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Yan K, Chen D, Guo X, Wan Y, Yang C, Wang W, Li X, Lu Z, Wang D. Electric-field assisted cascade reactions to create alginate/carboxymethyl chitosan composite hydrogels with gradient architecture and reconfigurable mechanical properties. Carbohydr Polym 2024; 346:122609. [PMID: 39245522 DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2024.122609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2024] [Revised: 07/26/2024] [Accepted: 08/10/2024] [Indexed: 09/10/2024]
Abstract
Rational designs of polysaccharide-based hydrogels with organ-like three-dimensional architecture provide a great possibility for addressing the shortages of allograft tissues and organs. However, spatial-temporal control over structure in bulk hydrogel and acquire satisfied mechanical properties remain an intrinsic challenge to achieve. Here, we show how electric-field assisted molecular self-assembly can be coupled to a directional reaction-diffusion (RD) process to produce macroscopic hydrogel in a controllable manner. The electrical energy input was not only to generate complex molecule gradients and initiate the molecular self-assembly, but also to guide/facilitate the RD processes for the gel rapid growth via a cascade construction interaction. The hydrogel mechanical properties can be tuned and enhanced by using an interpenetrating biopolymer network and multiple ionic crosslinkers, leading to a wide-range of mechanical modulus to match with biological organs or tissues. We demonstrate diverse 3D macroscopic hydrogels can be easily prepared via field-assisted directional reaction-diffusion and specific joint interactions. The humility-triggered dissipation of functional gradients and antibacterial performance confirm that the hydrogels can serve as an optically variable soft device for wound management. Therefore, this work provides a general approach toward the rational fabrication of soft hydrogels with controlled architectures and functionality for advanced biomedical systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kun Yan
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Advanced Textile Materials & Application, Hubei International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Intelligent Textile Materials &Application, Key Laboratory of Textile Fiber & Product, Ministry of Education, Wuhan Textile University, Wuhan 430200, China.
| | - Ding Chen
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Advanced Textile Materials & Application, Hubei International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Intelligent Textile Materials &Application, Key Laboratory of Textile Fiber & Product, Ministry of Education, Wuhan Textile University, Wuhan 430200, China
| | - Xiaoming Guo
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Advanced Textile Materials & Application, Hubei International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Intelligent Textile Materials &Application, Key Laboratory of Textile Fiber & Product, Ministry of Education, Wuhan Textile University, Wuhan 430200, China; School of Materials Science & Engineering, Hubei University of Automotive Technology, Shiyan 442002, China
| | - Yekai Wan
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Advanced Textile Materials & Application, Hubei International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Intelligent Textile Materials &Application, Key Laboratory of Textile Fiber & Product, Ministry of Education, Wuhan Textile University, Wuhan 430200, China
| | - Chenguang Yang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Advanced Textile Materials & Application, Hubei International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Intelligent Textile Materials &Application, Key Laboratory of Textile Fiber & Product, Ministry of Education, Wuhan Textile University, Wuhan 430200, China
| | - Wenwen Wang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Advanced Textile Materials & Application, Hubei International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Intelligent Textile Materials &Application, Key Laboratory of Textile Fiber & Product, Ministry of Education, Wuhan Textile University, Wuhan 430200, China
| | - Xiufang Li
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Advanced Textile Materials & Application, Hubei International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Intelligent Textile Materials &Application, Key Laboratory of Textile Fiber & Product, Ministry of Education, Wuhan Textile University, Wuhan 430200, China
| | - Zhentan Lu
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Advanced Textile Materials & Application, Hubei International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Intelligent Textile Materials &Application, Key Laboratory of Textile Fiber & Product, Ministry of Education, Wuhan Textile University, Wuhan 430200, China
| | - Dong Wang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Advanced Textile Materials & Application, Hubei International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Intelligent Textile Materials &Application, Key Laboratory of Textile Fiber & Product, Ministry of Education, Wuhan Textile University, Wuhan 430200, China; School of Materials Science & Engineering, Hubei University of Automotive Technology, Shiyan 442002, China.
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2
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Zhu S, Wu Q, Ying Y, Mao Y, Lu W, Xu J, Cai X, He H, Wu J. Tissue-Adaptive BSA Hydrogel with Dual Release of PTX and bFGF Promotes Spinal Cord Injury Repair via Glial Scar Inhibition and Axon Regeneration. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2024:e2401407. [PMID: 39385643 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202401407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2024] [Revised: 09/18/2024] [Indexed: 10/12/2024]
Abstract
Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a severe clinical disease usually accompanied by activated glial scar, neuronal axon rupture, and disabled motor function. To mimic the microenvironment of the SCI injury site, a hydrogel system with a comparable mechanical property to the spinal cord is desirable. Therefore, a novel elastic bovine serum albumin (BSA) hydrogel is fabricated with excellent adhesive, injectable, and biocompatible properties. The hydrogel is used to deliver paclitaxel (PTX) together with basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) to inhibit glial scar formation as well as promote axon regeneration and motor function for SCI repair. Due to the specific interaction of BSA with both drugs, bFGF, and PTX can be controllably released from the hydrogel system to achieve an effective concentration at the wound site during the SCI regeneration process. Moreover, benefiting from the combination of PTX and bFGF, this bFGF/PTX@BSA system significantly aided axon repair by promoting the elongation of axons across the glial scar with reduced reactive astrocyte secretion. In addition, remarkable anti-apoptosis of nerve cells is evident with the bFGF/PTX@BSA system. Subsequently, this multi-functionalized drug system significantly improved the motor function of the rats after SCI. These results reveal that bFGF/PTX@BSA is an ideal functionalized material for nerve repair in SCI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sipin Zhu
- School of Pharmaceutical Science, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325035, China
- Oujiang Laboratory (Zhejiang Lab for Regenerative Medicine, Vision, and Brain Health), Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325000, China
| | - Qiuji Wu
- School of Pharmaceutical Science, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325035, China
| | - Yibo Ying
- School of Pharmaceutical Science, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325035, China
| | - Yuqin Mao
- School of Pharmaceutical Science, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325035, China
| | - Wenjie Lu
- School of Pharmaceutical Science, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325035, China
| | - Jie Xu
- School of Pharmaceutical Science, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325035, China
| | - Xiong Cai
- School of Pharmaceutical Science, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325035, China
| | - Huacheng He
- Oujiang Laboratory (Zhejiang Lab for Regenerative Medicine, Vision, and Brain Health), Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325000, China
| | - Jiang Wu
- School of Pharmaceutical Science, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325035, China
- Oujiang Laboratory (Zhejiang Lab for Regenerative Medicine, Vision, and Brain Health), Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325000, China
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3
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Soliman BG, Nguyen AK, Gooding JJ, Kilian KA. Advancing Synthetic Hydrogels through Nature-Inspired Materials Chemistry. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2024; 36:e2404235. [PMID: 38896849 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202404235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2024] [Revised: 05/25/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
Synthetic extracellular matrix (ECM) mimics that can recapitulate the complex biochemical and mechanical nature of native tissues are needed for advanced models of development and disease. Biomedical research has heavily relied on the use of animal-derived biomaterials, which is now impeding their translational potential and convoluting the biological insights gleaned from in vitro tissue models. Natural hydrogels have long served as a convenient and effective cell culture tool, but advances in materials chemistry and fabrication techniques now present promising new avenues for creating xenogenic-free ECM substitutes appropriate for organotypic models and microphysiological systems. However, significant challenges remain in creating synthetic matrices that can approximate the structural sophistication, biochemical complexity, and dynamic functionality of native tissues. This review summarizes key properties of the native ECM, and discusses recent approaches used to systematically decouple and tune these properties in synthetic matrices. The importance of dynamic ECM mechanics, such as viscoelasticity and matrix plasticity, is also discussed, particularly within the context of organoid and engineered tissue matrices. Emerging design strategies to mimic these dynamic mechanical properties are reviewed, such as multi-network hydrogels, supramolecular chemistry, and hydrogels assembled from biological monomers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bram G Soliman
- School of Chemistry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
- Australian Centre for NanoMedicine, University of New South Wales Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Ashley K Nguyen
- School of Chemistry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
- Australian Centre for NanoMedicine, University of New South Wales Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - J Justin Gooding
- School of Chemistry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
- Australian Centre for NanoMedicine, University of New South Wales Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Kristopher A Kilian
- School of Chemistry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
- Australian Centre for NanoMedicine, University of New South Wales Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
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4
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Xu C, Chen Y, Zhao S, Li D, Tang X, Zhang H, Huang J, Guo Z, Liu W. Mechanical Regulation of Polymer Gels. Chem Rev 2024; 124:10435-10508. [PMID: 39284130 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.3c00498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/26/2024]
Abstract
The mechanical properties of polymer gels devote to emerging devices and machines in fields such as biomedical engineering, flexible bioelectronics, biomimetic actuators, and energy harvesters. Coupling network architectures and interactions has been explored to regulate supportive mechanical characteristics of polymer gels; however, systematic reviews correlating mechanics to interaction forces at the molecular and structural levels remain absent in the field. This review highlights the molecular engineering and structural engineering of polymer gel mechanics and a comprehensive mechanistic understanding of mechanical regulation. Molecular engineering alters molecular architecture and manipulates functional groups/moieties at the molecular level, introducing various interactions and permanent or reversible dynamic bonds as the dissipative energy. Molecular engineering usually uses monomers, cross-linkers, chains, and other additives. Structural engineering utilizes casting methods, solvent phase regulation, mechanochemistry, macromolecule chemical reactions, and biomanufacturing technology to construct and tailor the topological network structures, or heterogeneous modulus compositions. We envision that the perfect combination of molecular and structural engineering may provide a fresh view to extend exciting new perspectives of this burgeoning field. This review also summarizes recent representative applications of polymer gels with excellent mechanical properties. Conclusions and perspectives are also provided from five aspects of concise summary, mechanical mechanism, biofabrication methods, upgraded applications, and synergistic methodology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenggong Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Solid Lubrication, Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China
- College of Materials Science and Opto-Electronic Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yi Chen
- Key Laboratory of Instrumentation Science and Dynamic Measurement, Ministry of Education, North University of China, Taiyuan 030051, China
| | - Siyang Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Solid Lubrication, Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China
- College of Materials Science and Opto-Electronic Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Deke Li
- State Key Laboratory of Solid Lubrication, Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China
- School of materials engineering, Lanzhou Institute of Technology, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Xing Tang
- Hubei Collaborative Innovation Centre for Advanced Organic Chemical Materials and Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for the Green Preparation and Application of Functional Materials, Hubeu University, Wuhan 430062, China
| | - Haili Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Solid Lubrication, Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China
- Hubei Collaborative Innovation Centre for Advanced Organic Chemical Materials and Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for the Green Preparation and Application of Functional Materials, Hubeu University, Wuhan 430062, China
| | - Jinxia Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Solid Lubrication, Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Zhiguang Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Solid Lubrication, Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China
- Hubei Collaborative Innovation Centre for Advanced Organic Chemical Materials and Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for the Green Preparation and Application of Functional Materials, Hubeu University, Wuhan 430062, China
| | - Weimin Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Solid Lubrication, Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China
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5
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Liu Y, Gilchrist AE, Heilshorn SC. Engineered Protein Hydrogels as Biomimetic Cellular Scaffolds. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2024:e2407794. [PMID: 39233559 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202407794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2024] [Revised: 08/01/2024] [Indexed: 09/06/2024]
Abstract
The biochemical and biophysical properties of the extracellular matrix (ECM) play a pivotal role in regulating cellular behaviors such as proliferation, migration, and differentiation. Engineered protein-based hydrogels, with highly tunable multifunctional properties, have the potential to replicate key features of the native ECM. Formed by self-assembly or crosslinking, engineered protein-based hydrogels can induce a range of cell behaviors through bioactive and functional domains incorporated into the polymer backbone. Using recombinant techniques, the amino acid sequence of the protein backbone can be designed with precise control over the chain-length, folded structure, and cell-interaction sites. In this review, the modular design of engineered protein-based hydrogels from both a molecular- and network-level perspective are discussed, and summarize recent progress and case studies to highlight the diverse strategies used to construct biomimetic scaffolds. This review focuses on amino acid sequences that form structural blocks, bioactive blocks, and stimuli-responsive blocks designed into the protein backbone for highly precise and tunable control of scaffold properties. Both physical and chemical methods to stabilize dynamic protein networks with defined structure and bioactivity for cell culture applications are discussed. Finally, a discussion of future directions of engineered protein-based hydrogels as biomimetic cellular scaffolds is concluded.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yueming Liu
- Department of Materials Science & Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Aidan E Gilchrist
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Davis 451 Health Sciences Dr, GBSF 3315, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Sarah C Heilshorn
- Department of Materials Science & Engineering, 476 Lomita Mall, McCullough Room 246, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
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6
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Wiita EG, Toprakcioglu Z, Jayaram AK, Knowles TPJ. Formation of Nanofibrillar Self-Healing Hydrogels Using Antimicrobial Peptides. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2024; 16:46167-46176. [PMID: 39171944 PMCID: PMC11378157 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.4c11542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/23/2024]
Abstract
The rise of drug-resistant microorganisms has prompted the development of innovative strategies with the aim of addressing this challenge. Among the alternative approaches gaining increased attention are antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), a group of peptides with the ability to combat microbial pathogens. Here, we investigated a small peptide, KLVFF, derived from the Alzheimer's amyloid-β (Aβ) protein. While Aβ has been associated with the development of neurodegenerative diseases, the core part of the Aβ protein, namely the Aβ 16-20 fragment, has also been exploited to obtain highly functional biomaterials. In this study we found that KLVFF is capable of self-assembling into a fibrillar network to form a self-healing hydrogel. Moreover, this small peptide can undergo a transition from a gel to a liquid state following application of shear stress, in a reversible manner. As an AMP, this material exhibited both antibacterial and antifungal properties while remaining highly biocompatible and noncytotoxic toward mammalian cells. The propensity of the KLVFF hydrogel to rapidly assemble into highly ordered macroscopic structures makes it an ideal candidate for biomedical applications necessitating antimicrobial activity, such as wound healing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth G Wiita
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, U.K
| | - Zenon Toprakcioglu
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, U.K
| | - Akhila K Jayaram
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, U.K
