{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,20]],"date-time":"2026-01-20T00:02:19Z","timestamp":1768867339527,"version":"3.49.0"},"reference-count":38,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2018,6,27]],"date-time":"2018-06-27T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1530057600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001871","name":"Funda\u00e7\u00e3o para a Ci\u00eancia e a Tecnologia","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["IF\/00945\/2014"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["IF\/00945\/2014"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001871","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Bioengineering"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Adipose tissue is involved in many physiological processes. Therefore, the need for adipose tissue-like analogues either for soft tissue reconstruction or as in vitro testing platforms is undeniable. In this work, we explored the natural features of gellan gum (GG) to recreate injectable stable adipose-like microtissues. GG hydrogel particles with different percentages of polymer (0.5%, 0.75%, 1.25%) were developed and the effect of obtained mechanical properties over the ability of hASCs to differentiate towards the adipogenic lineage was evaluated based on the expression of the early (PPAR\u03b3) and late (FABP4) adipogenic markers, and on lipids formation and accumulation. Constructs were cultured in adipogenic induction medium up to 21 days or for six days in induction plus nine days in maintenance media. Overall, no significant differences were observed in terms of hASCs adipogenic differentiation within the range of Young\u2019s moduli between 2.7 and 12.9 kPa. The long-term (up to six weeks) stability of the developed constructs supported its application in soft tissue reconstruction. Moreover, their ability to function as adipose-like microtissue models for drug screening was demonstrated by confirming its sensitivity to TNF\u03b1 and ROCK inhibitor, respectively involved in the repression and induction of the adipogenic differentiation.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/bioengineering5030052","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2018,6,27]],"date-time":"2018-06-27T11:02:05Z","timestamp":1530097325000},"page":"52","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":11,"title":["Generation of Gellan Gum-Based Adipose-Like Microtissues"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"5","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2615-576X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Manuela E. L.","family":"Lago","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"3B\u2019s Research Group\u2014Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics, Headquarters of the European Institute of Excellence on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, University of Minho, Avepark, Barco, 4805-017 Guimar\u00e3es, Portugal"},{"name":"ICVS\/3B\u2019s\u2014PT Government Associate Laboratory, 4806-909 Braga\/Guimar\u00e3es, Portugal"},{"name":"The Discoveries Centre for Regenerative and Precision Medicine, Headquarters at University of Minho, 4704-553 Guimar\u00e3es, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4889-7799","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Luc\u00edlia P.","family":"Da Silva","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"3B\u2019s Research Group\u2014Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics, Headquarters of the European Institute of Excellence on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, University of Minho, Avepark, Barco, 4805-017 Guimar\u00e3es, Portugal"},{"name":"ICVS\/3B\u2019s\u2014PT Government Associate Laboratory, 4806-909 Braga\/Guimar\u00e3es, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Catarina","family":"Henriques","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"3B\u2019s Research Group\u2014Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics, Headquarters of the European Institute of Excellence on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, University of Minho, Avepark, Barco, 4805-017 Guimar\u00e3es, Portugal"},{"name":"ICVS\/3B\u2019s\u2014PT Government Associate Laboratory, 4806-909 Braga\/Guimar\u00e3es, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Andreia F.","family":"Carvalho","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"3B\u2019s Research Group\u2014Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics, Headquarters of the European Institute of Excellence on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, University of Minho, Avepark, Barco, 4805-017 Guimar\u00e3es, Portugal"},{"name":"ICVS\/3B\u2019s\u2014PT Government Associate Laboratory, 4806-909 Braga\/Guimar\u00e3es, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Rui L.","family":"Reis","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"3B\u2019s Research Group\u2014Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics, Headquarters of the European Institute of Excellence on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, University of Minho, Avepark, Barco, 4805-017 Guimar\u00e3es, Portugal"},{"name":"ICVS\/3B\u2019s\u2014PT Government Associate Laboratory, 4806-909 Braga\/Guimar\u00e3es, Portugal"},{"name":"The Discoveries Centre for Regenerative and Precision Medicine, Headquarters at University of Minho, 4704-553 Guimar\u00e3es, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Alexandra P.","family":"Marques","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"3B\u2019s Research Group\u2014Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics, Headquarters of the European Institute of Excellence on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, University of Minho, Avepark, Barco, 4805-017 Guimar\u00e3es, Portugal"},{"name":"ICVS\/3B\u2019s\u2014PT Government Associate Laboratory, 4806-909 Braga\/Guimar\u00e3es, Portugal"},{"name":"The Discoveries Centre for Regenerative and Precision Medicine, Headquarters at University of Minho, 4704-553 Guimar\u00e3es, Portugal"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2018,6,27]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"745","DOI":"10.1016\/j.tcb.2016.05.005","article-title":"Microenvironmental control of adipocyte fate and function","volume":"26","author":"Pope","year":"2016","journal-title":"Trends Cell Biol."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"85","DOI":"10.1038\/nri2921","article-title":"Adipokines in inflammation and metabolic disease","volume":"11","author":"Ouchi","year":"2011","journal-title":"Nat. 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