Mechanochemical collagen assembly
Methods and devices are described for using a controlled extensional strain to organize prefibrillar collagen and/or elastin solutions into an organized array of fibrils. The organized array of collagen fibrils produced by the disclosed methods and devices can be used for tissue engineering applications.
1. A method of organizing prefibrillar solution into an organized array of fibrils comprising:
providing a collagen and/or elastin solution, wherein the collagen and/or elastin are prefibrils; and
creating a fluid flow through the prefibrillar solution by converging flow produced by hyperbolic contraction of the solution that produces a controlled extensional strain and shear strain to the collagen and/or elastin prefibrils,
wherein the extensional and shear strain are sufficient to induce the prefibrils to assemble into an organized array of fibrils.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the solution further comprises fibronectin and/or proteoglycans.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein a drawing probe generates the extensional strain.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the solution is in the form of a droplet, sheet, sphere, or cylinder.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising adding supplemental prefibrils to the solution during application of the strain.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising continuously extending a fibrillar structure at a rate of about 1 μm/second to about 1 mm/second.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising extending the organized array of fibrils in the presence of a co-nonsolvency agent.
8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising exposing the organized array of fibrils to a solution that promotes recrystallization.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the solution that promotes recrystallization is a buffer comprising a hypertonic agent.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the hypertonic agent is polyethylene glycol, hyaluronic acid, or glycosaminoglycans.
11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising applying tension to the organized array of fibrils as the fibrils recrystallize.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the total concentration of the collagen and/or elastin in the prefibrillar solution is about 1.2 mg/ml to about 500 mg/ml.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the total concentration of the collagen and/or elastin in the prefibrillar solution is about 2.4 mg/ml to about 100 mg/ml.