1
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Tigner TJ, Dampf G, Tucker A, Huang YC, Jagrit V, Clevenger AJ, Mohapatra A, Raghavan SA, Dulin JN, Alge DL. Clickable Granular Hydrogel Scaffolds for Delivery of Neural Progenitor Cells to Sites of Spinal Cord Injury. Adv Healthc Mater 2024; 13:e2303912. [PMID: 38470994 PMCID: PMC11390979 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202303912] [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: 11/08/2023] [Revised: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024]
Abstract
Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a serious condition with limited treatment options. Neural progenitor cell (NPC) transplantation is a promising treatment option, and the identification of novel biomaterial scaffolds that support NPC engraftment and therapeutic activity is a top research priority. The objective of this study is to evaluate in situ assembled poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG)-based granular hydrogels for NPC delivery in a murine model of SCI. Microgel precursors are synthesized by using thiol-norbornene click chemistry to react four-armed PEG-amide-norbornene with enzymatically degradable and cell adhesive peptides. Unreacted norbornene groups are utilized for in situ assembly into scaffolds using a PEG-di-tetrazine linker. The granular hydrogel scaffolds exhibit good biocompatibility and do not adversely affect the inflammatory response after SCI. Moreover, when used to deliver NPCs, the granular hydrogel scaffolds supported NPC engraftment, do not adversely affect the immune response to the NPC grafts, and successfully support graft differentiation toward neuronal or astrocytic lineages as well as axonal extension into the host tissue. Collectively, these data establish PEG-based granular hydrogel scaffolds as a suitable biomaterial platform for NPC delivery and justify further testing, particularly in the context of more severe SCI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas J Tigner
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843-3120, USA
| | - Gabrielle Dampf
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843-3258, USA
| | - Ashley Tucker
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843-3258, USA
| | - Yu-Chi Huang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843-3120, USA
| | - Vipin Jagrit
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843-3258, USA
| | - Abigail J Clevenger
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843-3120, USA
| | - Arpita Mohapatra
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843-3120, USA
| | - Shreya A Raghavan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843-3120, USA
| | - Jennifer N Dulin
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843-3258, USA
- Texas A&M Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843-3474, USA
| | - Daniel L Alge
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843-3120, USA
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843-3003, USA
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2
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Recalde Phillips SY, Perez-Ponce KD, Ruben E, Baig T, Poux E, Gregory CA, Alge DL. Impact of Annealing Chemistry on the Properties and Performance of Microporous Annealed Particle Hydrogels. Biomacromolecules 2024; 25:5798-5808. [PMID: 39190621 PMCID: PMC11388458 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.4c00465] [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: 08/29/2024]
Abstract
Microporous annealed particle (MAP) hydrogels are a promising class of in situ-forming scaffolds for tissue repair and regeneration. While an expansive toolkit of annealing chemistries has been described, the effects of different annealing chemistries on MAP hydrogel properties and performance have not been studied. In this study, we address this gap through a controlled head-to-head comparison of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-based MAP hydrogels that were annealed using tetrazine-norbornene and thiol-norbornene click chemistry. Characterization of material properties revealed that tetrazine click annealing significantly increases MAP hydrogel shear storage modulus and results in slower in vitro degradation kinetics when microgels with a higher cross-link density are used. However, these effects are muted when the MAP hydrogels are fabricated from microgels with a lower cross-link density. In contrast, in vivo testing in murine critical-sized calvarial defects revealed that these differences in physicochemical properties do not translate to differences in bone volume or calvarial defect healing when growth-factor-loaded MAP hydrogel scaffolds are implanted into mouse calvarial defects. Nonetheless, the impact of tetrazine click annealing could be important in other applications and should be investigated further.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarea Y Recalde Phillips
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Kiara D Perez-Ponce
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Elizabeth Ruben