- Cavendish Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Cambridge, J J Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0HE, U.K
| | - Tuomas P J Knowles
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, U.K
- Cavendish Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Cambridge, J J Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0HE, U.K
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7
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Dong L, Li L, Chen H, Cao Y, Lei H. Mechanochemistry: Fundamental Principles and Applications. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024:e2403949. [PMID: 39206931 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202403949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2024] [Revised: 07/30/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
Mechanochemistry is an emerging research field at the interface of physics, mechanics, materials science, and chemistry. Complementary to traditional activation methods in chemistry, such as heat, electricity, and light, mechanochemistry focuses on the activation of chemical reactions by directly or indirectly applying mechanical forces. It has evolved as a powerful tool for controlling chemical reactions in solid state systems, sensing and responding to stresses in polymer materials, regulating interfacial adhesions, and stimulating biological processes. By combining theoretical approaches, simulations and experimental techniques, researchers have gained intricate insights into the mechanisms underlying mechanochemistry. In this review, the physical chemistry principles underpinning mechanochemistry are elucidated and a comprehensive overview of recent significant achievements in the discovery of mechanically responsive chemical processes is provided, with a particular emphasis on their applications in materials science. Additionally, The perspectives and insights into potential future directions for this exciting research field are offered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang Dong
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructure, Department of Physics, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210093, P. R. China
| | - Luofei Li
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructure, Department of Physics, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210093, P. R. China
| | - Huiyan Chen
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructure, Department of Physics, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210093, P. R. China
| | - Yi Cao
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructure, Department of Physics, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210093, P. R. China
| | - Hai Lei
- School of Physics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310027, P. R. China
- Institute of Advanced Physics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310027, P. R. China
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8
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Sanchez-Fernandez A, Poon JF, Leung AE, Prévost SF, Dicko C. Stabilization of Non-Native Folds and Programmable Protein Gelation in Compositionally Designed Deep Eutectic Solvents. ACS NANO 2024; 18:18314-18326. [PMID: 38949563 PMCID: PMC11256765 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.4c01950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2024] [Revised: 06/17/2024] [Accepted: 06/18/2024] [Indexed: 07/02/2024]
Abstract
Proteins are adjustable units from which biomaterials with designed properties can be developed. However, non-native folded states with controlled topologies are hardly accessible in aqueous environments, limiting their prospects as building blocks. Here, we demonstrate the ability of a series of anhydrous deep eutectic solvents (DESs) to precisely control the conformational landscape of proteins. We reveal that systematic variations in the chemical composition of binary and ternary DESs dictate the stabilization of a wide range of conformations, that is, compact globular folds, intermediate folding states, or unfolded chains, as well as controlling their collective behavior. Besides, different conformational states can be visited by simply adjusting the composition of ternary DESs, allowing for the refolding of unfolded states and vice versa. Notably, we show that these intermediates can trigger the formation of supramolecular gels, also known as eutectogels, where their mechanical properties correlate to the folding state of the protein. Given the inherent vulnerability of proteins outside the native fold in aqueous environments, our findings highlight DESs as tailorable solvents capable of stabilizing various non-native conformations on demand through solvent design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian Sanchez-Fernandez
- Center
for Research in Biological Chemistry and Molecular Materials (CiQUS),
Department of Chemical Engineering, Universidade
de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela 15705, Spain
| | - Jia-Fei Poon
- European
Spallation Source, Lund University, Lund SE-22100, Sweden
| | | | | | - Cedric Dicko
- Pure
and Applied Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry, Lund University, Lund SE-22100, Sweden
- Lund
Institute of Advanced Neutron and X-ray Science, Lund SE-22370, Sweden
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9
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Li P, Li H. A Handle-Free, All-Protein-Based Optical Tweezers Method to Probe Protein Folding-Unfolding Dynamics. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2024; 40:13721-13727. [PMID: 38899455 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.4c01711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
Optical tweezers (OT) have evolved into powerful single molecule force spectroscopy tools to investigate protein folding-unfolding dynamics. To stretch a protein of interest using OT, the protein must be flanked with two double stranded DNA (dsDNA) handles. However, coupling dsDNA handles to the protein is often of low yield, representing a bottleneck in OT experiments. Here, we report a handle-free, all-protein-based OT method for investigating protein folding/unfolding dynamics. In this new method, we employed disordered elastin-like polypeptides (ELPs) as a molecular linker and the mechanically stable cohesin-dockerin (Coh-Doc) pair as the prey-bait system to enable the efficient capture and stretching of individual protein molecules. This novel approach was validated by using model proteins NuG2 and RTX-v, yielding experimental results comparable to those obtained by using the dsDNA handle approach. This new method provides a streamlined and efficient OT approach to investigate the folding-unfolding dynamics of proteins at the single molecule level, thus expanding the toolbox of OT-based single molecule force spectroscopy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peiyun Li
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouver, BC V6T 1Z1, Canada
| | - Hongbin Li
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouver, BC V6T 1Z1, Canada
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10
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Li M, Li J, Liu K, Zhang H. Artificial structural proteins: Synthesis, assembly and material applications. Bioorg Chem 2024; 144:107162. [PMID: 38308999 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2024.107162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 01/14/2024] [Accepted: 01/27/2024] [Indexed: 02/05/2024]
Abstract
Structural proteins have evolved over billions of years and offer outstanding mechanical properties, such as resilience, toughness and stiffness. Advances in modular protein engineering, polypeptide modification, and synthetic biology have led to the development of novel biomimetic structural proteins to perform in biomedical and military fields. However, the development of customized structural proteins and assemblies with superior performance remains a major challenge, due to the inherent limitations of biosynthesis, difficulty in mimicking the complexed macroscale assembly, etc. This review summarizes the approaches for the design and production of biomimetic structural proteins, and their chemical modifications for multiscale assembly. Furthermore, we discuss the function tailoring and current applications of biomimetic structural protein assemblies. A perspective of future research is to reveal how the mechanical properties are encoded in the sequences and conformations. This review, therefore, provides an important reference for the development of structural proteins-mimetics from replication of nature to even outperforming nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming Li
- State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource Utilization, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, China; School of Applied Chemistry and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Jingjing Li
- State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource Utilization, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, China.
| | - Kai Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource Utilization, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, China; School of Applied Chemistry and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China; Engineering Research Center of Advanced Rare Earth Materials, Ministry of Education, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Hongjie Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource Utilization, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, China; School of Applied Chemistry and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China; Engineering Research Center of Advanced Rare Earth Materials, Ministry of Education, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
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11
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Xu Z, Chen Y, Cao Y, Xue B. Tough Hydrogels with Different Toughening Mechanisms and Applications. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:2675. [PMID: 38473922 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25052675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2024] [Revised: 02/20/2024] [Accepted: 02/24/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Load-bearing biological tissues, such as cartilage and muscles, exhibit several crucial properties, including high elasticity, strength, and recoverability. These characteristics enable these tissues to endure significant mechanical stresses and swiftly recover after deformation, contributing to their exceptional durability and functionality. In contrast, while hydrogels are highly biocompatible and hold promise as synthetic biomaterials, their inherent network structure often limits their ability to simultaneously possess a diverse range of superior mechanical properties. As a result, the applications of hydrogels are significantly constrained. This article delves into the design mechanisms and mechanical properties of various tough hydrogels and investigates their applications in tissue engineering, flexible electronics, and other fields. The objective is to provide insights into the fabrication and application of hydrogels with combined high strength, stretchability, toughness, and fast recovery as well as their future development directions and challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengyu Xu
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructure, Department of Physics, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China
| | - Yanru Chen
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructure, Department of Physics, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China
| | - Yi Cao
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructure, Department of Physics, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China
- Jinan Microecological Biomedicine Shandong Laboratory, Jinan 250000, China
| | - Bin Xue
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructure, Department of Physics, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China
- Jinan Microecological Biomedicine Shandong Laboratory, Jinan 250000, China
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12
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Ni B, Kaplan DL, Buehler MJ. ForceGen: End-to-end de novo protein generation based on nonlinear mechanical unfolding responses using a language diffusion model. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadl4000. [PMID: 38324676 PMCID: PMC10849601 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adl4000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
Through evolution, nature has presented a set of remarkable protein materials, including elastins, silks, keratins and collagens with superior mechanical performances that play crucial roles in mechanobiology. However, going beyond natural designs to discover proteins that meet specified mechanical properties remains challenging. Here, we report a generative model that predicts protein designs to meet complex nonlinear mechanical property-design objectives. Our model leverages deep knowledge on protein sequences from a pretrained protein language model and maps mechanical unfolding responses to create proteins. Via full-atom molecular simulations for direct validation, we demonstrate that the designed proteins are de novo, and fulfill the targeted mechanical properties, including unfolding energy and mechanical strength, as well as the detailed unfolding force-separation curves. Our model offers rapid pathways to explore the enormous mechanobiological protein sequence space unconstrained by biological synthesis, using mechanical features as the target to enable the discovery of protein materials with superior mechanical properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Ni
- Laboratory for Atomistic and Molecular Mechanics (LAMM), Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - David L. Kaplan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA
| | - Markus J. Buehler
- Laboratory for Atomistic and Molecular Mechanics (LAMM), Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- Center for Computational Science and Engineering, Schwarzman College of Computing, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
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13
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Mout R, Bretherton RC, Decarreau J, Lee S, Gregorio N, Edman NI, Ahlrichs M, Hsia Y, Sahtoe DD, Ueda G, Sharma A, Schulman R, DeForest CA, Baker D. De novo design of modular protein hydrogels with programmable intra- and extracellular viscoelasticity. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2309457121. [PMID: 38289949 PMCID: PMC10861882 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2309457121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/26/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Relating the macroscopic properties of protein-based materials to their underlying component microstructure is an outstanding challenge. Here, we exploit computational design to specify the size, flexibility, and valency of de novo protein building blocks, as well as the interaction dynamics between them, to investigate how molecular parameters govern the macroscopic viscoelasticity of the resultant protein hydrogels. We construct gel systems from pairs of symmetric protein homo-oligomers, each comprising 2, 5, 24, or 120 individual protein components, that are crosslinked either physically or covalently into idealized step-growth biopolymer networks. Through rheological assessment, we find that the covalent linkage of multifunctional precursors yields hydrogels whose viscoelasticity depends on the crosslink length between the constituent building blocks. In contrast, reversibly crosslinking the homo-oligomeric components with a computationally designed heterodimer results in viscoelastic biomaterials exhibiting fluid-like properties under rest and low shear, but solid-like behavior at higher frequencies. Exploiting the unique genetic encodability of these materials, we demonstrate the assembly of protein networks within living mammalian cells and show via fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) that mechanical properties can be tuned intracellularly in a manner similar to formulations formed extracellularly. We anticipate that the ability to modularly construct and systematically program the viscoelastic properties of designer protein-based materials could have broad utility in biomedicine, with applications in tissue engineering, therapeutic delivery, and synthetic biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rubul Mout
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
- Stem Cell Program at Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA02115
| | - Ross C. Bretherton
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
- Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
- Molecular Engineering & Sciences Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
| | - Justin Decarreau
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
| | - Sangmin Lee
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
| | - Nicole Gregorio
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
- Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
- Molecular Engineering & Sciences Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
| | - Natasha I. Edman
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Graduate Program, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
| | - Maggie Ahlrichs
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
| | - Yang Hsia
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
| | - Danny D. Sahtoe
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
- HHMI, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
| | - George Ueda
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
| | - Alee Sharma
- College of Professional Studies, Northeastern University, Boston, MA02115
| | - Rebecca Schulman
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD21218
- Department of Computer Science, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD21218
| | - Cole A. DeForest
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
- Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
- Molecular Engineering & Sciences Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
| | - David Baker
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
- HHMI, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
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14
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Gaspar-Morales EA, Waterston A, Sadqi M, Diaz-Parga P, Smith AM, Gopinath A, Andresen Eguiluz RC, de Alba E. Natural and Engineered Isoforms of the Inflammasome Adaptor ASC Form Noncovalent, pH-Responsive Hydrogels. Biomacromolecules 2023; 24:5563-5577. [PMID: 37930828 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.3c00409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2023]
Abstract
The protein ASC polymerizes into intricate filament networks to assemble the inflammasome, a filamentous multiprotein complex that triggers the inflammatory response. ASC carries two Death Domains integrally involved in protein self-association for filament assembly. We have leveraged this behavior to create noncovalent, pH-responsive hydrogels of full-length, folded ASC by carefully controlling the pH as a critical factor in the polymerization process. We show that natural variants of ASC (ASC isoforms) involved in inflammasome regulation also undergo hydrogelation. To further demonstrate this general capability, we engineered proteins inspired by the ASC structure that also form hydrogels. We analyzed the structural network of the natural and engineered protein hydrogels using transmission and scanning electron microscopy and studied their viscoelastic behavior using shear rheology. Our results reveal one of the very few examples of hydrogels created by the self-assembly of globular proteins and domains in their native conformation and show that Death Domains can be used alone or as building blocks to engineer bioinspired hydrogels.
