Cell-Laden Agarose-Collagen Composite Hydrogels for Mechanotransduction Studies

Investigation on the Composition of Agarose–Collagen I Blended Hydrogels as Matrices for the Growth of Spheroids from Breast Cancer Cell Lines

“…Based on these observations and with the aim to study the effects of the mechanical features of the environment on the tumoroids features, the following analyses were carried out comparing the two conditions (0.25% and 0.125% agarose-based hydrogels) in which both cell lines were able to form healthy and stable spheroids up to two weeks. As already stated, the motility of these cells depends on the interaction with the microenvironment, mainly with collagen [21,34]. It is likely that the less dense hydrogel facilitates the protrusive behavior, also facilitating contact with the collagen anchoring points for the spatial dissemination of the cells.…”

“…As already stated, the motility of these cells depends on the interaction with the microenvironment, mainly with collagen [ 21 , 34 ]. It is likely that the less dense hydrogel facilitates the protrusive behavior, also facilitating contact with the collagen anchoring points for the spatial dissemination of the cells.…”

“…As far as we know, only one study described the use of hydrogels containing agarose and collagen, as well as alginate, as matrices for producing tumor spheroids and their viability was monitored up to 14 days [ 20 ]. In addition, two studies described the use of agarose–collagen blended hydrogels to unravel the effects of biophysical cues on cellular mechanobiology of 2D intervertebral disc cells [ 21 ] and previously prepared glioblastoma spheroids [ 22 ]. Both works highlighted the crucial role of the hydrogel stiffness and adhesivity as driving forces that modulate the cell plasticity and connect the biological functionality to the surrounding physical stimuli.…”

Mechanical Loading Disrupts Focal Adhesion Kinase Activation in Mandibular Fibrochondrocytes During Murine Temporomandibular Joint Osteoarthritis

“…Interestingly, the presence of collagen in a 3-dimensional agarose scaffold affects pFAK at Tyr397 when compared to agarose alone, resulting in a pFAK/FAK ratio that is initially high but decreases in total FAK and pFAK at Tyr397 following loading. It was hypothesized that this was a result of enhanced cell adhesion to the scaffold matrix due to the presence of collagen [38,52], supporting previous reports that 3-dimensional cell adhesions interact and respond to matrix engagement in different ways than monolayer cells [53]. Thus, the incorporation of a complex 3-dimensional microfabric of collagens, matching the higher-order structure of the extracellular matrix of the joint, may be critical for eliciting and interpreting the mechanobiological response of the mandibular condylar cartilage using in vitro assays.…”

Rational Design of Smart Hydrogels for Biomedical Applications

“…Agarose, a neutral linear polysaccharide derived from marine algae, is composed of d -galactose and 3,6-anhydro- l -galactose linked disaccharide units. The gelling mechanism of agarose depends on the aggregation of double helices formed by intermolecular hydrogen bonds ( Cambria et al, 2020 ). The feature of biocompatibility, biodegradability, and strong gelling upon gentle conditions renders agarose biopolymer extremely appealing as a promising biomaterial in antiviral treatment, cancer therapy, and colorimetric biosensing ( Kim et al, 2020 ; Lima-Sousa et al, 2020 ; Zhao L. et al, 2020 ).…”