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Talia Baig
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Emily Poux
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Carl A Gregory
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
- Department of Medical Physiology, School of Medicine, Texas A&M University, Bryan, Texas 77807, United States
| | - Daniel L Alge
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
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3
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Degirmenci A, Sanyal R, Sanyal A. Metal-Free Click-Chemistry: A Powerful Tool for Fabricating Hydrogels for Biomedical Applications. Bioconjug Chem 2024; 35:433-452. [PMID: 38516745 PMCID: PMC11036366 DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.4c00003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2024] [Revised: 02/17/2024] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024]
Abstract
Increasing interest in the utilization of hydrogels in various areas of biomedical sciences ranging from biosensing and drug delivery to tissue engineering has necessitated the synthesis of these materials using efficient and benign chemical transformations. In this regard, the advent of "click" chemistry revolutionized the design of hydrogels and a range of efficient reactions was utilized to obtain hydrogels with increased control over their physicochemical properties. The ability to apply the "click" chemistry paradigm to both synthetic and natural polymers as hydrogel precursors further expanded the utility of this chemistry in network formation. In particular, the ability to integrate clickable handles at predetermined locations in polymeric components enables the formation of well-defined networks. Although, in the early years of "click" chemistry, the copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition was widely employed, recent years have focused on the use of metal-free "click" transformations, since residual metal impurities may interfere with or compromise the biological function of such materials. Furthermore, many of the non-metal-catalyzed "click" transformations enable the fabrication of injectable hydrogels, as well as the fabrication of microstructured gels using spatial and temporal control. This review article summarizes the recent advances in the fabrication of hydrogels using various metal-free "click" reactions and highlights the applications of thus obtained materials. One could envision that the use of these versatile metal-free "click" reactions would continue to revolutionize the design of functional hydrogels geared to address unmet needs in biomedical sciences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aysun Degirmenci
- Department
of Chemistry, Bogazici University, Bebek, Istanbul 34342, Türkiye
| | - Rana Sanyal
- Department
of Chemistry, Bogazici University, Bebek, Istanbul 34342, Türkiye
- Center
for Life Sciences and Technologies, Bogazici
University, Bebek, Istanbul 34342, Türkiye
| | - Amitav Sanyal
- Department
of Chemistry, Bogazici University, Bebek, Istanbul 34342, Türkiye
- Center
for Life Sciences and Technologies, Bogazici
University, Bebek, Istanbul 34342, Türkiye
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4
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Dimmitt N, Lin CC. Degradable and Multifunctional PEG-Based Hydrogels Formed by iEDDA Click Chemistry with Stable Click-Induced Supramolecular Interactions. Macromolecules 2024; 57:1556-1568. [PMID: 38435678 PMCID: PMC10903513 DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.3c01855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Revised: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
The inverse electron demand Diels-Alder (iEDDA) reactions are highly efficient click chemistry increasingly utilized in bioconjugation, live cell labeling, and the synthesis and modification of biomaterials. iEDDA click reactions have also been used to cross-link tetrazine (Tz) and norbornene (NB) modified macromers [e.g., multiarm poly(ethylene glycol) or PEG]. In these hydrogels, Tz-NB adducts exhibit stable supramolecular interactions with a high hydrolytic stability. Toward engineering a new class of PEG-based click hydrogels with highly adaptable properties, we previously reported a new group of NB-derivatized PEG macromers via reacting hydroxyl-terminated PEG with carbic anhydride (CA). In this work, we show that hydrogels cross-linked by PEGNBCA or its derivatives exhibited fast and tunable hydrolytic degradation. Here, we show that PEGNBCA (either mono- or octafunctional) and its dopamine or tyramine conjugated derivatives (i.e., PEGNB-D and PEGNB-T) readily cross-link with 4-arm PEG-Tz to form a novel class of multifunctional iEDDA click hydrogels. Through modularly adjusting the macromers with unstable and stable iEDDA click-induced supramolecular interactions (iEDDA-CSI), we achieved highly tunable degradation, with full degradation in less than 2 weeks to over two months. We also show that secondary enzymatic reactions could dynamically stiffen these hydrogels. These hydrogels could also be spatiotemporally photopatterned through visible light-initiated photochemistry. Finally, the iEDDA-CSI hydrogels post ester hydrolysis displayed shear-thinning and self-healing properties, enabling injectable delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan