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15
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Chen S, Li X, Bai M, Shi SQ, Aladejana JT, Cao J, Li J. Oyster-inspired carbon dots-functionalized silica and dialdehyde chitosan to fabricate a soy protein adhesive with high strength, mildew resistance, and long-term water resistance. Carbohydr Polym 2023; 319:121093. [PMID: 37567684 DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2023.121093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Revised: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023]
Abstract
Developing multifunctional adhesives with exceptional cold-pressing strength, water resistance, toughness, and mildew resistance remains challenging. Herein, inspired by oysters, a multifunctional organic-inorganic hybrid soybean meal (SM)-based adhesive was fabricated by incorporating amino-modified carbon dots functionalized silica nanoparticles (CDs@SiO2) and dialdehyde chitosan (DCS) into SM matrix. DCS effectively enhanced the interface interactions of organic-inorganic phases and the rigid nanofillers CDs@SiO2 uniformly dispersed in the SM matrix, which provided energy dissipation to improve the adhesive's toughness. Owing to the stiff skeleton structure and enhanced crosslinking density, the crosslinker-modified SM (MSM)/DCS/CDs@SiO2-2 wood adhesive exhibited outstanding cold-pressing strength (0.74 MPa), wet shear strength (1.36 MPa), and long-term water resistance (49 d). Additionally, the resultant adhesive showed superior antimildew and antibacterial properties benefiting from the introduction of DCS. Intriguingly, the fluorescent properties endowed by carbon dots further broadened the application of adhesives for realizing security testing. This study opens a new pathway for the synthesis of multifunctional biomass adhesives in industrial and household applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiqing Chen
- Key Laboratory of Wood Material Science and Application, Ministry of Education, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Wood Science and Engineering, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Xinyi Li
- Key Laboratory of Wood Material Science and Application, Ministry of Education, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Wood Science and Engineering, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Mingyang Bai
- Key Laboratory of Wood Material Science and Application, Ministry of Education, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Wood Science and Engineering, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Sheldon Q Shi
- Department of Mechanical and Energy Engineering, University of North Texas, Denton, TX 76203, USA
| | - John Tosin Aladejana
- Co-Innovation Center of Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest Resources, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Longpan Road 159, Xuanwu District, Nanjing 210037, China
| | - Jinfeng Cao
- Key Laboratory of Wood Material Science and Application, Ministry of Education, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Wood Science and Engineering, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China.
| | - Jianzhang Li
- Key Laboratory of Wood Material Science and Application, Ministry of Education, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Wood Science and Engineering, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China.
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16
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Wang C, Jing Y, Yu W, Gu J, Wei Z, Chen A, Yen Y, He X, Cen L, Chen A, Song X, Wu Y, Yu L, Tao G, Liu B, Wang S, Xue B, Li R. Bivalent Gadolinium Ions Forming Injectable Hydrogels for Simultaneous In Situ Vaccination Therapy and Imaging of Soft Tissue Sarcoma. Adv Healthc Mater 2023; 12:e2300877. [PMID: 37567584 PMCID: PMC11469252 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202300877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2023] [Revised: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023]
Abstract
Doxorubicin (DOX) is the classic soft tissue sarcomas (STS) first-line treatment drug, while dose-dependent myelosuppression and cardiotoxicity limit its application in clinic. This research intends to apply DOX, which is also an inducer of immunogenic cell death as a part for "in situ vaccination" and conjointly uses PD-1 inhibitors to enhance antitumor efficacy. In order to achieve the sustained vaccination effect and real-time monitoring of distribution in vivo, the in situ forming and injectable hydrogel platform with the function of visualization is established for local delivery. The hydrogel platform is synthesized by hyaluronic acid-dopamine coordinated with gadolinium ions (Gd2+ ). Gd2+ provides the ability of magnetic resonance imaging, meanwhile further cross-linking the hydrogel network. Experiments show excellent ability of sustained release and imaging tracking for the hydrogel platform. In mouse STS models, the "in situ vaccination" hydrogels show the best effect of inhibiting tumor growth. Further analysis of tumor tissues show that "in situ vaccination" group can increase T cell infiltration, promote M1-type macrophage polarization and block elevated PD-1/PD-L1 pathway caused by DOX. These results are expected to prove the potential for synthesized hydrogels to achieve a universal platform for "in situ vaccination" strategies on STS treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun Wang
- The Comprehensive Cancer Centre of Nanjing Drum Tower HospitalAffiliated Hospital of Medical SchoolNanjing UniversityNanjing210008China
- Clinical Cancer Institute of Nanjing UniversityNanjing210008China
| | - Yuanhao Jing
- Comprehensive Cancer CentreNanjing Drum Tower Hospital Clinical College of Traditional Chinese and Western MedicineNanjing University of Chinese MedicineNanjing210008China
| | - Wenting Yu
- Collaborative Innovation Centre of Advanced MicrostructuresNational Laboratory of Solid State MicrostructureKey Laboratory of Intelligent Optical Sensing and Manipulation, Ministry of Education, Department of PhysicsNanjing UniversityNanjing210008China
| | - Jie Gu
- Collaborative Innovation Centre of Advanced MicrostructuresNational Laboratory of Solid State MicrostructureKey Laboratory of Intelligent Optical Sensing and Manipulation, Ministry of Education, Department of PhysicsNanjing UniversityNanjing210008China
| | - Zijian Wei
- Comprehensive Cancer CentreNanjing Drum Tower Hospital Clinical College of Traditional Chinese and Western MedicineNanjing University of Chinese MedicineNanjing210008China
| | - Anni Chen
- Comprehensive Cancer CentreNanjing Drum Tower Hospital Clinical College of Traditional Chinese and Western MedicineNanjing University of Chinese MedicineNanjing210008China
| | - Ying‐Tzu Yen
- The Comprehensive Cancer Centre of Nanjing Drum Tower HospitalAffiliated Hospital of Medical SchoolNanjing UniversityNanjing210008China
- Clinical Cancer Institute of Nanjing UniversityNanjing210008China
| | - Xiaowen He
- Key Laboratory for Organic Electronics and Information Displays, Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM), Jiangsu National Synergetic Innovation Centre for Advanced Materials (SICAM)Nanjing University of Posts and TelecommunicationsNanjing210023China
| | - Lanqi Cen
- The Comprehensive Cancer CentreChina Pharmaceutical University Nanjing Drum Tower HospitalNanjing210008China
| | - Aoxing Chen
- The Comprehensive Cancer Centre of Nanjing Drum Tower HospitalAffiliated Hospital of Medical SchoolNanjing UniversityNanjing210008China
- Clinical Cancer Institute of Nanjing UniversityNanjing210008China
| | - Xueru Song
- The Comprehensive Cancer Centre of Nanjing Drum Tower HospitalAffiliated Hospital of Medical SchoolNanjing UniversityNanjing210008China
- Clinical Cancer Institute of Nanjing UniversityNanjing210008China
| | - Yirong Wu
- The Comprehensive Cancer Centre of Nanjing Drum Tower HospitalAffiliated Hospital of Medical SchoolNanjing UniversityNanjing210008China
- Clinical Cancer Institute of Nanjing UniversityNanjing210008China
| | - Lixia Yu
- The Comprehensive Cancer Centre of Nanjing Drum Tower HospitalAffiliated Hospital of Medical SchoolNanjing UniversityNanjing210008China
- Clinical Cancer Institute of Nanjing UniversityNanjing210008China
| | - Gaojian Tao
- Department of Pain ManagementNanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing UniversityNanjing210008China
| | - Baorui Liu
- The Comprehensive Cancer Centre of Nanjing Drum Tower HospitalAffiliated Hospital of Medical SchoolNanjing UniversityNanjing210008China
- Clinical Cancer Institute of Nanjing UniversityNanjing210008China
| | - Shoufeng Wang
- Department of Orthopedic SurgeryNanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing UniversityNanjing210008China
| | - Bin Xue
- Collaborative Innovation Centre of Advanced MicrostructuresNational Laboratory of Solid State MicrostructureKey Laboratory of Intelligent Optical Sensing and Manipulation, Ministry of Education, Department of PhysicsNanjing UniversityNanjing210008China
| | - Rutian Li
- The Comprehensive Cancer Centre of Nanjing Drum Tower HospitalAffiliated Hospital of Medical SchoolNanjing UniversityNanjing210008China
- Clinical Cancer Institute of Nanjing UniversityNanjing210008China
- Comprehensive Cancer CentreNanjing Drum Tower Hospital Clinical College of Traditional Chinese and Western MedicineNanjing University of Chinese MedicineNanjing210008China
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17
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Gomes MC, Pinho AR, Custódio C, Mano JF. Self-Assembly of Platelet Lysates Proteins into Microparticles by Unnatural Disulfide Bonds for Bottom-Up Tissue Engineering. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2023; 35:e2304659. [PMID: 37354139 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202304659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Revised: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/26/2023]
Abstract
There is a demand to design microparticles holding surface topography while presenting inherent bioactive cues for applications in the biomedical and biotechnological fields. Using the pool of proteins present in human-derived platelet lysates (PLs), the production of protein-based microparticles via a simple and cost-effective method is reported, exploring the prone redox behavior of cysteine (Cy-SH) amino acid residues. The forced formation of new intermolecular disulfide bonds results in the precipitation of the proteins as spherical, pompom-like microparticles with adjustable sizes (15-50 µm in diameter) and surface topography consisting of grooves and ridges. These PL microparticles exhibit extraordinary cytocompatibility, allowing cell-guided microaggregates to form, while also working as injectable systems for cell support. Early studies also suggest that the surface topography provided by these PL microparticles can support osteogenic behavior. Consequently, these PL microparticles may find use to create live tissues via bottom-up procedures or injectable tissue-defect fillers, particularly for bone regeneration, with the prospect of working under xeno-free conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria C Gomes
- Department of Chemistry CICECO-Aveiro Institute of Materials University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, Aveiro, 3810-193, Portugal
| | - Ana Rita Pinho
- Department of Chemistry CICECO-Aveiro Institute of Materials University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, Aveiro, 3810-193, Portugal
| | - Catarina Custódio
- Department of Chemistry CICECO-Aveiro Institute of Materials University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, Aveiro, 3810-193, Portugal
| | - João F Mano
- Department of Chemistry CICECO-Aveiro Institute of Materials University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, Aveiro, 3810-193, Portugal
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18
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Doolan JA, Alesbrook LS, Baker K, Brown IR, Williams GT, Hilton KLF, Tabata M, Wozniakiewicz PJ, Hiscock JR, Goult BT. Next-generation protein-based materials capture and preserve projectiles from supersonic impacts. NATURE NANOTECHNOLOGY 2023; 18:1060-1066. [PMID: 37400719 PMCID: PMC10501900 DOI: 10.1038/s41565-023-01431-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/05/2023]
Abstract
Extreme energy-dissipating materials are essential for a range of applications. The military and police force require ballistic armour to ensure the safety of their personnel, while the aerospace industry requires materials that enable the capture, preservation and study of hypervelocity projectiles. However, current industry standards display at least one inherent limitation, such as weight, breathability, stiffness, durability and failure to preserve captured projectiles. To resolve these limitations, we have turned to nature, using proteins that have evolved over millennia to enable effective energy dissipation. Specifically, a recombinant form of the mechanosensitive protein talin was incorporated into a monomeric unit and crosslinked, resulting in a talin shock-absorbing material (TSAM). When subjected to 1.5 km s-1 supersonic shots, TSAMs were shown to absorb the impact and capture and preserve the projectile.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack A Doolan
- School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK
| | - Luke S Alesbrook
- School of Chemistry and Forensic Science, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK
| | - Karen Baker
- School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK
| | - Ian R Brown
- School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK
| | - George T Williams
- School of Chemistry and Forensic Science, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK
- Department of Chemistry, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Kira L F Hilton
- School of Chemistry and Forensic Science, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK
| | - Makoto Tabata
- Department of Physics, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | | | - Jennifer R Hiscock
- School of Chemistry and Forensic Science, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK.
