The impact of electrical stimulation protocols on neuronal cell survival and proliferation using cell-laden GelMA/graphene oxide hydrogels

Abstract

The development of electroactive cell-laden hydrogels (bioscaffolds) has gained interest in neural tissue engineering research due to their inherent electrical properties that can induce the regulation of cell behaviour. Hydrogels combined with electrically conducting materials can respond to external applied electric fields, where these stimuli can promote electro-responsive cell growth and proliferation. A successful neural interface for electrical stimulation should present the desired stable electrical properties, such as high conductivity, low impedance, increased charge storage capacity and similar mechanical properties related to a target neural tissue. We report how different electri..