H. Dimmitt
- Department of Biomedical Engineering,
Purdue School of Engineering & Technology, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202, United States
| | - Chien-Chi Lin
- Department of Biomedical Engineering,
Purdue School of Engineering & Technology, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202, United States
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5
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Pareja Tello R, Wang S, Fontana F, Correia A, Molinaro G, López Cerdà S, Hietala S, Hirvonen J, Barreto G, Santos HA. Fabrication of hydrogel microspheres via microfluidics using inverse electron demand Diels-Alder click chemistry-based tetrazine-norbornene for drug delivery and cell encapsulation applications. Biomater Sci 2023. [PMID: 37334482 DOI: 10.1039/d3bm00292f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/20/2023]
Abstract
Microfluidic on-chip production of polymeric hydrogel microspheres (MPs) can be designed for the loading of different biologically active cargos and living cells. Among different gelation strategies, ionically crosslinked microspheres generally show limited mechanical properties, meanwhile covalently crosslinked microspheres often require the use of crosslinking agents or initiators with limited biocompatibility. Inverse electron demand Diels Alder (iEDDA) click chemistry is a promising covalent crosslinking method with fast kinetics, high chemoselectivity, high efficiency and no cross-reactivity. Herein, in situ gellable iEDDA-crosslinked polymeric hydrogel microspheres are developed via water-in-oil emulsification (W/O) glass microfluidics. The microspheres are composed of two polyethylene glycol precursors modified with either tetrazine or norbornene as functional moieties. Using a single co-flow glass microfluidic platform, homogenous MPs of sizes 200-600 μm are developed and crosslinked within 2 minutes. The rheological properties of iEDDA crosslinked bulk hydrogels are maintained with a low swelling degree and a slow degradation behaviour under physiological conditions. Moreover, a high-protein loading capacity can be achieved, and the encapsulation of mammalian cells is possible. Overall, this work provides the possibility of developing microfluidics-produced iEDDA-crosslinked MPs as a potential drug vehicle and cell encapsulation system in the biomedical field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rubén Pareja Tello
- Drug Research Program, Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki FI-00014, Finland.
| | - Shiqi Wang
- Drug Research Program, Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki FI-00014, Finland.
| | - Flavia Fontana
- Drug Research Program, Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki FI-00014, Finland.
| | - Alexandra Correia
- Drug Research Program, Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki FI-00014, Finland.
| | - Giuseppina Molinaro
- Drug Research Program, Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki FI-00014, Finland.
| | - Sandra López Cerdà
- Drug Research Program, Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki FI-00014, Finland.
| | - Sami Hietala
- Department of Chemistry, University of Helsinki, Helsinki FI-00014, Finland
| | - Jouni Hirvonen
- Drug Research Program, Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki FI-00014, Finland.
| | - Goncalo Barreto
- Clinicum, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Haartmaninkatu 8, 00014, Helsinki, Finland
- Orton Orthopedic Hospital, Tenholantie 10, 00280, Helsinki, Finland
- Medical Ultrasonics Laboratory (MEDUSA), Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, Aalto University, 02150, Espoo, Finland
| | - Hélder A Santos
- Drug Research Program, Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki FI-00014, Finland.
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Ant. Deusinglaan 1, 9713 AV Groningen, The Netherlands
- W.J. Kolff Institute for Biomedical Engineering and Materials Science, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Ant. Deusinglaan 1, 9713 AV Groningen, The Netherlands
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6
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Dimmitt NH, Arkenberg MR, de Lima Perini MM, Li J, Lin CC. Hydrolytically Degradable PEG-Based Inverse Electron Demand Diels-Alder Click Hydrogels. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2022; 8:4262-4273. [PMID: 36074814 PMCID: PMC9554872 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.2c00714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
![]()
Hydrogels cross-linked by inverse electron demand Diels–Alder
(iEDDA) click chemistry are increasingly used in biomedical applications.