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19
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Sun Z, Zhu D, Zhao H, Liu J, He P, Luan X, Hu H, Zhang X, Wei G, Xi Y. Recent advance in bioactive hydrogels for repairing spinal cord injury: material design, biofunctional regulation, and applications. J Nanobiotechnology 2023; 21:238. [PMID: 37488557 PMCID: PMC10364437 DOI: 10.1186/s12951-023-01996-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 07/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Functional hydrogels show potential application in repairing spinal cord injury (SCI) due to their unique chemical, physical, and biological properties and functions. In this comprehensive review, we present recent advance in the material design, functional regulation, and SCI repair applications of bioactive hydrogels. Different from previously released reviews on hydrogels and three-dimensional scaffolds for the SCI repair, this work focuses on the strategies for material design and biologically functional regulation of hydrogels, specifically aiming to show how these significant efforts can promoting the repairing performance of SCI. We demonstrate various methods and techniques for the fabrication of bioactive hydrogels with the biological components such as DNA, proteins, peptides, biomass polysaccharides, and biopolymers to obtain unique biological properties of hydrogels, including the cell biocompatibility, self-healing, anti-bacterial activity, injectability, bio-adhesion, bio-degradation, and other multi-functions for repairing SCI. The functional regulation of bioactive hydrogels with drugs/growth factors, polymers, nanoparticles, one-dimensional materials, and two-dimensional materials for highly effective treating SCI are introduced and discussed in detail. This work shows new viewpoints and ideas on the design and synthesis of bioactive hydrogels with the state-of-the-art knowledges of materials science and nanotechnology, and will bridge the connection of materials science and biomedicine, and further inspire clinical potential of bioactive hydrogels in biomedical fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengang Sun
- Department of Spinal Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266071, People's Republic of China
- Department of Spinal Surgery, Huangdao Central Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266071, China
- The Department of Plastic Surgery, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, 730030, People's Republic of China
| | - Danzhu Zhu
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266071, People's Republic of China
| | - Hong Zhao
- Department of Spinal Surgery, Huangdao Central Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266071, China
| | - Jia Liu
- Department of Spinal Surgery, Huangdao Central Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266071, China
| | - Peng He
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266071, People's Republic of China
| | - Xin Luan
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266071, People's Republic of China
| | - Huiqiang Hu
- Department of Spinal Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266071, People's Republic of China
| | - Xuanfen Zhang
- The Department of Plastic Surgery, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, 730030, People's Republic of China.
| | - Gang Wei
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266071, People's Republic of China.
| | - Yongming Xi
- Department of Spinal Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266071, People's Republic of China.
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20
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Zhang D, Li L, Fang Y, Ma Q, Cao Y, Lei H. Ester Bonds for Modulation of the Mechanical Properties of Protein Hydrogels. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:10778. [PMID: 37445957 PMCID: PMC10341797 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241310778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Revised: 06/24/2023] [Accepted: 06/25/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Hydrogels are soft materials constructed of physically or chemically crosslinked polymeric net-works with abundant water. The crosslinkers, as the mechanophores that bear and respond to mechanical forces, play a critical role in determining the mechanical properties of hydrogels. Here, we use a polyprotein as the crosslinker and mechanophore to form covalent polymer hydrogels in which the toughness and fatigue fracture are controlled by the mechanical unfolding of polyproteins. The protein Parvimonas sp. (ParV) is super stable and remains folded even at forces > 2 nN; however, it can unfold under loading forces of ~100 pN at basic pH values or low calcium concentrations due to destabilization of the protein structures. Through tuning the protein unfolding by pH and calcium concentrations, the hydrogel exhibits differences in modulus, strength, and anti-fatigue fracture. We found that due to the partially unfolding of ParV, the Young's modulus decreased at pH 9.0 or in the presence of EDTA (Ethylene Diamine Tetraacetic Acid), moreover, because partially unfolded ParV can be further completely unfolded due to the mechanically rupture of ester bond, leading to the observed hysteresis of the stretching and relaxation traces of the hydrogels, which is in line with single-molecule force spectroscopy experiments. These results display a new avenue for designing pH- or calcium-responsive hydrogels based on proteins and demonstrate the relationship between the mechanical properties of single molecules and macroscopic hydrogel networks.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Yi Cao
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructure, Department of Physics, Nanjing University, 22 Hankou Road, Nanjing 210093, China
| | - Hai Lei
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructure, Department of Physics, Nanjing University, 22 Hankou Road, Nanjing 210093, China
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21
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Mout R, Bretherton RC, Decarreau J, Lee S, Edman NI, Ahlrichs M, Hsia Y, Sahtoe DD, Ueda G, Gregorio N, Sharma A, Schulman R, DeForest CA, Baker D. De novo design of modular protein hydrogels with programmable intra- and extracellular viscoelasticity. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.06.02.543449. [PMID: 37398067 PMCID: PMC10312586 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.02.543449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
Relating the macroscopic properties of protein-based materials to their underlying component microstructure is an outstanding challenge. Here, we exploit computational design to specify the size, flexibility, and valency of de novo protein building blocks, as well as the interaction dynamics between them, to investigate how molecular parameters govern the macroscopic viscoelasticity of the resultant protein hydrogels. We construct gel systems from pairs of symmetric protein homo-oligomers, each comprising 2, 5, 24, or 120 individual protein components, that are crosslinked either physically or covalently into idealized step-growth biopolymer networks. Through rheological assessment and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation, we find that the covalent linkage of multifunctional precursors yields hydrogels whose viscoelasticity depends on the crosslink length between the constituent building blocks. In contrast, reversibly crosslinking the homo-oligomeric components with a computationally designed heterodimer results in non-Newtonian biomaterials exhibiting fluid-like properties under rest and low shear, but shear-stiffening solid-like behavior at higher frequencies. Exploiting the unique genetic encodability of these materials, we demonstrate the assembly of protein networks within living mammalian cells and show via fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) that mechanical properties can be tuned intracellularly, in correlation with matching formulations formed extracellularly. We anticipate that the ability to modularly construct and systematically program the viscoelastic properties of designer protein-based materials could have broad utility in biomedicine, with applications in tissue engineering, therapeutic delivery, and synthetic biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rubul Mout
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
- Stem Cell Program at Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Ross C. Bretherton
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
- Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
- Molecular Engineering & Sciences Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
| | - Justin Decarreau
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
| | - Sangmin Lee
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
| | - Natasha I. Edman
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Graduate Program, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
| | - Maggie Ahlrichs
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
| | - Yang Hsia
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
| | - Danny D. Sahtoe
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
| | - George Ueda
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
| | - Nicole Gregorio
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
- Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
- Molecular Engineering & Sciences Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
| | - Alee Sharma
- Stem Cell Program at Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Rebecca Schulman
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218
- Department of Computer Science, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218
| | - Cole A. DeForest
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
- Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
- Molecular Engineering & Sciences Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
| | - David Baker
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
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22
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Fu L, Li L, Bian Q, Xue B, Jin J, Li J, Cao Y, Jiang Q, Li H. Cartilage-like protein hydrogels engineered via entanglement. Nature 2023; 618:740-747. [PMID: 37344650 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06037-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 44.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2020] [Accepted: 03/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023]
Abstract
Load-bearing tissues, such as muscle and cartilage, exhibit high elasticity, high toughness and fast recovery, but have different stiffness (with cartilage being significantly stiffer than muscle)1-8. Muscle achieves its toughness through finely controlled forced domain unfolding-refolding in the muscle protein titin, whereas articular cartilage achieves its high stiffness and toughness through an entangled network comprising collagen and proteoglycans. Advancements in protein mechanics and engineering have made it possible to engineer titin-mimetic elastomeric proteins and soft protein biomaterials thereof to mimic the passive elasticity of muscle9-11. However, it is more challenging to engineer highly stiff and tough protein biomaterials to mimic stiff tissues such as cartilage, or develop stiff synthetic matrices for cartilage stem and progenitor cell differentiation12. Here we report the use of chain entanglements to significantly stiffen protein-based hydrogels without compromising their toughness. By introducing chain entanglements13 into the hydrogel network made of folded elastomeric proteins, we are able to engineer highly stiff and tough protein hydrogels, which seamlessly combine mutually incompatible mechanical properties, including high stiffness, high toughness, fast recovery and ultrahigh compressive strength, effectively converting soft protein biomaterials into stiff and tough materials exhibiting mechanical properties close to those of cartilage. Our study provides a general route towards engineering protein-based, stiff and tough biomaterials, which will find applications in biomedical engineering, such as osteochondral defect repair, and material sciences and engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linglan Fu
- Department of Chemistry, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Lan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Division of Sports Medicine and Adult Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Branch of National Clinical Research Center for Orthopedics, Drum Tower Hospital affiliated to Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
| | - Qingyuan Bian
- Department of Chemistry, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Bin Xue
- National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, Department of Physics, Nanjing University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
| | - Jing Jin
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Division of Sports Medicine and Adult Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Branch of National Clinical Research Center for Orthopedics, Drum Tower Hospital affiliated to Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiayu Li
- Department of Chemistry, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Yi Cao
- National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, Department of Physics, Nanjing University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
| | - Qing Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Division of Sports Medicine and Adult Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Branch of National Clinical Research Center for Orthopedics, Drum Tower Hospital affiliated to Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
| | - Hongbin Li
- Department of Chemistry, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
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23
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Gaspar-Morales EA, Waterston A, Diaz-Parga P, Smith AM, Sadqi M, Gopinath A, Andresen Eguiluz RC, de Alba E. Natural and engineered isoforms of the inflammasome adaptor ASC form non-covalent, pH-responsive hydrogels. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.05.03.539154. [PMID: 37205378 PMCID: PMC10187214 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.03.539154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
The protein ASC polymerizes into intricate filament networks to assemble the inflammasome, a filamentous multiprotein complex that triggers the inflammatory response. ASC carries two Death Domains integrally involved in protein self-association for filament assembly. We have leveraged this behavior to create non-covalent, pH-responsive hydrogels of full-length, folded ASC by carefully controlling the pH as a critical factor in the polymerization process. We show that natural variants of ASC (ASC isoforms) involved in inflammasome regulation also undergo hydrogelation. To further demonstrate this general capability, we engineered proteins inspired in the ASC structure that successfully form hydrogels. We analyzed the structural network of the natural and engineered protein hydrogels using transmission and scanning electron microscopy, and studied their viscoelastic behavior by shear rheology. Our results reveal one of the very few examples of hydrogels created by the self-assembly of globular proteins and domains in their native conformation and show that Death Domains can be used alone or as building blocks to engineer bioinspired hydrogels.
