FIG. 1.

Illustration depicting the method by which mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were extracted from three-dimensional (3D) fibrin gels. In this study, we developed a simple new method for efficiently retrieving MSCs encapsulated within 3D fibrin hydrogels. Cells were cultured within the fibrin gels for 1, 7, or 14 days before retrieval. The key component of the extraction process is a fibrinolytic enzyme, nattokinase. Treatment of the cell-seeded hydrogels with nattokinase for 30 min (longer incubations required for more concentrated gels) results in a single-cell suspension, which can be collected and concentrated through centrifugation and then subsequently used in additional assays or for different applications. Color images available online at www.liebertpub.com/tec