With a few exceptions in naturally derived and chemically modified
macromers, iEDDA click hydrogels exhibit long-term hydrolytic stability,
and no synthetic iEDDA click hydrogels can undergo accelerated and
tunable hydrolytic degradation. We have previously reported a novel
method for synthesizing norbornene (NB)-functionalized multiarm poly(ethylene
glycol) (PEG), where carbic anhydride (CA) was used to replace 5-norbornene-2-carboxylic
acid. The new PEGNBCA-based thiol-norbornene hydrogels
exhibited unexpected fast yet highly tunable hydrolytic degradation.
In this contribution, we leveraged the new PEGNBCA macromer
for forming iEDDA click hydrogels with [methyl]tetrazine ([m]Tz)-modified
macromers, leading to the first group of synthetic iEDDA click hydrogels
with highly tunable hydrolytic degradation kinetics. We further exploited
Tz and mTz dual conjugation to achieve tunable hydrolytic degradation
with an in vitro degradation time ranging from 2 weeks to 3 months.
Finally, we demonstrated the excellent in vitro cytocompatibility
and in vivo biocompatibility of the new injectable PEGNBCA-based iEDDA click cross-linked hydrogels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan H Dimmitt
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue School of Engineering & Technology, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202, United States
| | - Matthew R Arkenberg
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - Mariana Moraes de Lima Perini
- Department of Biology, Purdue School of Science, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202, United States
| | - Jiliang Li
- Department of Biology, Purdue School of Science, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202, United States
| | - Chien-Chi Lin
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue School of Engineering & Technology, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202, United States
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7
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Kim MH, Nguyen H, Chang CY, Lin CC. Dual Functionalization of Gelatin for Orthogonal and Dynamic Hydrogel Cross-Linking. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2021; 7:4196-4208. [PMID: 34370445 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.1c00709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Gelatin-based hydrogels are widely used in biomedical fields because of their abundance of bioactive motifs that support cell adhesion and matrix remodeling. Although inherently bioactive, unmodified gelatin exhibits temperature-dependent rheology and solubilizes at body temperature, making it unstable for three-dimensional (3D) cell culture. Therefore, the addition of chemically reactive motifs is required to render gelatin-based hydrogels with highly controllable cross-linking kinetics and tunable mechanical properties that are critical for 3D cell culture. This article provides a series of methods toward establishing orthogonally cross-linked gelatin-based hydrogels for dynamic 3D cell culture. In particular, we prepared dually functionalized gelatin macromers amenable for sequential, orthogonal covalent cross-linking. Central to this material platform is the synthesis of norbornene-functionalized gelatin (GelNB), which forms covalently cross-linked hydrogels via orthogonal thiol-norbornene click cross-linking. Using GelNB as the starting material, we further detail the methods for synthesizing gelatin macromers susceptible to hydroxyphenylacetic acid (HPA) dimerization (i.e., GelNB-HPA) and hydrazone bonding (i.e., GelNB-CH) for on-demand matrix stiffening. Finally, we outline the protocol for synthesizing a gelatin macromer capable of adjusting hydrogel stress relaxation via boronate ester bonding (i.e., GelNB-BA). The combination of these orthogonal chemistries affords a wide range of gelatin-based hydrogels as biomimetic matrices in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Hee Kim
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue School of Engineering & Technology, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202, United States
| | - Han Nguyen
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - Chun-Yi Chang
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - Chien-Chi Lin
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue School of Engineering & Technology, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202, United States.,Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
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8