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24
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Teora SP, Panavaité E, Sun M, Kiffen B, Wilson DA. Anisotropic, Hydrogel Microparticles as pH-Responsive Drug Carriers for Oral Administration of 5-FU. Pharmaceutics 2023; 15:pharmaceutics15051380. [PMID: 37242622 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15051380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2023] [Revised: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
In the last 20 years, the development of stimuli-responsive drug delivery systems (DDS) has received great attention. Hydrogel microparticles represent one of the candidates with the most potential. However, if the role of the cross-linking method, polymer composition, and concentration on their performance as DDS has been well-studied, still, a lot needs to be explained regarding the effect caused by the morphology. To investigate this, herein, we report the fabrication of PEGDA-ALMA-based microgels with spherical and asymmetric shapes for 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) on-demand loading and in vitro pH-triggered release. Due to anisotropic properties, the asymmetric particles showed an increased drug adsorption and higher pH responsiveness, which in turn led to a higher desorption efficacy at the target pH environment, making them an ideal candidate for oral administration of 5-FU in colorectal cancer. The cytotoxicity of empty spherical microgels was higher than the cytotoxicity of empty asymmetric microgels, suggesting that the gel network's mechanical proprieties of anisotropic particles were a better three-dimensional environment for the vital functions of cells. Upon treatment with drug-loaded microgels, the HeLa cells' viability was lower after incubation with asymmetric particles, confirming a minor release of 5-FU from spherical particles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serena P Teora
- Department of Systems Chemistry, Institute for Molecules and Materials, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Elada Panavaité
- Department of Systems Chemistry, Institute for Molecules and Materials, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Mingchen Sun
- Department of Systems Chemistry, Institute for Molecules and Materials, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Bas Kiffen
- Department of Systems Chemistry, Institute for Molecules and Materials, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Daniela A Wilson
- Department of Systems Chemistry, Institute for Molecules and Materials, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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25
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Bao Y, Cui S. Single-Chain Inherent Elasticity of Macromolecules: From Concept to Applications. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2023; 39:3527-3536. [PMID: 36848243 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.2c03234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
"The Tao begets the One. One begets all things of the world." These words of wisdom from Tao Te Ching are of great inspiration to scientists in polymer materials science and engineering: The "One" means an individual polymer chain while polymer materials consist of numerous chains. The understanding of the single-chain mechanics of polymers is crucial for the bottom-up rational design of polymer materials. With a backbone and side chains, a polymer chain is more complex than a small molecule. Moreover, an individual polymer chain is usually placed in a complicated environment (such as solvent, cosolute, and solid surface), which significantly affects the behaviors of the chain. With all these factors, it is hard to fully understand the elastic behaviors of polymers. Herein, we will first introduce the concept of the single-chain inherent elasticity of polymers, which is a fundamental property determined by the polymer backbone. Then, the applications of inherent elasticity in quantifying the effects of side chains and surrounding environment will be summarized. Finally, the challenges in related fields at present and potential research directions in the future will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Bao
- School of Chemistry, Key Lab of Advanced Technologies of Materials (Ministry of Education), Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031, China
| | - Shuxun Cui
- School of Chemistry, Key Lab of Advanced Technologies of Materials (Ministry of Education), Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031, China
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26
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Rudich A, Sapru S, Shoseyov O. Biocompatible, Resilient, and Tough Nanocellulose Tunable Hydrogels. NANOMATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 13:nano13050853. [PMID: 36903731 PMCID: PMC10005666 DOI: 10.3390/nano13050853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2023] [Revised: 02/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Hydrogels have been proposed as potential candidates for many different applications. However, many hydrogels exhibit poor mechanical properties, which limit their applications. Recently, various cellulose-derived nanomaterials have emerged as attractive candidates for nanocomposite-reinforcing agents due to their biocompatibility, abundance, and ease of chemical modification. Due to abundant hydroxyl groups throughout the cellulose chain, the grafting of acryl monomers onto the cellulose backbone by employing oxidizers such as cerium(IV) ammonium nitrate ([NH4]2[Ce(NO3)6], CAN) has proven a versatile and effective method. Moreover, acrylic monomers such as acrylamide (AM) may also polymerize by radical methods. In this work, cerium-initiated graft polymerization was applied to cellulose-derived nanomaterials, namely cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) and cellulose nanofibrils (CNF), in a polyacrylamide (PAAM) matrix to fabricate hydrogels that display high resilience (~92%), high tensile strength (~0.5 MPa), and toughness (~1.9 MJ/m3). We propose that by introducing mixtures of differing ratios of CNC and CNF, the composite's physical behavior can be fine-tuned across a wide range of mechanical and rheological properties. Moreover, the samples proved to be biocompatible when seeded with green fluorescent protein (GFP)-transfected mouse fibroblasts (3T3s), showing a significant increase in cell viability and proliferation compared to samples comprised of acrylamide alone.
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27
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Yang T, Wang L, Wu WH, Wei S, Zhang WB. Orchestrating Chemical and Physical Cross-Linking in Protein Hydrogels to Regulate Embryonic Stem Cell Growth. ACS Macro Lett 2023; 12:269-273. [PMID: 36735236 DOI: 10.1021/acsmacrolett.2c00741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Protein hydrogels are ideal candidates for next-generation biomaterials due to their genetically programmable properties. Herein, we report an entirely protein-based hydrogel as an artificial extracellular matrix (ECM) for regulating the embryonic stem cell growth. A synergy between chemical and physical cross-linking was achieved in one step by SpyTag/SpyCatcher reaction and P zipper association at 37 °C. The hydrogels' stress relaxation behaviors can be tuned across a broad spectrum by single-point mutation on a P zipper. It has been found that faster relaxation can promote the growth of HeLa tumor spheroids and embryonic stem cells, and mechanical regulation of embryonic stem cells occurs via retention of the cells at the G1 phase. The results highlight the promise of genetically encoded protein materials as a platform of artificial ECM for understanding and controlling the complex cell-matrix interactions in a 3D cell culture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingting Yang
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Polymer Chemistry & Physics of Ministry of Education, Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, P. R. China
| | - Ling Wang
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Polymer Chemistry & Physics of Ministry of Education, Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, P. R. China
| | - Wen-Hao Wu
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Polymer Chemistry & Physics of Ministry of Education, Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, P. R. China.,Beijing Academy of Artificial Intelligence, Beijing 100084, P. R. China
| | - Shicheng Wei
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery/Central Laboratory, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology, National Engineering Laboratory for Digital and Material Technology of Stomatology, Beijing Key Laboratory of Digital Stomatology, Beijing 100081, P. R. China
| | - Wen-Bin Zhang
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Polymer Chemistry & Physics of Ministry of Education, Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, P. R. China.,Beijing Academy of Artificial Intelligence, Beijing 100084, P. R. China
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28
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Shin M, Lim J, An J, Yoon J, Choi JW. Nanomaterial-based biohybrid hydrogel in bioelectronics. NANO CONVERGENCE 2023; 10:8. [PMID: 36763293 PMCID: PMC9918666 DOI: 10.1186/s40580-023-00357-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Despite the broadly applicable potential in the bioelectronics, organic/inorganic material-based bioelectronics have some limitations such as hard stiffness and low biocompatibility. To overcome these limitations, hydrogels capable of bridging the interface and connecting biological materials and electronics have been investigated for development of hydrogel bioelectronics. Although hydrogel bioelectronics have shown unique properties including flexibility and biocompatibility, there are still limitations in developing novel hydrogel bioelectronics using only hydrogels such as their low electrical conductivity and structural stability. As an alternative solution to address these issues, studies on the development of biohybrid hydrogels that incorporating nanomaterials into the hydrogels have been conducted for bioelectronic applications. Nanomaterials complement the shortcomings of hydrogels for bioelectronic applications, and provide new functionality in biohybrid hydrogel bioelectronics. In this review, we provide the recent studies on biohybrid hydrogels and their bioelectronic applications. Firstly, representative nanomaterials and hydrogels constituting biohybrid hydrogels are provided, and next, applications of biohybrid hydrogels in bioelectronics categorized in flexible/wearable bioelectronic devices, tissue engineering, and biorobotics are discussed with recent studies. In conclusion, we strongly believe that this review provides the latest knowledge and strategies on hydrogel bioelectronics through the combination of nanomaterials and hydrogels, and direction of future hydrogel bioelectronics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minkyu Shin
- Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Sogang University, Seoul, 04170, Republic of Korea
| | - Joungpyo Lim
- Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Sogang University, Seoul, 04170, Republic of Korea
| | - Joohyun An
- Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Sogang University, Seoul, 04170, Republic of Korea
| | - Jinho Yoon
- Department of Biomedical-Chemical Engineering, The Catholic University of Korea, Bucheon, 14662, Republic of Korea.
| | - Jeong-Woo Choi
- Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Sogang University, Seoul, 04170, Republic of Korea.
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29
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Haq-Siddiqi NA, Britton D, Kim Montclare J. Protein-engineered biomaterials for cartilage therapeutics and repair. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2023; 192:114647. [PMID: 36509172 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2022.114647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2022] [Revised: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Cartilage degeneration and injury are major causes of pain and disability that effect millions, and yet treatment options for conditions like osteoarthritis (OA) continue to be mainly palliative or involve complete replacement of injured joints. Several biomaterial strategies have been explored to address cartilage repair either by the delivery of therapeutics or as support for tissue repair, however the complex structure of cartilage tissue, its mechanical needs, and lack of regenerative capacity have hindered this goal. Recent advances in synthetic biology have opened new possibilities for engineered proteins to address these unique needs. Engineered protein and peptide-based materials benefit from inherent biocompatibility and nearly unlimited tunability as they utilize the body's natural building blocks to fabricate a variety of supramolecular structures. The pathophysiology and needs of OA cartilage are presented here, along with an overview of the current state of the art and next steps for protein-engineered repair strategies for cartilage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nada A Haq-Siddiqi
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, New York University Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, NY 11201, United States
| | - Dustin Britton
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, New York University Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, NY 11201, United States
| | - Jin Kim Montclare
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, New York University Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, NY 11201, United States; Department of Chemistry, New York University, New York 10003, United States; Department of Radiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York 10016, United States; Department of Biomaterials, NYU College of Dentistry, New York, NY 10010, United States; Department of Biomedical Engineering, New York University Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, NY 11201, United States.
