Biology subjects

Floren, M.

Publications and source records attributed to Floren, M..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Particle-Only gECM Wafers Enable Cohesive, ECM-Rich Scaffolds Without Secondary Polymers

Granular extracellular matrix (gECM)-based biomaterials commonly contain polymer components to improve scaffold cohesion and handling during fabrication and use. However, these polymer hydrogel components may dilute ECM content and increase fabrication and regulatory complexity. This study evaluated whether particle-only gECM wafers could serve as a simplified alternative to hydrogel-based gECM scaffolds while maintaining structural, mechanical, and biological performance. Decellularized human cartilage and skin tissues were processed and fabricated into three scaffold formats: gECM hydrogels, freeze-dried gECM hydrogel wafers, and freeze-dried particle-only gECM wafers. Across fabrication methods, scaffold swelling, volume fraction, and stiffness were strongly influenced by both tissue type and fabrication approach. gECM hydrogels exhibited the greatest swelling and lowest stiffness, while gECM wafers displayed higher volume fractions and greater mechanical stiffness. Notably, gECM particle-only wafers achieved performance comparable to gECM hydrogel wafers despite the absence of a secondary polymer network. Particle-only wafers also maintained swelling behavior and structural properties over 3 months of dry storage at room temperature, with only modest decreases in stiffness. In vitro studies showed sustained cell viability over 14 days on particle-only wafers, with chondrocytes infiltrating cartilage wafers and fibroblasts remaining primarily surface-localized on skin wafers. In addition, particle-only wafers remained cohesive during implantation into a bovine cartilage defect model. These findings demonstrate that particle-only gECM wafers can achieve structural integrity, mechanical performance, and cytocompatibility without the need for an additional polymer network, highlighting a simplified and ECM-rich biomaterial platform. By eliminating polymer carriers and enabling dry storage with preserved function, this approach supports the development of off-the-shelf, translationally accessible gECM particle-only wafers for tissue engineering applications.

bioengineering↗

bioRxiv2026

Human Osteochondral Granular Extracellular Matrix (gECM) Hydrogels Drive Tissue-Specific Composition and Mechanics

Osteochondral defects remain a major clinical challenge due to the limited regenerative capacity of cartilage and the complexity of the osteochondral interface. Here, we present a human-derived granular extracellular matrix (gECM) hydrogel platform designed for translational osteochondral repair. Using otherwise discarded human donor tissues, we developed cartilage and bone gECM hydrogels under current good manufacturing practice workflows. These materials are shear-thinning, immediately hold their form, and crosslink under physiological conditions to form stable constructs. Proteomic analysis confirmed that cartilage and bone gECM retain distinct tissue-specific biochemical signatures, while mechanical characterization demonstrated tissue-relevant stiffness, with bone gECM hydrogels exhibiting greater stiffness than cartilage gECM hydrogel. Particle packing density primarily governed viscosity, whereas tissue type contributed strongly to bulk stiffness. Together, these findings establish a scalable, human-derived gECM platform that integrates tissue-specific structural and mechanical cues, and advances a clinically translatable strategy for osteochondral repair.

bioengineering↗

bioRxiv2026

Granular Extracellular Matrix (gECM) Hydrogel Wafers as Shelf-Stable 2.5D Substrates for Microphysiological Modeling

Understanding disease pathology and evaluating emerging therapeutics require in vitro models that accurately recapitulate human tissue environments. However, existing microphysiological systems often compromise either biomimicry or ease-of-use, limiting widespread adoption and scalability. Here, we present lyophilized granular extracellular matrix (gECM) hydrogel wafers as shelf-stable, humanized 2.5D substrates that enable physiologically relevant modeling while simplifying integration into experimental workflows. Derived from decellularized human cartilage and bone, gECM hydrogel wafers retain tissue-specific architecture while introducing microporosity and surface topography through lyophilization. These wafers maintain swelling behavior, structural integrity, and mechanical properties over three months of room-temperature storage, allowing pre-fabrication and on-demand use without loss of function. gECM hydrogel wafers support direct cell seeding without encapsulation and sustain viability and proliferation of human adipose-derived mesenchymal stromal cells over 21 days, with gene expression trends comparable to 3D gECM hydrogels. Furthermore, wafers can be readily integrated into microfluidic systems with in situ hydration and transport of large biomolecules. Together, this platform bridges the gap between conventional 2D culture ease-of-use and 3D biomaterial biomimicry, providing a scalable and physiologically relevant in vitro model approach for high-throughput disease studies and therapeutic screening.

bioengineering↗