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Chang CY, Johnson HC, Babb O, Fishel ML, Lin CC. Biomimetic stiffening of cell-laden hydrogels via sequential thiol-ene and hydrazone click reactions. Acta Biomater 2021; 130:161-171. [PMID: 34087443 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2021.05.054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2021] [Revised: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Hydrogels with dynamically tunable crosslinking are invaluable for directing stem cell fate and mimicking a stiffening matrix during fibrosis or tumor development. The increases in matrix stiffness during tissue development are often accompanied by the accumulation of extracellular matrices (e.g., collagen, hyaluronic acid (HA)), a phenomenon that has received little attention in the development of dynamic hydrogels. In this contribution, we present a gelatin-based cell-laden hydrogel system capable of being dynamically stiffened while accumulating HA, a key glycosaminoglycans (GAG) increasingly deposited by stromal cells during tumor progression. Central to this strategy is the synthesis of a dually-modified gelatin macromer - gelatin-norbornene-carbohydrazide (GelNB-CH), which is susceptible to both thiol-norbornene photopolymerization and hydrazone click chemistry. We demonstrate that the crosslinking density of cell-laden thiol-norbornene hydrogels can be dynamically tuned via simple incubation with aldehyde-bearing macromers (e.g., oxidized dextran (oDex) or oHA). The GelNB-CH hydrogel system is highly cytocompatible, as demonstrated by in situ encapsulation of pancreatic cancer cells (PCC) and cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF). This unique dynamic stiffening scheme provides a platform to study tandem accumulation of HA and elevation in matrix stiffness in the pancreatic tumor microenvironment. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Hydrogels permitting on-demand and secondary crosslinking are ideal for mimicking a stiffening tumor microenvironment (TME). However, none of the current dynamic hydrogels account for both stiffening and accumulation of hyaluronic acid (HA), a major extracellular matrix component increasingly deposited in tumor stromal tissues, including pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). The current work addresses this gap by developing a dynamic hydrogel system capable of simultaneously increasing stiffness and HA accumulation. This is achieved by a new gelatin macromer permitting sequential thiol-norbornene (for primary network crosslinking) and hydrazone click chemistry (for bioinert or biomimetic stiffening with oxidized dextran (oDex) or oHA, respectively). The results of this study provide new insights into how dynamically changing physicochemical matrix properties guide cancer cell fate processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Yi Chang
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Hunter C Johnson
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue School of Engineering & Technology, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Olivia Babb
- Department of Pediatrics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Melissa L Fishel
- Department of Pediatrics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA; Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana University Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Chien-Chi Lin
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue School of Engineering & Technology, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana University Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center, Indianapolis, IN, USA.
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9
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Holt SE, Arroyo J, Poux E, Fricks A, Agurcia I, Heintschel M, Rakoski A, Alge DL. Supramolecular Click Product Interactions Induce Dynamic Stiffening of Extracellular Matrix-Mimetic Hydrogels. Biomacromolecules 2021; 22:3040-3048. [PMID: 34129338 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.1c00485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Progressive stiffening of the extracellular matrix (ECM) is observed in tissue development as well as in pathologies such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, and fibrotic disease. However, methods to recapitulate this phenomenon in vitro face critical limitations. Here, we present a poly(ethylene glycol)-based peptide-functionalized ECM-mimetic hydrogel platform capable of facile, user-controlled dynamic stiffening. This platform leverages supramolecular interactions between inverse-electron demand Diels-Alder tetrazine-norbornene click products (TNCP) to create pendant moieties that undergo non-covalent crosslinking, stiffening a pre-existing network formed via thiol-ene click chemistry over the course of 6 h. Pendant TNCP moieties have a concentration-dependent effect on gel stiffness while still being cytocompatible and permissive of cell-mediated gel degradation. The robustness of this approach as well as its simplicity and ease of translation give it broad potential utility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha E Holt
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843-3120, United States
| | - Julio Arroyo
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843-3120, United States
| | - Emily Poux
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843-3122, United States
| | - Austen Fricks
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843-3120, United States
| | - Isabelle Agurcia
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843-3120, United States
| | - Marissa Heintschel
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843-3120, United States
| | - Amanda Rakoski
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843-3120, United States
