Journal
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Volume 110, Issue 32, Pages 12887-12892Publisher
NATL ACAD SCIENCES
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1222880110
Keywords
extracellular matrix; vascular biology; angiogenesis; cell carrier; regenerative medicine
Categories
Funding
- excellence initiative of the German Federal and State Governments [EXC 294]
- University of Freiburg
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Mechanical aspects of the cellular environment can influence cell function, and in this context hydrogels can serve as an instructive matrix. Here we report that physicochemical properties of hydrogels derived from polysaccharides (agarose, kappa-carrageenan) having an alpha-helical backbone can be tailored by inducing a switch in the secondary structure from alpha-helix to beta-sheet through carboxylation. This enables the gel modulus to be tuned over four orders of magnitude (G' 6 Pa-3.6 x 10(4) Pa) independently of polymer concentration and molecular weight. Using carboxylated agarose gels as a screening platform, we demonstrate that soft-carboxylated agarose provides a unique environment for the polarization of endothelial cells in the presence of soluble and bound signals, which notably does not occur in fibrin and collagen gels. Furthermore, endothelial cells organize into freestanding lumens over 100 mu m in length. The finding that a biomaterial can modulate soluble and bound signals provides impetus for exploring mechanobiology paradigms in regenerative therapies.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available