2024 AIChE Annual Meeting
(540a) Highly Interconnected Porous Bicontinuous Interfacially Jammed Emulsion Biomaterials for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine
Authors
Khanal, A., Rowan University
Iragavarapu, S. B., University of California, Riverside
Chen, Y., University of California, Riverside
Cruz, B. D., University of California, Riverside
Shrestha, R., University of California, Riverside
Dalsania, K., University of California, Riverside
Liu, H. H., University of California at Riverside
Anvari, B., University of California, Riverside
Haase, M. F., Rowan University
Noshadi, I., UC Riverside
3D bicontinuous biomaterials with interconnected porous architecture represent an emerging native extracellular matrix (ECM)-mimicking scaffold fabrication approach for facilitating cellular processes imperative to optimal regenerative medicine outcomes. In this regard, Bicontinuous Interfacially Jammed EmuLsion (BIJEL)-templated biomaterials represent a promising approach as they exhibit native ECM features with their unique porosity arising from two continuous interwoven immiscible fluid channels interfacially stabilized by colloidal particles. The BIJEL biomaterials offer unique advantages like tunable pore size, shape, and volume, ease of surface modification, and a large interfacial surface area-to-volume ratio conducive to vital cellular functionalities. However, conventional methods of fabricating such porous biomaterials often fail to offer precise control over porosity and suffer from critical limitations rendering them unsuitable for advanced manufacturing processes. Herein, we present an advanced biomaterials manufacturing method for the structural modification of bioinert synthetic polymers such as poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) using solvent transfer-induced phase separation (STrIPS), enabling the continuous fabrication of bioactivated, hierarchically structured, and interconnected porous PEGDA-BIJEL biofibers. In vitro assessment of these biofibers with human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) demonstrated excellent cell migration, attachment, growth, proliferation, and extensive osteogenic differentiation. Moreover, these artificial biofibers were shown to support the maintenance and beating of human induced pluripotent stem cells-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) without specialized protein coatings. In vivo evaluation through subcutaneous implantation in a rat model revealed substantial biocompatibility. Collectively, our results highlight the potential of BIJEL-based materials as advanced implantable biomaterials for regenerative medicine applications.