TY - JOUR
T1 - Methacrylated human recombinant collagen peptide as a hydrogel for manipulating and monitoring stiffness-related cardiac cell behavior
AU - Mostert, Dylan
AU - Jorba, Ignasi
AU - Groenen, Bart G.W.
AU - Passier, Robert
AU - Goumans, Marie José T.H.
AU - van Boxtel, Huibert A.
AU - Kurniawan, Nicholas A.
AU - Bouten, Carlijn V.C.
AU - Klouda, Leda
N1 - Funding Information:
This research was financially supported by the Gravitation Program “Materials Driven Regeneration,” funded by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research ( 024.003.013 ). N. A. Kurniawan and C.V.C. Bouten acknowledge financial support from the European Research Council (NAK: 851960 ; CVCB: 101054726 ). I. Jorba acknowledges financial support from the Dutch Research Council ( OCENW.XS21.4.146 ). M. Vissers (Multiscale lab, Eindhoven University of Technology) is gratefully acknowledged for his help in performing the SEM imaging. Milan van Wezel from the Institute for Complex Molecular Systems Animation Studio is kindly acknowledged for his help in creating the graphical abstract.
Funding Information:
This research was financially supported by the Gravitation Program “Materials Driven Regeneration,” funded by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (024.003.013). N. A. Kurniawan and C.V.C. Bouten acknowledge financial support from the European Research Council (NAK: 851960; CVCB: 101054726). I. Jorba acknowledges financial support from the Dutch Research Council (OCENW.XS21.4.146). M. Vissers (Multiscale lab, Eindhoven University of Technology) is gratefully acknowledged for his help in performing the SEM imaging. Milan van Wezel from the Institute for Complex Molecular Systems Animation Studio is kindly acknowledged for his help in creating the graphical abstract. Conceptualization, D.M. I.J. and L.K.; methodology and investigation, D.M. I.J. H.B. and B.G.; writing – original draft, D.M. and I.J.; writing – review and editing, D.M. I.J. L.K. N.A.K. and C.V.C.B.; funding acquisition, I.J. N.A.K. and C.V.C.B.; resources, R.P. H.B. and M.G; supervision, N.A.K. and C.V.C.B. H.A. van Boxtel is an employee of Fujifilm Manufacturing Europe B.V. The results of this study were not influenced by him or any other employee of Fujifilm Manufacturing Europe B.V.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 The Author(s)
PY - 2023/4/21
Y1 - 2023/4/21
N2 - Environmental stiffness is a crucial determinant of cell function. There is a long-standing quest for reproducible and (human matrix) bio-mimicking biomaterials with controllable mechanical properties to unravel the relationship between stiffness and cell behavior. Here, we evaluate methacrylated human recombinant collagen peptide (RCPhC1-MA) hydrogels as a matrix to control 3D microenvironmental stiffness and monitor cardiac cell response. We show that RCPhC1-MA can form hydrogels with reproducible stiffness in the range of human developmental and adult myocardium. Cardiomyocytes (hPSC-CMs) and cardiac fibroblasts (cFBs) remain viable for up to 14 days inside RCPhC1-MA hydrogels while the effect of hydrogel stiffness on extracellular matrix production and hPSC-CM contractility can be monitored in real-time. Interestingly, whereas the beating behavior of the hPSC-CM monocultures is affected by environmental stiffness, this effect ceases when cFBs are present. Together, we demonstrate RCPhC1-MA to be a promising candidate to mimic and control the 3D biomechanical environment of cardiac cells.
AB - Environmental stiffness is a crucial determinant of cell function. There is a long-standing quest for reproducible and (human matrix) bio-mimicking biomaterials with controllable mechanical properties to unravel the relationship between stiffness and cell behavior. Here, we evaluate methacrylated human recombinant collagen peptide (RCPhC1-MA) hydrogels as a matrix to control 3D microenvironmental stiffness and monitor cardiac cell response. We show that RCPhC1-MA can form hydrogels with reproducible stiffness in the range of human developmental and adult myocardium. Cardiomyocytes (hPSC-CMs) and cardiac fibroblasts (cFBs) remain viable for up to 14 days inside RCPhC1-MA hydrogels while the effect of hydrogel stiffness on extracellular matrix production and hPSC-CM contractility can be monitored in real-time. Interestingly, whereas the beating behavior of the hPSC-CM monocultures is affected by environmental stiffness, this effect ceases when cFBs are present. Together, we demonstrate RCPhC1-MA to be a promising candidate to mimic and control the 3D biomechanical environment of cardiac cells.
KW - Biomaterials
KW - Cell biology
KW - Materials in biotechnology
KW - Stem cells research
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85151091465&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106423
DO - 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106423
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85151091465
SN - 2589-0042
VL - 26
JO - iScience
JF - iScience
IS - 4
M1 - 106423
ER -