Document Type

Thesis

Date of Award

7-2018

Keywords

Applied sciences, Collagen-Based, Differentiation, Pluripotent, Scaffolds, Stem

Degree Name

Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering

Department

Biomedical Engineering

First Advisor

Sha Jin

Subject Heading(s)

Applied sciences; Collagen-Based; Differentiation; Pluripotent; Scaffolds; Stem; Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering

Abstract

Collagen hydrogel has been broadly studied and applied in engineering 3D scaffold materials in tissue engineering. A collagen hydrogel can provide cells with a porous and soft environment to proliferate and differentiate. However, lacking mechanical stiffness and shrinkage resistance made it a challenge to sustain shape and size during a long stem cell differentiation process. In addition, a cytocompatible scaffold for human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-laden culture has not been fully investigated. The goal of this study is to develop stable and biocompatible collagen-based scaffolds that are suitable for direct seeding and lineage progression of iPSCs. In this work, three formulas of collagen-based scaffolds were developed by fabricating poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) into the collagen hydrogel to form an interpenetrating network (IPN). Stability test showed significant improvement of shrinkage resistance compared to pure collagen hydrogel. Assessment of biocompatibility showed high cell viability throughout the stem cell differentiation period tested. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analysis indicated the scaffolds developed preferentially support iPSCs to differentiate into mesoderm. Taken together, the study has developed collagen-based scaffolds that support iPSC seeding, proliferation, and differentiation in 3D cultures.

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