OPTICAL MONITORING OF CELL MIGRATION PROCESSES IN A 3D SCAFFOLD

Three-dimensional (3D) polymeric scaffolds are utilized in tissue engineering to provide biomechanical support for the seeded cells until they are organized into a functional tissue. Studies of cell migration are important for understanding a variety of physiological and pathological processes in tissue regeneration. Optical techniques can be employed for monitoring cell migration processes in 3D scaffolds. In particular, two-photon microscopy (TPM) can be used for monitoring these processes for living cells also at considerable depths. In the present work, the cell migration process of alive chondrocytes labelled with vital PKH67 in 3D collagen-based scaffold has been monitored at different times from the seeding process. The results show that TPM can evidence the presence of living cells in different spatial regions whose localizations depend on the location and time elapsed from the seeding.