Engineering Biocompatible Hydrogel Fibers With Tunable Mechanical Properties For Neural Tissue Engineering

Neural tissue engineering holds a great promise for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases and peripheral nerve injuries. However, the anisotropic mechanical and electrical properties of the highly aligned neural cells have hindered the development of a faithful in vitro disease models. In this study, a core-shell microfluidic extrusion method is implemented to fabricate a cell-laden composite hydrogel fiber with tunable mechanical properties. The hybrid hydrogel was formed using a core of GelMA mixed with gelatin seeded with human neuroblastoma cell (SH-SY5Y) and an alginate shell. The composition of the core hydrogel was optimized to support cellular growth and differentiation, yet allow a feasible fabrication of cell-laden fibers. The engineered fibers were remarkably biocompatible and enabled the formation of highly aligned cellular morphology.