Wu Chien-Wei, Huang Tzu-Yin, Huang Liang-Jie, Kuo Yi-Wei, Guo Chin-Lin, Kuo Po-Ling
Graduate Institute of Biomedical Electronics and Bioinformatics, National Taiwan University, No. 1, Sec. 4, Roosevelt Rd., Taipei 106, Taiwan.
Department of Electrical Engineering, National Taiwan University, No. 1, Sec. 4, Roosevelt Rd., Taipei 106, Taiwan.
ACS Biomater Sci Eng. 2025 Aug 11;11(8):4758-4772. doi: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.5c00828. Epub 2025 Jul 18.
The crimped appearance of native collagen fibrils in youthful tissues serves as a mechanical buffer and phenotype determinant for resident cells. platforms emulating these native crimped networks facilitate the study of cell-matrix dynamics in various pathophysiological contexts. However, creating fibrillar networks with sizes and crimping matching native tissues using collagen-derived substrates remains challenging. We present an innovative approach to produce spontaneous, tunable crimping of electrospun, aligned gelatin methacryloyl nanofibrils using limited hydration. The diameter of the synthesized fibrils approximated that of native fibrils. Beyond individual fibril crimping, the network exhibited large-scale, periodic crimping with wavelengths matching native collagen networks. Tensile stress tests revealed that crimping reduced network stiffness but enhanced stretchability, consistent with native tissues. Additionally, crimping promoted cell translocation into the network. Fibroblasts cultured on crimped fibrils showed smaller cell areas, higher vinculin and α-tubulin expression, and lower α-smooth muscle actin levels compared to those on straight fibrils. This novel method not only replicates the native fibril characteristics using collagen-derived materials, but also offers a valuable tool for advancing our understanding of cell-matrix interactions, with significant implications for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.
年轻组织中天然胶原纤维的卷曲外观可作为驻留细胞的机械缓冲器和表型决定因素。模拟这些天然卷曲网络的平台有助于研究各种病理生理背景下的细胞 - 基质动力学。然而，使用胶原衍生底物创建尺寸和卷曲度与天然组织匹配的纤维网络仍然具有挑战性。我们提出了一种创新方法，利用有限水合作用使电纺排列的甲基丙烯酰化明胶纳米纤维产生自发的、可调节的卷曲。合成纤维的直径接近天然纤维。除了单个纤维的卷曲外，该网络还表现出大规模的周期性卷曲，其波长与天然胶原网络匹配。拉伸应力测试表明，卷曲降低了网络刚度，但增强了拉伸性，这与天然组织一致。此外，卷曲促进了细胞向网络内的迁移。与在直纤维上培养的成纤维细胞相比，在卷曲纤维上培养的成纤维细胞显示出更小的细胞面积、更高的纽蛋白和α - 微管蛋白表达以及更低的α - 平滑肌肌动蛋白水平。这种新方法不仅使用胶原衍生材料复制了天然纤维的特性，还为增进我们对细胞 - 基质相互作用的理解提供了一个有价值的工具，对组织工程和再生医学具有重要意义。
