Studies On The Properties Of Alginate-based Hydrogels For In Vitro 3D Cell Cultures

Hydrogel is a polymer system which contains a large amount of water and can be cross-linked in the dispersion medium.Different composition and cross-linking methods can give the hydrogel different physical and chemical properties.Those hydrogels holding certain physical and chemical properties can be widely used as scaffold materials for tissue engineering and organ manufacturing.In this study,several alginate based hydrogels,such as gelatin/alginatg]e/agarose(G-A-A),fibrinogen/alginate/agarose(F-A-A),gelatin/alginate(G-A),fibrinogen/alginate(F-A)and its control group pure alginate(A)and alginate/agarose(A-A),are studied for its advantages and disadvantages in vitro three-dimensional(3D)cell cultures.The alginate based hydrogels can be used alone or mixed with other natural polymers to form relatively stable networks with good cell compatibility,mechanical strength and water holding performance.The physicochemical properties of the hydrogels can be adjusted via changing the composition,the ratio of the components,and the cross-linking method,etc.The advantages and disadvantages of these hydrogels with respect to biocompatibility,cell living space,nutrient transportation,hydrogel system maintenance,and mechanical strength.Combined 3D printing technology and mold technology for hydrogel molding process test and molding effect test,the G-A-A,F-A-A hydrogels are regarded as the best biomaterials for in vitro 3D cell cultures.