High-strength double network hydrogels as potential materials for artificial 3D scaffold of cell migration in vitro

Abstract Cancer metastasis arises from magical pathological cell migration. An accurate and rapid evaluation of cell migration can reduce the number of animals used in experiments to develop a new drug to restrain the metastasis. In this work, high-strength double network hydrogels were synthesized to develop the three-dimensional (3D) scaffolds, which were applied to screen drug of anticancer in vitro. Compression strength was examined for Poly(2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid)/ Polyacrylamide (PAMPS/PAAm) double network hydrogel, Polyethylene glycol-Poly(2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid)/ Polyacrylamide (PEG-PAMPS/PAAm) double network hydrogel and Poly(vinyl alcohol)-Poly(2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid)/ Polyacrylamide (PVA-PAMPS/PAAm) double network hydrogel in more than 90% deformation rate. The results showed that PEG-PAMPS/PAAm hydrogel and PVA-PAMPS/PAAm hydrogel could provide high mechanical property to afford the scaffold durability and simulate cell metastasis under a simulated blood pressure. Used as the in vitro scaffold, the PEG-PAMPS/PAAm hydrogel and PVA-PAMPS/PAAm hydrogel were co-cultured with the two cancer cell, NB4 cell and A549 cell, which is the acute promyelocytic leukemia cell line and the human lung cancer cell, respectively. The results showed that the hydrogels had no intrinsic cytotoxicity to the two cells. Furthermore, under adriamycin treatment, the NB4 cell migration in two-dimensional (2D) polycarbonate membranes and PEG-PAMPS/PAAm hydrogel scaffold was investigated. The results indicated that the PEG-PAMPS/PAAm hydrogel had inter-connective porous structures and hole walls with deformability, could provide more practical channels to decrease the damage of the amoeboid migrated cells. This paper provides a 3D scaffold for studying cell migration and thus finds a rapid in vitro evaluation of a new drug to restrain the cancer cell metastasis.