Forming
thin tissue constructs with minimal extracellular matrix
surrounding them is important for tissue engineering applications.
Here, we explore and optimize a strategy that enables rapid fabrication
of scaffold-free corneal tissue constructs using the liquid–liquid
interface of an aqueous two-phase system (ATPS) that is based on biocompatible
polymers, dextran and polyethylene glycol. Intact tissue-like constructs,
made of corneal epithelial or endothelial cells, can be formed on
the interface between the two liquid phases of ATPS within hours and
subsequently collected simply by removing the liquid phases. The formed
corneal cell constructs express essential physiological markers and
have preserved viability and proliferative ability in vitro. The corneal epithelial cell constructs are also able to re-epithelialize
the corneal epithelial wound in vitro. The results
suggest the promise of our reported strategy in corneal repair.
Cells in vitro usually require a solid scaffold to attach and form two-dimensional monolayer structures. To obtain a substrate-free cell monolayer, long culture time and specific detaching procedures are required. In this study, a thin-film-flow-induced strategy is reported to overcome the challenges of assembling in vitro scaffold-free monolayered cell aggregates. The assembly is driven by a dewetting-like thin-film withdrawal along all-aqueous interfaces characterized by a low interfacial tension. The withdrawal process drives the cells adsorbed on the liquid film to aggregate and assemble into an organized and compact monolayer. This strategy is not limited to biological cells but also colloidal particles, as demonstrated by the assembly of hybrid cell−particle monolayers. The versatility offered by this approach suggests new opportunities in understanding early tissue formation and functionalizing cell monolayer aggregates by colloidal particles with customized functions.
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