞扩展增殖的特征以及形成类器官的先决条件。考虑到所研究的二维材料通常构成具有增强超级电容器性能的材料，我们的研究有助于更好地理解未来生物工程领域组织工程材料的设计，包括个性化诊断芯片网络，如人造心脏致动器。
