Multifibrillar bundles of a self-assembling hyaluronic acid derivative obtained through a microfluidic technique for aortic smooth muscle cell orientation and differentiation

A hyaluronic acid derivative that is able to physically crosslink in a saline aqueous environment was employed for the production of fibers with a mean diameter of 50 μm using a microfluidic technique. The microfibers were collected in a tailored rotating collector and assembled to form multifibrillar bundles. The orientation of the microfibers on the collected bundles was evaluated by microCT analysis. The bundles were biofunctionalized by physical addition of fibronectin or chemical tethering of a cyRGDC peptide to achieve control of Aortic Smooth Muscle Cell (AoSMC) attachment, elongation and alignment. The mechanical performances of these bundles were evaluated by elongation tests, related to the kind of biological functionalization and compared to non-functionalized samples. The alignment and differentiation of AoSMCs on single fibers and on the bundles were evaluated by microscopy and histochemical analyses.