1. DWI an der RWTH Aachen e.V., Forckenbeckstr. 50, 52056 Aachen, Germany;2. Present address: Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH, 52425 Juelich, Germany;3. Present address: Queensland University of Technology, GPO Box 2434, Brisbane, QLD 4001, Australia;4. Present address: Technische Universit?t Berlin, Nanostrukturierte Biomaterialien, Stra?e des 17. Juni 124, 10623 Berlin, Germany;5. Present address: Department of Tissue Engineering and Textile Implants, Institute of Applied Medical Engineering, Helmholtz‐Institut der RWTH Aachen, Pauwelsstra?e 20, 52074 Aachen, Germany
Abstract:
Designing three‐dimensional (3D) scaffolds for selective manipulation of cell growth is of high relevance for applications in regenerative medicine. Especially, scaffolds with oriented morphologies bear high potential to guide the restoration of specific tissues. The fabrication of hydrogel scaffolds that support long‐term survival, proliferation, and unidirectional growth of embedded cells is presented here. Parallel channel structures are introduced into the bulk hydrogels by uniaxial freezing, providing stable, and uniform porosity suitable for cell invasion (pore diameters of 5–15 µm). In vitro assessment of the scaffolds with murine fibroblasts (NIH L929) shows a remarkable unidirectional movement along the channels, with the cells traveling several millimeters through the hydrogel.
