| 초록 |
Alginate is biocompatible polymer for a various biomedical applications (e.g., wound dressing, drug delivery systems, tissue scaffolds, and 3D bioprinting). The simple and fast gelation of alginate using calcium ions has been utilized for in situ 3D hydrogel fiber formation. However, alginate hydrogel fibers dissociate rapidly under physiological conditions due to ion exchange. Herein, we report a stabilization strategy of alginate hydrogel fibers under physiological conditions thorugh catechol chemistry, which involves inter-catechol crosslinking within few minutes under basic conditions. The alginate hydrogel fibers were fabricated using wetspinning technique and 3D construct consisting of fibers were built. Covalent crosslinking by catechol-to-quinone oxidation under basic condition enhanced the tensile strength of a single fiber under physiological condition. Additionally, 3D construct consisting of fibers maintained the structure under physiological condition by catechol-tethering between the alginate hydrogel fibers and encapsulated the cell during culture. This results will be useful for designing bioink materials specialized in fibrous-type tissue scaffolds with mechanical stability. |