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30
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Yi Q, Dai X, Park BM, Gu J, Luo J, Wang R, Yu C, Kou S, Huang J, Lakerveld R, Sun F. Directed assembly of genetically engineered eukaryotic cells into living functional materials via ultrahigh-affinity protein interactions. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eade0073. [PMID: 36332017 PMCID: PMC9635822 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.ade0073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 09/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Engineered living materials (ELMs) are gaining traction among synthetic biologists, as their emergent properties and nonequilibrium thermodynamics make them markedly different from traditional materials. However, the aspiration to directly use living cells as building blocks to create higher-order structures or materials, with no need for chemical modification, remains elusive to synthetic biologists. Here, we report a strategy that enables the assembly of engineered Saccharomyces cerevisiae into self-propagating ELMs via ultrahigh-affinity protein/protein interactions. These yeast cells have been genetically engineered to display the protein pairs SpyTag/SpyCatcher or CL7/Im7 on their surfaces, which enable their assembly into multicellular structures capable of further growth and proliferation. The assembly process can be controlled precisely via optical tweezers or microfluidics. Moreover, incorporation of functional motifs such as super uranyl-binding protein and mussel foot proteins via genetic programming rendered these materials suitable for uranium extraction from seawater and bioadhesion, respectively, pointing to their potential in chemical separation and biomedical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qikun Yi
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Greater Bay Biomedical InnoCenter, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen 518036, China
- Biomedical Research Institute, Shenzhen Peking University–The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Medical Center, Shenzhen 518036, China
| | - Xin Dai
- Department of Chemistry, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Laboratory for Synthetic Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Health@InnoHK, Hong Kong Science Park, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Byung Min Park
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Junhao Gu
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Jiren Luo
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Ri Wang
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Cong Yu
- Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology of China, Shenzhen 518036, China
| | - Songzi Kou
- Greater Bay Biomedical InnoCenter, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen 518036, China
- Biomedical Research Institute, Shenzhen Peking University–The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Medical Center, Shenzhen 518036, China
- Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology of China, Shenzhen 518036, China
| | - Jinqing Huang
- Department of Chemistry, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Richard Lakerveld
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Fei Sun
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Greater Bay Biomedical InnoCenter, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen 518036, China
- Biomedical Research Institute, Shenzhen Peking University–The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Medical Center, Shenzhen 518036, China
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31
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Chen X, Liu Y, Yin S, Zang J, Zhang T, Lv C, Zhao G. Construction of Sol-Gel Phase-Reversible Hydrogels with Tunable Properties with Native Nanofibrous Protein as Building Blocks. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2022; 14:44125-44135. [PMID: 36162135 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.2c11765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Reversible sol-gel transforming behaviors combined with tunable mechanical properties are vital demands for developing biomaterials. However, it remains challenging to correlate these properties with the hydrogels constructed by denatured protein as building blocks. Herein, taking advantage of naturally high-affinity coordination environments consisting of i, i + 4 His-Glu motifs offered by paramyosin, a ubiquitous nanofibrous protein, we found that Zn2+ rather than Ca2+ or Mg2+ has the ability to trigger the self-assembly of native abalone paramyosin (AbPM) into protein hydrogels under benign conditions, while the addition of EDTA induces the hydrogels back into protein monomers, indicative of a reversible process. By using such sol-gel reversible property, the AbPM gels can serve as a vehicle to encapsulate bioactive molecules such as curcumin, thereby protecting it from degradation from thermal and photo treatment. Notably, based on the high conserved structure of native AbPM, the mechanical property and biological activity of the fabricated AbPM hydrogels can be fined-tuned by its noncovalent interaction with small molecules. All these findings raise the possibility that native paramyosin can be explored as a new class of protein hydrogels which exhibit favorable properties that the traditional hydrogels constructed by denatured protein building blocks do not have.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuemin Chen
- College of Food Science & Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Key Laboratory of Functional Dairy, Ministry of Education, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Yu Liu
- College of Food Science & Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Key Laboratory of Functional Dairy, Ministry of Education, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Shuhua Yin
- College of Food Science & Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Key Laboratory of Functional Dairy, Ministry of Education, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Jiachen Zang
- College of Food Science & Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Key Laboratory of Functional Dairy, Ministry of Education, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Tuo Zhang
- College of Food Science & Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Key Laboratory of Functional Dairy, Ministry of Education, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Chenyan Lv
- College of Food Science & Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Key Laboratory of Functional Dairy, Ministry of Education, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Guanghua Zhao
- College of Food Science & Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Key Laboratory of Functional Dairy, Ministry of Education, Beijing 100083, China
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32
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Knoff DS, Kim S, Fajardo Cortes KA, Rivera J, Cathey MVJ, Altamirano D, Camp C, Kim M. Non-Covalently Associated Streptavidin Multi-Arm Nanohubs Exhibit Mechanical and Thermal Stability in Cross-Linked Protein-Network Materials. Biomacromolecules 2022; 23:4130-4140. [PMID: 36149316 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.2c00544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Constructing protein-network materials that exhibit physicochemical and mechanical properties of individual protein constituents requires molecular cross-linkers with specificity and stability. A well-known example involves specific chemical fusion of a four-arm polyethylene glycol (tetra-PEG) to desired proteins with secondary cross-linkers. However, it is necessary to investigate tetra-PEG-like biomolecular cross-linkers that are genetically fused to the proteins, simplifying synthesis by removing additional conjugation and purification steps. Non-covalently, self-associating, streptavidin homotetramer is a viable, biomolecular alternative to tetra-PEG. Here, a multi-arm streptavidin design is characterized as a protein-network material platform using various secondary, biomolecular cross-linkers, such as high-affinity physical (i.e., non-covalent), transient physical, spontaneous chemical (i.e., covalent), or stimuli-induced chemical cross-linkers. Stimuli-induced, chemical cross-linkers fused to multi-arm streptavidin nanohubs provide sufficient diffusion prior to initiating permanent covalent bonds, allowing proper characterization of streptavidin nanohubs. Surprisingly, non-covalently associated streptavidin nanohubs exhibit extreme stability, which translates into material properties that resemble hydrogels formed by chemical bonds even at high temperatures. Therefore, this study not only establishes that the streptavidin nanohub is an ideal multi-arm biopolymer precursor but also provides valuable guidance for designing self-assembling nanostructured molecular networks that can properly harness the extraordinary properties of protein-based building blocks.
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Affiliation(s)
- David S Knoff
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, United States
| | - Samuel Kim
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, United States
| | - Kareen A Fajardo Cortes
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, United States
| | - Jocelyne Rivera
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, United States
| | - Marcus V J Cathey
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, United States
| | - Dallas Altamirano
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, United States
| | - Christopher Camp
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, United States
| | - Minkyu Kim
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, United States.,Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, United States.,BIO5 Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85719, United States
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33
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Slawinski M, Kaeek M, Rajmiel Y, Khoury LR. Acetic Acid Enables Precise Tailoring of the Mechanical Behavior of Protein-Based Hydrogels. NANO LETTERS 2022; 22:6942-6950. [PMID: 36018622 PMCID: PMC9479135 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.2c01558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2022] [Revised: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Engineering viscoelastic and biocompatible materials with tailored mechanical and microstructure properties capable of mimicking the biological stiffness (<17 kPa) or serving as bioimplants will bring protein-based hydrogels to the forefront in the biomaterials field. Here, we introduce a method that uses different concentrations of acetic acid (AA) to control the covalent tyrosine-tyrosine cross-linking interactions at the nanoscale level during protein-based hydrogel synthesis and manipulates their mechanical and microstructure properties without affecting protein concentration and (un)folding nanomechanics. We demonstrated this approach by adding AA as a precursor to the preparation buffer of a photoactivated protein-based hydrogel mixture. This strategy allowed us to synthesize hydrogels made from bovine serum albumin (BSA) and eight repeats protein L structure, with a fine-tailored wide range of stiffness (2-35 kPa). Together with protein engineering technologies, this method will open new routes in developing and investigating tunable protein-based hydrogels and extend their application toward new horizons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Slawinski
- Department
of Physics, University of Wisconsin—Milwaukee, 3135 N. Maryland Ave, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53211, United States
| | - Maria Kaeek
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering, Technion
Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 32000, Israel
| | - Yair Rajmiel
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering, Technion
Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 32000, Israel
| | - Luai R. Khoury
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering, Technion
Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 32000, Israel
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34
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Cano-Garrido O, Serna N, Unzueta U, Parladé E, Mangues R, Villaverde A, Vázquez E. Protein scaffolds in human clinics. Biotechnol Adv 2022; 61:108032. [PMID: 36089254 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2022.108032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2022] [Revised: 07/30/2022] [Accepted: 09/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Fundamental clinical areas such as drug delivery and regenerative medicine require biocompatible materials as mechanically stable scaffolds or as nanoscale drug carriers. Among the wide set of emerging biomaterials, polypeptides offer enticing properties over alternative polymers, including full biocompatibility, biodegradability, precise interactivity, structural stability and conformational and functional versatility, all of them tunable by conventional protein engineering. However, proteins from non-human sources elicit immunotoxicities that might bottleneck further development and narrow their clinical applicability. In this context, selecting human proteins or developing humanized protein versions as building blocks is a strict demand to design non-immunogenic protein materials. We review here the expanding catalogue of human or humanized proteins tailored to execute different levels of scaffolding functions and how they can be engineered as self-assembling materials in form of oligomers, polymers or complex networks. In particular, we emphasize those that are under clinical development, revising their fields of applicability and how they have been adapted to offer, apart from mere mechanical support, highly refined functions and precise molecular interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivia Cano-Garrido
- Institut de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès (Barcelona), Spain
| | - Naroa Serna
- Institut de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès (Barcelona), Spain; CIBER de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès (Barcelona), Spain
| | - Ugutz Unzueta
- CIBER de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès (Barcelona), Spain; Departament de Genètica i de Microbiologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès (Barcelona), Spain; Biomedical Research Institute Sant Pau (IIB Sant Pau), 08025 Barcelona, Spain; Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute, 08916 Badalona (Barcelona), Spain
| | - Eloi Parladé
- Institut de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès (Barcelona), Spain; CIBER de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès (Barcelona), Spain
| | - Ramón Mangues
- Biomedical Research Institute Sant Pau (IIB Sant Pau), 08025 Barcelona, Spain; Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute, 08916 Badalona (Barcelona), Spain
| | - Antonio Villaverde
- Institut de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès (Barcelona), Spain; CIBER de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès (Barcelona), Spain; Departament de Genètica i de Microbiologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès (Barcelona), Spain.
| | - Esther Vázquez
- Institut de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès (Barcelona), Spain; CIBER de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès (Barcelona), Spain; Departament de Genètica i de Microbiologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès (Barcelona), Spain.
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35
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Nowitzke J, Popa I. What Is the Force-per-Molecule Inside a Biomaterial Having Randomly Oriented Units? J Phys Chem Lett 2022; 13:7139-7146. [PMID: 35901371 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.2c01720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Both synthetic and natural protein-based materials are made of randomly oriented cross-linked molecules. Here we introduce a coarse-grained approach to estimate the average force-per-molecule for materials made from globular proteins. Our approach has three steps: placement of molecules inside a unit volume, cross-linking, and trimming to remove the protein domains that do not participate to the force response. Following this procedure, we estimate the number of active domains per cross-section area, that allows for a direct calculation of the force-per-domain. Among the variables considered, we found that concentration was the most sensitive parameter. We then synthesized protein hydrogels made from BSA and polyprotein L and measured the stresses that these materials can withstand. We found that forces-per-molecules of up to 17 pN per domain can be obtained experimentally using protein hydrogels. Our approach represents an important step toward understanding the scaling of tension in biomaterials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joel Nowitzke
- Department of Physics, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 3135 N. Maryland Avenue, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53211, United States
| | - Ionel Popa
- Department of Physics, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 3135 N. Maryland Avenue, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53211, United States
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36
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Sahan AZ, Baday M, Patel CB. Biomimetic Hydrogels in the Study of Cancer Mechanobiology: Overview, Biomedical Applications, and Future Perspectives. Gels 2022; 8:gels8080496. [PMID: 36005097 PMCID: PMC9407355 DOI: 10.3390/gels8080496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2022] [Revised: 06/26/2022] [Accepted: 07/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Hydrogels are biocompatible polymers that are tunable to the system under study, allowing them to be widely used in medicine, bioprinting, tissue engineering, and biomechanics. Hydrogels are used to mimic the three-dimensional microenvironment of tissues, which is essential to understanding cell–cell interactions and intracellular signaling pathways (e.g., proliferation, apoptosis, growth, and survival). Emerging evidence suggests that the malignant properties of cancer cells depend on mechanical cues that arise from changes in their microenvironment. These mechanobiological cues include stiffness, shear stress, and pressure, and have an impact on cancer proliferation and invasion. The hydrogels can be tuned to simulate these mechanobiological tissue properties. Although interest in and research on the biomedical applications of hydrogels has increased in the past 25 years, there is still much to learn about the development of biomimetic hydrogels and their potential applications in biomedical and clinical settings. This review highlights the application of hydrogels in developing pre-clinical cancer models and their potential for translation to human disease with a focus on reviewing the utility of such models in studying glioblastoma progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayse Z. Sahan
- Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University California at San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, San Diego, CA 92093, USA
| | - Murat Baday
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Precision Health and Integrated Diagnostics Center, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Correspondence: (M.B.); (C.B.P.)
| | - Chirag B. Patel
- Department of Neuro-Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (GSBS), Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Cancer Biology Program, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (GSBS), Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Correspondence: (M.B.); (C.B.P.)
