Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Hongyan Long, Bart E. Vos, Timo Betz, Brendon M. Baker, Britta Trappmann
Summary: Matrix degradability has a significant impact on cell behavior in 3D environments, while matrix stiffness and degradability can be independently tuned to affect cell spreading kinetics and final spread area. The differentiation of cells is regulated by the spread state of progenitor cells.
Article
Cell Biology
Ezequiel Monferrer, Oana Dobre, Sara Trujillo, Mariana Azevedo Gonzalez Oliva, Alexandre Trubert-Paneli, Delia Acevedo-Leon, Rosa Noguera, Manuel Salmeron-Sanchez
Summary: The tumor microenvironment plays a crucial role in cancer development, and the use of decoupled elements in 3D in vitro systems is important for studying cancer progression. In this study, hydrogels incorporating VN into PEG networks were developed to mimic the native NB microenvironment. Results showed that VN-cell interaction plays a key role in NB aggressiveness.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Yolanda Alacid, Andres F. Quintero Jaime, Maria Jose Martinez-Tome, C. Reyes Mateo, Francisco Montilla
Summary: This study describes the development of a portable electrochemical biosensor using alkaline phosphatase (ALP) as a recognition element and immobilizing it in acrylamide-based hydrogels. The biosensor was prepared through a green protocol and deposited on disposable screen-printed electrodes. The electrochemical transduction was carried out by using an electroinactive substrate and measuring the activity of the protein within the hydrogel matrix. The biosensor showed increased sensitivity due to the adhesive properties of the hydrogel and was optimized for the determination of phosphate ion in aqueous media. The study demonstrates the potential use of this biosensor for real-time measurement of water pollutants that inhibit ALP.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Shuyi Qian, Yixiao Dong, Ju Qu, Xuechun Wang, Wang Zhang, Jia Chen, Fan Xu, Meihua Cui, Monica Giomo, Chenhan Liao, Manli Hu, Juan Xu, Ganlu Hu, Jie Zheng, Xianmin Zhu, Anna Urciuolo, Guoping Fan, Nicola Elvassore
Summary: In this study, a facile strategy was proposed to produce precise channel-like hydrogel confinements on a microfluidic device for investigating cancer cell migration and mechanical interactions. The results demonstrated that breast cancer cells migrated faster in stiffer confinements with an adapted migratory phenotype, and the activation of YAP was involved in this process.
ACS MATERIALS LETTERS
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Leena Patel, Joshua C. Worch, Andrew P. Dove, Katja Gehmlich
Summary: The behavior and morphology of cardiac fibroblasts (FBs) and cardiomyocytes (CMs) are influenced by their environment, highlighting the importance of biomaterial substrates in cell culture. Biomaterial hydrogels, such as hyaluronic acid, polydimethylsiloxane, and polyethylene glycol, have been used to culture induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (iPSC-CMs) and provide a more physiological model of the cardiac extracellular matrix. Natural hydrogels show higher biocompatibility with iPSC-CMs but degrade quicker, while synthetic hydrogels can be modified to facilitate cell attachment and decrease degradation rates. Hydrogels have been extensively utilized in the cardiac field to recapitulate disease conditions, encourage alignment of iPSC-CMs, and facilitate further model development.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Vivek Prakash, Yvonne Christian, Amay Sanjay Redkar, Abhishek Roy, R. Anandalakshmi, Vibin Ramakrishnan
Summary: Self-assembled peptide hydrogels, which can be used for controlled drug release, wound-healing, and drug delivery, have recently been explored as alternative anti-infective agents. In this study, three ultrashort antibacterial peptide hydrogels were designed and their mechanical and antibacterial properties were evaluated. The results suggest that these hydrogels have the potential for topical applications.
Article
Polymer Science
Erdinc Doganci, Mustafa Uygun, Mehmet Atilla Tasdelen
Summary: Researchers synthesized a novel cinacalcet-containing acrylamide hydrogel (CIN-gel) using free radical photopolymerization and cinacalcet hydrochloride as a photoinitiator. The CIN-gel exhibited dual fluorescence emission due to twisted intramolecular charge transfer and was used as a fluorescent probe to detect specific heavy metal ions and nitroaromatic compounds. The fluorescence intensity of CIN-gel gradually decreased with the addition of these compounds, with the highest quenching efficiencies observed for zinc ions, 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene, and 2,4-dinitrophenol. The CIN-gel is considered a potential chemical probe for the detection of heavy metal ions and nitroaromatic compounds due to its simplicity and sensitivity.