| | - Daniel L Alge
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843-3120, United States.,Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas77843-3003, United States
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10
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Arkenberg MR, Dimmitt NH, Johnson HC, Koehler KR, Lin CC. Dynamic Click Hydrogels for Xeno-Free Culture of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells. ADVANCED BIOSYSTEMS 2020; 4:e2000129. [PMID: 32924337 PMCID: PMC7704730 DOI: 10.1002/adbi.202000129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2020] [Revised: 08/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Xeno-free, chemically defined poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-based hydrogels are being increasingly used for in vitro culture and differentiation of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs). These synthetic matrices provide tunable gelation and adaptable material properties crucial for guiding stem cell fate. Here, sequential norbornene-click chemistries are integrated to form synthetic, dynamically tunable PEG-peptide hydrogels for hiPSCs culture and differentiation. Specifically, hiPSCs are photoencapsulated in thiol-norbornene hydrogels crosslinked by multiarm PEG-norbornene (PEG-NB) and proteaselabile crosslinkers. These matrices are used to evaluate hiPSC growth under the influence of extracellular matrix properties. Tetrazine-norbornene (Tz-NB) click reaction is then employed to dynamically stiffen the cell-laden hydrogels. Fast reactive Tz and its stable derivative methyltetrazine (mTz) are tethered to multiarm PEG, yielding mono-functionalized PEG-Tz, PEG-mTz, and dualfunctionalized PEG-Tz/mTz that react with PEG-NB to form additional crosslinks in the cell-laden hydrogels. The versatility of Tz-NB stiffening is demonstrated with different Tz-modified macromers or by intermittent incubation of PEG-Tz for temporal stiffening. Finally, the Tz-NB-mediated dynamic stiffening is explored for 4D culture and definitive endoderm differentiation of hiPSCs. Overall, this dynamic hydrogel platform affords exquisite controls of hydrogel crosslinking for serving as a xeno-free and dynamic stem cell niche.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew R Arkenberg
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Nathan H Dimmitt
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue School of Engineering & Technology, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA
| | - Hunter C Johnson
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue School of Engineering & Technology, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA
| | - Karl R Koehler
- Departments of Otolaryngology and Plastic and Oral Surgery, F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Chien-Chi Lin
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue School of Engineering & Technology, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA
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11
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Abstract
The specific microenvironment that cells reside in fundamentally impacts their broader function in tissues and organs. At its core, this microenvironment is composed of precise arrangements of cells that encourage homotypic and heterotypic cell-cell interactions, biochemical signaling through soluble factors like cytokines, hormones, and autocrine, endocrine, or paracrine secretions, and the local extracellular matrix (ECM) that provides physical support and mechanobiological stimuli, and further regulates biochemical signaling through cell-ECM interactions like adhesions and growth factor sequestering. Each cue provided in the microenvironment dictates cellular behavior and, thus, overall potential to perform tissue and organ specific function. It follows that in order to recapitulate physiological cell responses and develop constructs capable of replacing damaged tissue, we must engineer the cellular microenvironment very carefully. Many great strides have been made toward this goal using various three-dimensional (3D) tissue culture scaffolds and specific media conditions. Among the various 3D biomimetic scaffolds, synthetic hydrogels have emerged as a highly tunable and tissue-like biomaterial well-suited for implantable tissue-engineered constructs. Because many synthetic hydrogel materials are inherently bioinert, they minimize unintentional cell responses and thus are good candidates for long-term implantable grafts, patches, and organs. This review will provide an overview of commonly used biomaterials for forming synthetic hydrogels for tissue engineering applications and techniques for modifying them to with bioactive properties to elicit the desired cell responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asli Z Unal
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, 101 Science Drive, Campus Box 90281, Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States
| | - Jennifer L West
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, 101 Science Drive, Campus Box 90281, Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States
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