Engineering Conductive Hydrogels with Tissue-like Properties: A 3D Bioprinting and Enzymatic Polymerization Approach
Journal article, 2024
Hydrogels are promising materials for medical devices interfacing with neural tissues due to their similar mechanical properties. Traditional hydrogel-based bio-interfaces lack sufficient electrical conductivity, relying on low ionic conductivity, which limits signal transduction distance. Conducting polymer hydrogels offer enhanced ionic and electronic conductivities and biocompatibility but often face challenges in processability and require aggressive polymerization methods. Herein, we demonstrate in situ enzymatic polymerization of π-conjugated monomers in a hyaluronan (HA)-based hydrogel bioink to create cell-compatible, electrically conductive hydrogel structures. These structures were fabricated using 3D bioprinting of HA-based bioinks loaded with conjugated monomers, followed by enzymatic polymerization via horseradish peroxidase. This process increased the hydrogels’ stiffness from about 0.6 to 1.5 kPa and modified their electroactivity. The components and polymerization process were well-tolerated by human primary dermal fibroblasts and PC12 cells. This work presents a novel method to fabricate cytocompatible and conductive hydrogels suitable for bioprinting. These hybrid materials combine tissue-like mechanical properties with mixed ionic and electronic conductivity, providing new ways to use electricity to influence cell behavior in a native-like microenvironment.
conducting polymer
polymerization
3D printing
cell scaffold
in vitro
Author
Changbai Li
Linköping University
Sajjad Naeimipour
Linköping University
Fatemeh Rasti Boroojeni
Linköping University
Tobias Abrahamsson
Linköping University
Xenofon Strakosas
Linköping University
Yangpeiqi Yi
Linköping University
Rebecka Rilemark
Chalmers, Physics, Nano and Biophysics
Caroline Lindholm
Linköping University
Venkata K. Perla
Linköping University
C. Musumeci
Linköping University
Yuyang Li
Linköping University
Hanne Biesmans
Linköping University
Marios Savvakis
Linköping University
Eva Olsson
Chalmers, Physics, Nano and Biophysics
Klas Tybrandt
Linköping University
Mary J. Donahue
Brno University of Technology
Linköping University
Jennifer Y. Gerasimov
Linköping University
Robert Selegård
Linköping University
M. Berggren
Linköping University
D. Aili
Linköping University
Daniel T. Simon
Linköping University
Small Science
26884046 (eISSN)
Vol. In PressSubject Categories
Polymer Chemistry
DOI
10.1002/smsc.202400290