One-Pot Preparation of Collagen Tubes Using Diffusing Gelation

One-pot gelation in capillary glass tubes with carbonate-based buffer solution allows the formation of hollow collagen gels (collagen tubes) with an outer diameter of 1 mm or less. The preparation conditions of collagen concentration, buffer concentration, and capillary diameter impacted the ratio and size of the hollow gel and allowed for morphological control of the cavity. The morphology of the hollows suggests that their vacancies are the result of macroscopic phase separation and pinning due to gelation. Mechanical strength measurements of the dried collagen gel tubes demonstrated that the collagen concentration determines their Young’s modulus and maximum stress and that the material is strong enough for practical use. In vitro seeding studies of vascular endothelial cells demonstrated the possible formation of endothelial cells in layers in the gel lumen.