04/15/2021
By Divya Chauhan
The University of Massachusetts Lowell, Department of Biological Sciences, invites you to attend a Master’s thesis defense by Divya Chauhan on "Gelatin-Based Hydrogels for Lung Tissue Engineering."
Candidate Name: Divya Chauhan
Degree: Master’s
Defense Date: Monday, April 26, 2021
Time: 3 - 5 p.m.
Location: Via Zoom
Thesis Title: Gelatin-Based Hydrogels for Lung Tissue Engineering
Committee: Matthew Nugent, Biological Sciences Department, University of Massachusetts Lowell; Thomas Shea, Biological Sciences Department, University of Massachusetts Lowell
Advisor: Gulden Camci-Unal, Chemical Engineering Department, University of Massachusetts Lowell
Abstract:
Oxygen is critical to the survival and metabolic function of cells upon implantation of engineered tissue constructs. Oxygen generating scaffolds can help support cell survival and proliferation of encapsulated cells under hypoxic environments and greatly improve the success and function of tissue-engineered constructs. Gelatin-based hydrogels such as GelMA have shown great success in tissue engineering applications. By incorporating CaO2 into a GelMA matrix, composite oxygen generating scaffolds were designed. CaO2 is known to releases oxygen upon hydrolysis. In this research, we show how oxygen generating scaffolds containing CaO2 within a GelMA hydrogel matrix can support the survival and proliferation of encapsulated human lung cells (A549) upon culture under induced hypoxia. The oxygen generating scaffolds provide an immediate source of oxygen in the cellular microenvironment and help improve the cell’s metabolic activity and function. Biological analysis through colorimetric assays such as Alamar blue, LDH, and Caspase Glo 3/7, ELISA validate the biocompatibility and bioactivity of these scaffolds under hypoxia. Furthermore, cell morphology visualized through DAPI-phalloidin staining indicates a heathy cell morphology and distribution within the scaffold under hypoxic culture conditions. The physical and chemical characterization of the scaffolds shows high tunability of scaffold properties, making this a robust in vitro platform for lung tissue engineering application. This study reveals how oxygen-generating scaffolds can pave the way for successful in vivo translation of engineered tissue constructs by preventing hypoxia-induced necrosis.