IRANIAN POLYMER JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Dimitris Missirlis, Miguel Banos, Felix Lussier, Joachim P. Spatz
Summary: In this study, a micropatterning strategy was proposed to introduce small molecules and ligands on patterns of arbitrary shapes on the surface of poly(acrylamide)-based hydrogels. The advantages of this approach include easy use, no need for prefabricated photomasks, the use of mild UV light and biocompatible bioconjugation chemistries, and the ability to pattern low-molecular-weight ligands. Cell patterning experiments demonstrated the response of cells to the combination of pattern shape and substrate elasticity.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Rosalia Ferraro, Stefano Guido, Sergio Caserta, Manlio Tassieri
Summary: Hydrogels have been used as substitutes for the extracellular matrix to study biological processes, but the relationship between gel properties and cell fate is still unclear. This study provides experimental evidence for a possible explanation of this knowledge gap. The authors used common tissue substitutes to demonstrate potential pitfalls in rheological characterizations of soft materials, such as the normal force applied to samples and the dimensions of the testing tools. They found that biomimetic hydrogels can exhibit either softening or stiffening, and propose a solution to mitigate these undesired phenomena.
Article
Developmental Biology
Karen L. Xu, Robert L. Mauck, Jason A. Burdick
Summary: The development of multicellular complex organisms relies on coordinated signaling from the microenvironment, including both biochemical and mechanical interactions. To better understand developmental biology, increasingly sophisticated in vitro systems are needed to mimic these complex extracellular features. In this Primer, we explore how engineered hydrogels can serve as in vitro culture platforms to present such signals in a controlled manner and include examples of how they have been used to advance our understanding of developmental biology.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
M. Muthukumar, M. S. Bobji, K. R. Y. Simha
Summary: Needle insertion into soft tissues is a common procedure in various surgeries. However, due to the heterogeneity and opaqueness of tissues, the experimental and numerical results lack consistency. Therefore, understanding the fracture behavior of soft tissues during needle insertion is crucial for minimally invasive surgeries and medical procedures.
Review
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Jiapeng Yang, Yu Zhang, Meng Qin, Wei Cheng, Wei Wang, Yi Cao
Summary: Research has shown the importance of hydrogels in studying the mechanical properties of cells and how they respond to the external mechanical environment, highlighting the need to adjust properties like hydrogel stiffness to better understand related mechanisms.
JOURNAL OF BIOMEDICAL NANOTECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Michael D. A. Norman, Silvia A. Ferreira, Geraldine M. Jowett, Laurent Bozec, Eileen Gentleman
Summary: This protocol outlines how to utilize atomic force microscopy for measuring the elastic modulus of soft 2D surfaces and cell-laden 3D hydrogels. It includes instructions for sample preparation, instrument calibration, data collection and analysis, and inferring differential matrix remodeling activity in hydrogels. The protocol is suitable for probing a variety of synthetic and naturally derived polymeric hydrogels and allows users to characterize the mechanical properties of multiple surfaces or hydrogels in a single day with introductory AFM training.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Laura Rijns, Joris W. Peeters, Simone I. S. Hendrikse, Marle E. J. Vleugels, Xianwen Lou, Henk M. Janssen, E. W. Meijer, Patricia Y. W. Dankers
Summary: This research reveals the importance of molecular dynamics and gel dynamics in cellular spreading. Epithelial cells are insensitive to gel dynamics, while fibroblasts are sensitive to the gel dynamics in soft gels and dependence on gel stiffness.
CHEMISTRY OF MATERIALS
(2023)
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Pan Jin, Lei Liu, Xichi Chen, Lin Cheng, Weining Zhang, Gang Zhong
Summary: Hydrogels are emerging as promising biomaterials for meniscus rehabilitation and regeneration due to their tunability and ability to deliver exogenous substances. However, there are still challenges to be addressed in their clinical application.
FRONTIERS IN BIOENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)