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37
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Hughes MD, Cussons S, Mahmoudi N, Brockwell DJ, Dougan L. Tuning Protein Hydrogel Mechanics through Modulation of Nanoscale Unfolding and Entanglement in Postgelation Relaxation. ACS NANO 2022; 16:10667-10678. [PMID: 35731007 PMCID: PMC9331141 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.2c02369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Globular folded proteins are versatile nanoscale building blocks to create biomaterials with mechanical robustness and inherent biological functionality due to their specific and well-defined folded structures. Modulating the nanoscale unfolding of protein building blocks during network formation (in situ protein unfolding) provides potent opportunities to control the protein network structure and mechanics. Here, we control protein unfolding during the formation of hydrogels constructed from chemically cross-linked maltose binding protein using ligand binding and the addition of cosolutes to modulate protein kinetic and thermodynamic stability. Bulk shear rheology characterizes the storage moduli of the bound and unbound protein hydrogels and reveals a correlation between network rigidity, characterized as an increase in the storage modulus, and protein thermodynamic stability. Furthermore, analysis of the network relaxation behavior identifies a crossover from an unfolding dominated regime to an entanglement dominated regime. Control of in situ protein unfolding and entanglement provides an important route to finely tune the architecture, mechanics, and dynamic relaxation of protein hydrogels. Such predictive control will be advantageous for future smart biomaterials for applications which require responsive and dynamic modulation of mechanical properties and biological function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matt D.
G. Hughes
- School of
Physics and Astronomy, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, U.K.
| | - Sophie Cussons
- Astbury Centre
for Structural Molecular Biology, University
of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, U.K.
- School of
Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, U.K.
| | - Najet Mahmoudi
- ISIS
Neutron
and Muon Spallation Source, STFC Rutherford
Appleton Laboratory, Oxfordshire OX11 0QX, U.K.
| | - David J. Brockwell
- Astbury Centre
for Structural Molecular Biology, University
of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, U.K.
- School of
Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, U.K.
| | - Lorna Dougan
- School of
Physics and Astronomy, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, U.K.
- Astbury Centre
for Structural Molecular Biology, University
of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, U.K.
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38
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Ma Q, Lei H, Cao Y. Intramolecular covalent bonds in Gram-positive bacterial surface proteins. Chembiochem 2022; 23:e202200316. [PMID: 35801833 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202200316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2022] [Revised: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Gram-positive bacteria experience considerable mechanical perturbation when adhering to host surfaces during colonization and infection. They have evolved various adhesion proteins that are mechanically robust to ensure strong surface adhesion. Recently, it was discovered that these adhesion proteins contain rare, extra intramolecular covalent bonds that stabilize protein structures and participate in surface bonding. These intramolecular covalent bonds include isopeptides, thioesters, and ester bonds, which often form spontaneously without the need for additional enzymes. With the development of single-molecule force spectroscopy techniques, the detailed mechanical roles of these intramolecular covalent bonds have been revealed. In this review, we summarize the recent advances in this area of research, focusing on the link between the mechanical stability and function of these covalent bonds in Gram-positive bacterial surface proteins. We also highlight the potential impact of these discoveries on the development of novel antibiotics and chemical biology tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quan Ma
- Nanjing University, Department of Physics, CHINA
| | - Hai Lei
- Nanjing University, Department of Physics, CHINA
| | - Yi Cao
- Nanjing University, Department of Physics, 22 Hankou Road, 210093, Nanjing, CHINA
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39
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He G, Lei H, Sun W, Gu J, Yu W, Zhang D, Chen H, Li Y, Qin M, Xue B, Wang W, Cao Y. Strong and Reversible Covalent Double Network Hydrogel Based on Force-Coupled Enzymatic Reactions. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2022; 61:e202201765. [PMID: 35419931 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202201765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Biological load-bearing tissues are strong, tough, and recoverable under periodic mechanical loads. However, such features have rarely been achieved simultaneously in the same synthetic hydrogels. Here, we use a force-coupled enzymatic reaction to tune a strong covalent peptide linkage to a reversible bond. Based on this concept we engineered double network hydrogels that combine high mechanical strength and reversible mechanical recovery in the same hydrogels. Specifically, we found that a peptide ligase, sortase A, can promote the proteolysis of peptides under force. The peptide bond can be re-ligated by the same enzyme in the absence of force. This allows the sacrificial network in the double-network hydrogels to be ruptured and rebuilt reversibly. Our results demonstrate a general approach for precisely controlling the mechanical and dynamic properties of hydrogels at the molecular level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guangxiao He
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructure, Key Laboratory of Intelligent Optical Sensing and Manipulation, Ministry of Education, Department of Physics, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, China.,Jinan Microecological Biomedicine Shandong Laboratory, Jinan, 250021, China.,School of Public Health and Management, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, 442000, China
| | - Hai Lei
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructure, Key Laboratory of Intelligent Optical Sensing and Manipulation, Ministry of Education, Department of Physics, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, China
| | - Wenxu Sun
- School of Public Health and Management, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, 442000, China
| | - Jie Gu
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructure, Key Laboratory of Intelligent Optical Sensing and Manipulation, Ministry of Education, Department of Physics, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, China
| | - Wenting Yu
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructure, Key Laboratory of Intelligent Optical Sensing and Manipulation, Ministry of Education, Department of Physics, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, China
| | - Di Zhang
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructure, Key Laboratory of Intelligent Optical Sensing and Manipulation, Ministry of Education, Department of Physics, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, China
| | - Huiyan Chen
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructure, Key Laboratory of Intelligent Optical Sensing and Manipulation, Ministry of Education, Department of Physics, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, China
| | - Ying Li
- School of Science, Nantong University, Nantong, 226019, China
| | - Meng Qin
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructure, Key Laboratory of Intelligent Optical Sensing and Manipulation, Ministry of Education, Department of Physics, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, China
| | - Bin Xue
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructure, Key Laboratory of Intelligent Optical Sensing and Manipulation, Ministry of Education, Department of Physics, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, China
| | - Wei Wang
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructure, Key Laboratory of Intelligent Optical Sensing and Manipulation, Ministry of Education, Department of Physics, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, China
| | - Yi Cao
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructure, Key Laboratory of Intelligent Optical Sensing and Manipulation, Ministry of Education, Department of Physics, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, China.,Institute of Advanced Materials and Flexible Electronics (IAMFE), School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, Nanjing, 210044, China.,Institute for Brain Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, China
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40
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Cao N, Zhao Y, Chen H, Huang J, Yu M, Bao Y, Wang D, Cui S. Poly(ethylene glycol) Becomes a Supra-Polyelectrolyte by Capturing Hydronium Ions in Water. Macromolecules 2022. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.2c00014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nanpu Cao
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Technologies of Materials (Ministry of Education), Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031, China
| | - Yuehua Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, China
| | - Hongbo Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, China
| | - Jinying Huang
- School of Optoelectronic Science, Changchun College of Electronic Technology, Changchun 130114, China
| | - Miao Yu
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Technologies of Materials (Ministry of Education), Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031, China
| | - Yu Bao
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Technologies of Materials (Ministry of Education), Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031, China
| | - Dapeng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, China
| | - Shuxun Cui
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Technologies of Materials (Ministry of Education), Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031, China
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41
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Gradual Stress-Relaxation of Hydrogel Regulates Cell Spreading. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23095170. [PMID: 35563561 PMCID: PMC9100461 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23095170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2022] [Revised: 05/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/03/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
There is growing evidence that the mechanical properties of extracellular matrices (ECMs), including elasticity and stress-relaxation, greatly influence the function and form of the residing cells. However, the effects of elasticity and stress-relaxation are often correlated, making the study of the effect of stress-relaxation on cellular behaviors difficult. Here, we designed a hybrid network hydrogel with a controllable stress-relaxation gradient and a constant elasticity. The hydrogel is crosslinked by covalent bonds and dynamic peptide-metal ion coordination interactions. The stress-relaxation gradient is controlled by spatially controlling the coordination and covalent crosslinker ratios. The different parts of the hydrogel exhibit distinct stress-relaxation amplitudes but the have same stress-relaxation timescale. Based on this hydrogel, we investigate the influence of hydrogel stress-relaxation on cell spreading. Our results show that the spreading of cells is suppressed at an increasing stress-relaxation amplitude with a fixed elasticity and stress-relaxation timescale. Our study provides a universal route to tune the stress-relaxation of hydrogels without changing their components and elasticity, which may be valuable for systematic investigations of the stress-relaxation gradient in cell cultures and organoid constructions.
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42
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Jiang X, Feng T, An B, Ren S, Meng J, Li K, Liu S, Wu H, Zhang H, Zhong C. A Bi-Layer Hydrogel Cardiac Patch Made of Recombinant Functional Proteins. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2022; 34:e2201411. [PMID: 35307880 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202201411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2022] [Revised: 03/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The development of minimally invasive cardiac patches, either as hemostatic dressing or treating myocardial infarction, is of clinical significance but remains a major challenge. Designing such patches often requires simultaneous consideration of several material attributes, including bioabsorption, non-toxicity, matching the mechanic properties of heart tissues, and working efficiently in wet and dynamic environments. Using genetically engineered multi-domain proteins, a printed bi-layer proteinaceous hydrogel patch for heart failure treatments is reported. The intrinsic self-healing nature of hydrogel materials physically enables seamless interfacial integration of two disparate hydrogel layers and functionally endows the cardiac patches with the combinatorial advantages of each layer. Leveraging the biocompatibility, structural stability, and tunable drug release properties of the bi-layer hydrogel, promising effects of hemostasis, fibrosis reduction, and heart function recovery on mice is demonstrated with two myocardium damage models. Moreover, this proteinaceous patch is proved biodegradable in vivo without any additive inflammations. In conclusion, this work introduces a promising new type of minimally invasive patch based on genetically modified double-layer protein gel for treating heart-related injuries or diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyu Jiang
- Materials and Physical Biology Division, School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, P. R. China
| | - Teng Feng
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, P. R. China
| | - Bolin An
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Materials Synthetic Biology Center, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, P. R. China
| | - Susu Ren
- Materials and Physical Biology Division, School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, P. R. China
| | - Jufeng Meng
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, P. R. China
| | - Ke Li
- School of Food Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, 210000, P. R. China
| | - Suying Liu
- Materials and Physical Biology Division, School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, P. R. China
| | - Haiying Wu
- Materials and Physical Biology Division, School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, P. R. China
| | - Hui Zhang
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, P. R. China
| | - Chao Zhong
- Materials and Physical Biology Division, School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, P. R. China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Materials Synthetic Biology Center, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, P. R. China
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43
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He G, Lei H, Sun W, Gu J, Yu W, Zhang D, Chen H, Li Y, Qin M, Xue B, Wang W, Cao Y. Strong and Reversible Covalent Double Network Hydrogel Based on Force‐coupled Enzymatic Reactions. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.202201765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Hai Lei
- Nanjing University Physics CHINA
| | - Wenxu Sun
- Nantong University School of Science CHINA
| | - Jie Gu
- Nanjing University Physics CHINA
| | | | - Di Zhang
- Nanjing University Physics CHINA
| | | | - Ying Li
- Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology School of Environmental Science and Engineering CHINA
| | - Meng Qin
- Nanjing University Physics CHINA
| | - Bin Xue
- Nanjing University Physics CHINA
| | - Wei Wang
- Nanjing University Physics CHINA
| | - Yi Cao
- Nanjing University Department of Physics 22 Hankou Road 210093 Nanjing CHINA
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44
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Jiang Y, Torun T, Maffioletti SM, Serio A, Tedesco FS. Bioengineering human skeletal muscle models: Recent advances, current challenges and future perspectives. Exp Cell Res 2022; 416:113133. [DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2022.113133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2021] [Revised: 12/30/2021] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
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45
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Injectable Hydrogel Based on Protein-Polyester Microporous Network as an Implantable Niche for Active Cell Recruitment. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:pharmaceutics14040709. [PMID: 35456546 PMCID: PMC9024632 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14040709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2022] [Revised: 03/18/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite the potential of hydrogel-based localized cancer therapies, their efficacy can be limited by cancer recurrence. Therefore, it is of great significance to develop a hydrogel system that can provoke robust and durable immune response in the human body. This study has developed an injectable protein-polymer-based porous hydrogel network composed of lysozyme and poly(ε-caprolactone-co-lactide)-b-poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(ε-caprolactone-co-lactide (PCLA) (Lys-PCLA) bioconjugate for the active recruitment dendritic cells (DCs). The Lys-PCLA bioconjugates are prepared using thiol-ene reaction between thiolated lysozyme (Lys-SH) and acrylated PCLA (PCLA-Ac). The free-flowing Lys-PCLA bioconjugate sols at low temperature transformed to immovable gel at the physiological condition and exhibited stability upon dilution with buffers. According to the in vitro toxicity test, the Lys-PCLA bioconjugate and PCLA copolymer were non-toxic to RAW 263.7 cells at higher concentrations (1000 µg/mL). In addition, subcutaneous administration of Lys-PCLA bioconjugate sols formed stable hydrogel depot instantly, which suggested the in situ gel forming ability of the bioconjugate. Moreover, the Lys-PCLA bioconjugate hydrogel depot formed at the interface between subcutaneous tissue and dermis layers allowed the active migration and recruitment of DCs. As suggested by these results, the in-situ forming injectable Lys-PCLA bioconjugate hydrogel depot may serve as an implantable immune niche for the recruitment and modification of DCs.
