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Download fileLiquid crystalline ordered collagen substrates for applications in tissue engineering
journal contribution
posted on 2017-01-25, 10:01 authored by Joshua C. Price, Paul RoachPaul Roach, Alicia J. El HajThis report describes methods for fabricating
substrates with anisotropic order from a single solution of high concentration collagen. By exploiting the intrinsic
property of collagen to behave as a cholesteric liquid crystal, we demonstrate first the production of dense collagen films
containing anisotropic fibers by simple dialysis and polymerization in ammonia vapor. We then utilized shear driven
alignment of collagen using viscous extrusion to produce aligned collagen fibers. Next we describe an evaporation
technique to observe crystalline growth into the collagen, which serves to template the substrate prior to fibrillogenesis. The
ordered substrates supported osteogenic differentiation of hMSCs and also oriented growth of hMSCs. We also demonstrate using Raman spectroscopy that the local protein
concentration in the substrates influenced the molecular orientation of collagen, Finally, we compare the resultant textures in the substrates with section of native cornea and tendon using polarized light microscopy, which showed remarkable similarities in terms of both anisotropy and second order chiral structure. These rapid, cost-effective methods could potentially serve a range of different applications in tissue engineering.
Funding
This research was funded by EPSRC DTC in Regenerative medicine, Keele University. Grant funding number: EP/F500491/1
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