Figure 2.

(A) Effect of geometrical boundary constraints on hydrogel adhesion was assessed by culturing hLFs in type I collagen hydrogel scaffolds in triangular, square, and hexagonal PDMS wells. D0 represents day 0 in culture. (B) The hLF-laden hydrogel constructs in PDA-treated wells retain their surface anchorage, whereas (C) the same culture in untreated counterparts leads to hydrogel detachment and shrinkage. The images show pseudo-colored hydrogels after 10 days of culture (D10). The dotted lines depict the outlines of culture wells. Scale bars: 2 mm. (D, E) Contractile cells grown in surface-bound collagen hydrogels in PDA-treated circular wells extend cellular processes into their surrounding environment and form randomly oriented cellular networks. hHSC represents human hepatic stellate cells. Scale bars: top row: 2 mm, bottom row: 50 μm. (F) Detachment and unconstrained shrinkage of ECM scaffolds in untreated wells result in the formation of highly dense tissue constructs with directionally elongated microarchitecture. Scale bars; top row: 2 mm, bottom row: 50 μm.