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Studying the Response of Human Dermal Fibroblasts in 2D Culture to Physiological Equibiaxial Strain
Skin is a multilayer tissue. The biggest layer of the human skin, the dermal layer, consists mainly of collagen and fibroblasts (skin cells). An established model of the dermis is the 3D culture of fibroblasts in collagen hydrogels. Stimulating these fibroblasts by applying equibiaxial strain to the gels has been shown to significantly enhance the cell’s proliferation (Wahlsten & Rütsche et al., 2022). These findings are of high importance for tissue engineering, but also highlight the need to study the mechanobiological response of fibroblasts to mechanical stimuli more in detail. Therefore, a 2D fibroblast cell culture system shall be established enabling to physiologically strain cells grown on a soft substrate.
Firstly, a 2D cell culture system needs to be established that can maintain a 2D fibroblast cell culture on soft substrates. This might involve hydrogel optimization, elastomer characterization, cell culture and microscopy. Furthermore, the existing bioreactor setup (shown above) needs to be adapted or a new bioreactor to be constructed to allow for the cells on a soft substrate to be cyclically strained. This might involve digital image correlation, acellular trials and cellular experiments.
Firstly, a 2D cell culture system needs to be established that can maintain a 2D fibroblast cell culture on soft substrates. This might involve hydrogel optimization, elastomer characterization, cell culture and microscopy. Furthermore, the existing bioreactor setup (shown above) needs to be adapted or a new bioreactor to be constructed to allow for the cells on a soft substrate to be cyclically strained. This might involve digital image correlation, acellular trials and cellular experiments.