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Gu J, Guo Y, Li Y, Wang J, Wang W, Cao Y, Xue B. Tuning Strain Stiffening of Protein Hydrogels by Charge Modification. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:3032. [PMID: 35328457 PMCID: PMC8950043 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23063032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2022] [Revised: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Strain-stiffening properties derived from biological tissue have been widely observed in biological hydrogels and are essential in mimicking natural tissues. Although strain-stiffening has been studied in various protein-based hydrogels, effective approaches for tuning the strain-stiffening properties of protein hydrogels have rarely been explored. Here, we demonstrated a new method to tune the strain-stiffening amplitudes of protein hydrogels. By adjusting the surface charge of proteins inside the hydrogel using negatively/positively charged molecules, the strain-stiffening amplitudes could be quantitively regulated. The strain-stiffening of the protein hydrogels could even be enhanced 5-fold under high deformations, while the bulk property, recovery ability and biocompatibility remained almost unchanged. The tuning of strain-stiffening amplitudes using different molecules or in different protein hydrogels was further proved to be feasible. We anticipate that surface charge adjustment of proteins in hydrogels represents a general principle to tune the strain-stiffening property and can find wide applications in regulating the mechanical behaviors of protein-based hydrogels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Gu
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructure, Key Laboratory of Intelligent Optical Sensing and Manipulation, Ministry of Education, Department of Physics, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China; (J.G.); (Y.L.); (J.W.); (W.W.); (Y.C.)
| | - Yu Guo
- College of Life and Health Sciences, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819, China;
| | - Yiran Li
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructure, Key Laboratory of Intelligent Optical Sensing and Manipulation, Ministry of Education, Department of Physics, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China; (J.G.); (Y.L.); (J.W.); (W.W.); (Y.C.)
| | - Juan Wang
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructure, Key Laboratory of Intelligent Optical Sensing and Manipulation, Ministry of Education, Department of Physics, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China; (J.G.); (Y.L.); (J.W.); (W.W.); (Y.C.)
| | - Wei Wang
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructure, Key Laboratory of Intelligent Optical Sensing and Manipulation, Ministry of Education, Department of Physics, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China; (J.G.); (Y.L.); (J.W.); (W.W.); (Y.C.)
| | - Yi Cao
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructure, Key Laboratory of Intelligent Optical Sensing and Manipulation, Ministry of Education, Department of Physics, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China; (J.G.); (Y.L.); (J.W.); (W.W.); (Y.C.)
| | - Bin Xue
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructure, Key Laboratory of Intelligent Optical Sensing and Manipulation, Ministry of Education, Department of Physics, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China; (J.G.); (Y.L.); (J.W.); (W.W.); (Y.C.)
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Kpeglo D, Hughes MD, Dougan L, Haddrick M, Knowles MA, Evans SD, Peyman SA. Modeling the mechanical stiffness of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Matrix Biol Plus 2022; 14:100109. [PMID: 35399702 PMCID: PMC8990173 DOI: 10.1016/j.mbplus.2022.100109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Revised: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The PDAC stroma stiffness underlines its malignant behavior and drug resistance. 3D in vitro cultures must model the PDAC stroma to effectively drug efficacy. PSCs are responsible for the stroma, and its activity is increased with TGF-β. Develop a 3D culture model of PDAC, which includes PSCs and TGF-β. Assess the mechanical stiffness, stain for collagen, and investigate gemcitabine efficacy.
Despite improvements in the understanding of disease biology, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains the most malignant cancer of the pancreas. PDAC constitutes ∼95% of all pancreatic cancers, and it is highly resistant to therapeutics. The increased tissue rigidity, which stems from the rich fibrotic stroma in the tumor microenvironment, is central to disease development, physiology, and resistance to drug perfusion. Pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs) are responsible for overproduction of extracellular matrix in the fibrotic stroma, and this is exacerbated by the overexpression of transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β). However, there are few in vitro PDAC models, which include both PSCs and TGF-β or mimic in vivo-like tumor stiffness. In this study, we present a three-dimensional in vitro PDAC model, which includes PSCs and TGF-β, and recapitulates PDAC tissue mechanical stiffness. Using oscillatory shear rheology, we show the mechanical stiffness of the model is within range of the PDAC tissue stiffness by day 21 of culture and highlight that the matrix environment is essential to adequately capture PDAC disease. PDAC is a complex, aggressive disease with poor prognosis, and biophysically relevant in vitro PDAC models, which take into account tissue mechanics, will provide improved tumor models for effective therapeutic assessment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Delanyo Kpeglo
- Molecular and Nanoscale Physics Group, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, LS2 9 JT, UK
| | - Matthew D.G. Hughes
- Molecular and Nanoscale Physics Group, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, LS2 9 JT, UK
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Lorna Dougan
- Molecular and Nanoscale Physics Group, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, LS2 9 JT, UK
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Malcolm Haddrick
- Medicines Discovery Catapult, Block 35, Mereside Alderley Park, Alderley Edge, SK10 4TG, UK
| | - Margaret A. Knowles
- Leeds Institute of Medical Research at St James’s (LIMR), School of Medicine, University of Leeds, LS2 9 JT, UK
| | - Stephen D. Evans
- Molecular and Nanoscale Physics Group, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, LS2 9 JT, UK
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Sally A. Peyman
- Molecular and Nanoscale Physics Group, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, LS2 9 JT, UK
- Leeds Institute of Medical Research at St James’s (LIMR), School of Medicine, University of Leeds, LS2 9 JT, UK
- Corresponding author at: Molecular and Nanoscale Physics Group, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, LS2 9 JT, UK.
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Rumon MMH, Sarkar SD, Uddin MM, Alam MM, Karobi SN, Ayfar A, Azam MS, Roy CK. Graphene oxide based crosslinker for simultaneous enhancement of mechanical toughness and self-healing capability of conventional hydrogels. RSC Adv 2022; 12:7453-7463. [PMID: 35424695 PMCID: PMC8982252 DOI: 10.1039/d2ra00122e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Extraordinary self-healing efficiency is rarely observed in mechanically strong hydrogels, which often limits the applications of hydrogels in biomedical engineering. We have presented an approach to utilize a special type of graphene oxide-based crosslinker (GOBC) for the simultaneous improvement of toughness and self-healing properties of conventional hydrogels. The GOBC has been prepared from graphene oxide (GO) by surface oxidation and further introduction of vinyl groups. It has been designed in such a way that the crosslinker is able to form both covalent bonds and noncovalent interactions with the polymer chains of hydrogels. To demonstrate the efficacy of GOBC, it was incorporated in a conventional polyacrylamide (PAM) and polyacrylic acid (PAA) hydrogel matrix, and the mechanical and self-healing properties of the prepared hydrogels were investigated. In PAM-GOBC hydrogels, it has been observed that the mechanical properties such as tensile strength, Young's modulus, and toughness are significantly improved by the incorporation of GOBC without compromising the self-healing efficiency. The PAM-GOBC hydrogel with a modulus of about 0.446 MPa exhibited about 70% stress healing efficiency after 40 h. Whereas, under the same conditions a PAM hydrogel with commonly used crosslinker N,N'-methylene-bis(acrylamide) of approximately the same modulus demonstrated no self-healing at all. Similar improvement of self-healing properties and toughness in PAA-GOBC hydrogel has also been observed which demonstrated the universality of the crosslinker. This crosslinker-based approach to improve the self-healing properties is expected to offer the possibility of the application of commonly used hydrogels in many different sectors, particularly in developing artificial tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Stephen Don Sarkar
- Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) Dhaka-1000 Bangladesh
| | - Md Mosfeq Uddin
- Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) Dhaka-1000 Bangladesh
| | - Md Mahbub Alam
- Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) Dhaka-1000 Bangladesh
| | | | - Aruna Ayfar
- Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) Dhaka-1000 Bangladesh
| | - Md Shafiul Azam
- Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) Dhaka-1000 Bangladesh
| | - Chanchal Kumar Roy
- Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) Dhaka-1000 Bangladesh
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49
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Slawinski M, Khoury LR, Sharma S, Nowitzke J, Gutzman JH, Popa I. Kinetic Method of Producing Pores Inside Protein-Based Biomaterials without Compromising Their Structural Integrity. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2022; 8:1132-1142. [PMID: 35188361 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.1c01534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Hydrogels made from globular proteins cross-linked covalently into a stable network are becoming an important type of biomaterial, with applications in artificial tissue design and cell culture scaffolds, and represent a promising system to study the mechanical and biochemical unfolding of proteins in crowded environments. Due to the small size of the globular protein domains, typically 2-5 nm, the primary network allows for a limited transfer of protein molecules and prevents the passing of particles and aggregates with dimensions over 100 nm. Here, we demonstrate a method to produce protein materials with micrometer-sized pores and increased permeability. Our approach relies on forming two competing networks: a covalent network made from cross-linked bovine serum albumin (BSA) proteins via a light-activated reaction and a physical network triggered by the aggregation of a polysaccharide, alginate, in the presence of Ca2+ ions. By fine-tuning the reaction times, we produce porous-protein hydrogels that retain the mechanical characteristics of their less-porous counterparts. We further describe a simple model to investigate the kinetic balance between the nucleation of alginate and cross-linking of BSA molecules and find the upper rate of the alginate aggregation reaction driving pore formation. By enabling a more significant permeability for protein-based materials without compromising their mechanical response, our method opens new vistas into studying protein-protein interactions and cell growth and designing novel affinity methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Slawinski
- Department of Physics, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 3135 N. Maryland Ave, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53211, United States
| | - Luai R Khoury
- Department of Physics, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 3135 N. Maryland Ave, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53211, United States.,Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Technion Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 32000, Israel
| | - Sabita Sharma
- Department of Physics, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 3135 N. Maryland Ave, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53211, United States
| | - Joel Nowitzke
- Department of Physics, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 3135 N. Maryland Ave, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53211, United States
| | - Jennifer H Gutzman
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 3209 N. Maryland Ave, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53211, United States
| | - Ionel Popa
- Department of Physics, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 3135 N. Maryland Ave, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53211, United States
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50
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Yang JX, Qian HJ, Gong Z, Lu ZY, Cui SX. Stretching Elasticity and Flexibility of Single Polyformaldehyde Chain. CHINESE JOURNAL OF POLYMER SCIENCE 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10118-022-2679-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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