Light-reactive dextran gels with immobilized guidance cues for directed neurite growth in 3D models

Abstract

Immobilized NT-3 enhanced DRG neurite growth while Sema3A strongly repelled it, versus neutravidin controls, in a hydrogel choice point model.

Comparison of visible and UVA phototoxicity in neural culture systems micropatterned with digital projection photolithography

“…Furthermore, optical techniques have been widely applied to form and spatiotemporally manipulate functionalized hydrogels, due to the simplicity, convenience, and tunability of photo‐cross‐linking techniques . Photomicropatterned hydrogels, which are spatially and temporally controllable, that are used to investigate cell signaling and neuroactivation, have been fabricated previously . These techniques are very useful in providing structures to influence the neuronal environment without necessitating the neuronal cells to be directly exposed to light.…”

“…We have previously developed a facile and rapid technique that uses digital projection photolithography to fabricate desired 3D hydrogels and molecular micropatterns . We have used this method for developing models to investigate neurite growth and guidance, and as preclinical physiological models for drug development . In this report, we have used this approach to photomicropattern functionalized dextran and encapsulate neurons to study and compare their viability and neurite outgrowth potential upon UVA or visible light irradiation, in a manner in which the irradiation spectrum is the only variable.…”

Photoreactive interpenetrating network of hyaluronic acid and Puramatrix as a selectively tunable scaffold for neurite growth

“…The simplicity of the lithography method gives the opportunity of micropatterning hydrogels with any kind of configuration in order to create hybrid scaffolds. This property also makes it possible to introduce spatial characteristics into regenerative therapies [17,20,25,26].…”

“…1 [17]. Briefly, photoreactive hydrogel solutions contained in permeable cell culture inserts with 0.4 lm pore size (Corning Inc., Corning, NY) were irradiated using an apparatus consisting of a collimated UV light source (OmniCure 1000 with 320-500 nm filter, EXFO, Quebec, Canada), a digital micromirror device (DMD) (Discovery™ 3000, Texas Instruments, Dallas, TX) as a dynamic photomask, and a 2Â Plan Fluor objective lens (Nikon Instruments, Tokyo, Japan) [17,20,25,26]. A solution of 10% (w/v) PEG-diacrylate (M n 1000; Polysciences Inc., Warrington, PA) and 0.5% (w/v) Irgacure 2959 in PBS was irradiated with 181 mW/cm 2 UV light, as measured by a radiometer (306 UV Powermeter, Fig.…”

Neural Engineering

“…This includes immobilized guidance cues (Curley et al 2014 ;Horn-Ranney et al 2014 ), soluble guidance cues (Horn-Ranney et al 2013 ;Curley et al 2014 ;Catig et al 2015 ), and hydrogel stiffness (Khoshakhlagh and Moore 2015 ).…”