Ionically Modified Gelatin Hydrogels Maintain Murine Myogenic Cell Viability and Fusion Capacity.

For tissue engineering of skeletal muscles, there is a need for biomaterials which do not only allow cell attachment, proliferation and differentiation, but also support the physiological conditions of the tissue. Next to the chemical nature and structure of the biomaterial, its response to the application of biophysical stimuli, such as mechanical deformation or application of electrical pulses, can impact in vitro tissue culture. In this study, gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) was modified with hydrophilic 2-acryloxyethyltrimethylammonium chloride (AETA) and 3-sulfopropyl acrylate potassium (SPA) ionic comonomers to obtain a piezoionic hydrogel. Rheology, mass swelling, gel fraction and mechanical characteristics were determined. The piezoionic properties of the SPA and AETA-modified GelMA were confirmed by a significant increase in ionic conductivity and an electrical response as a function of mechanical stress. Murine myoblasts displayed a viability of > 95% after one week on the piezoionic hydrogels, confirming their biocompatibility. The GelMA modifications did not influence the fusion capacity of the seeded myoblasts or myotube width after myotube formation. These results describe a novel functionalization providing new possibilities to exploit piezo-effects in the tissue engineering field. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.