Cell survival and proliferation after encapsulation in a chemically modified Pluronic® F127 hydrogel

Abstract

Pluronic® F127 is a biocompatible, injectable, and thermoresponsive polymer with promising biomedical applications. In this study, a chemically modified form, i.e., Pluronic ALA-L with tailored degradation rate, was tested as an encapsulation vehicle for osteoblastic cells. UV cross-linking of the modified polymer results in a stable hydrogel with a slower degradation rate. Toxicological screening showed no adverse effects of the modified Pluronic ALA-L on the cell viability. Moreover, high viability of embedded cells in the cross-linked Pluronic ALA-L was observed with life/death fluorescent staining during a 7-day-culture period. Cells were also cultured on macroporous, cross-linked gelatin microbeads, called CultiSpher-S® carriers, and encapsulated into the modified cross-linked hydrogel. Also, in this situation, good cell proliferation and migration could be observed in vitro. Preliminary in vivo tests have shown the formation of new bone starting from the injected pre-loaded CultiSpher-S® carriers.

Control of stem cell fate and function by engineering physical microenvironments

“…Synthetic polymer hydrogels are typically polymerized as a 3D network that presents a 2D culture substrate as they are often composed of cytotoxic components that upon polymerization become inert. However, cells can now be mixed in situ in liquid gels that can be polymerized by temperature, chemical or photo induced polymerization 82 . Novel techniques to encapsulate cells in gels in a highly controlled manner are emerging from microfluidics community by leveraging the control over fluid flow of polymer gels 83,84 .…”

Biological assessment of self-assembled polymeric micelles for pulmonary administration of insulin

“…Also, a covalent modification of insulin as recently performed by Chou et al(28) prior to its encapsulation into the micelles is another possible approach. Regarding SOLbased formulations, future studies are required to deeply analyze the effect of glucose concentration of the release properties of SOL and to explore the possible stimuli-responsive properties of the polymer for future applications.Pluronic ® are considered biocompatible and biodegradable polymers used in many biomedical applications including cell's encapsulation(29,30). Thus, as expected, no significant signs of toxicity to both pulmonary cell lines and macrophages were observed in the in vitro experimental setting used as determined by MTT and LDH leakage assays.…”

Plasma Science and Technology - Progress in Physical States and Chemical Reactions

“…The typical pore size ranges typically from 100-1000 µm. More recently, the focus has shifted from thermoplastic biodegradable polymers to hydrogels, as several research groups have now succeeded to mix cells within the polymer feed [36,37]. This generates hybrid scaffolds that are composed of both dead and living species.…”