University of Twente Student Theses
Development of magnetic alginate beads for localized mechanical stimulation in tissue engineering
Rivera, Alba (2023) Development of magnetic alginate beads for localized mechanical stimulation in tissue engineering.
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| Abstract: | Cells receive different signals from the cellular environment that influence their behavior and function. Mechanical stimulation promotes cell proliferation and differentiation to form new tissues, like cartilage and bone. Tissue engineering addresses multiple challenges to provide alternatives for damaged tissues. One of them is to locally offer mechanical stimulation to distinct regions of the tissue to allow for differential tissue development within a single construct. In this project, I developed and characterized magnetic alginate beads, synthesized with different concentrations of iron, to provide an alternative method to facilitate tissue regeneration. An assessment of their properties was performed, from their size and sphericity to their magnetic properties and biocompatibility. Beads were produced using a syringe pump with different flow rates, nozzles, distances between the nozzle and the supporting bath needed for the crosslinking of the alginate, and stirring speeds. A statistical test based on their size and sphericity was carried out to determine whether the parameters influenced the outcome, suggesting a strong correlation between the distance and the stirring with both the size and sphericity and the nozzle with the diameter. Then, beads were synthesized with 0.2, 1, and 10 % (w/v) of iron, and their magnetic properties were examined in different solution viscosities (1, 10, and 100 cST). For this, the distance speed from the bead toward a magnet was measured, along with a vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) analysis to determine the actual content of iron present inside the beads. Finally, the biocompatibility of the beads was assessed by culturing C2C12 myoblast cells on cytodex microcarriers and conducting a live dead assay at multiple time points (1, 3, and 7 days) to evaluate the cell viability and interaction with the magnetic beads. Overall, the characterization of magnetic alginate beads provides insights into their properties and possible applications in tissue engineering, specifically in inducing mechanical stimulation and therefore, guiding cell differentiation for tissue regeneration. |
| Item Type: | Essay (Master) |
| Faculty: | TNW: Science and Technology |
| Subject: | 51 materials science |
| Programme: | Biomedical Engineering MSc (66226) |
| Link to this item: | https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/97705 |
| Export this item as: | BibTeX EndNote HTML Citation Reference Manager |
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