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Widener AE, Roberts A, Phelps EA. Granular Hydrogels for Harnessing the Immune Response. Adv Healthc Mater 2024; 13:e2303005. [PMID: 38145369 PMCID: PMC11196388 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202303005] [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: 09/08/2023] [Revised: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023]
Abstract
This review aims to understand the current progress in immune-instructive granular hydrogels and identify the key features used as immunomodulatory strategies. Published work is systematically reviewed and relevant information about granular hydrogels used throughout these studies is collected. The base polymer, microgel generation technique, polymer crosslinking chemistry, particle size and shape, annealing strategy, granular hydrogel stiffness, pore size and void space, degradability, biomolecule presentation, and drug release are cataloged for each work. Several granular hydrogel parameters used for immune modulation: porosity, architecture, bioactivity, drug release, cell delivery, and modularity, are identified. The authors found in this review that porosity is the most significant factor influencing the innate immune response to granular hydrogels, while incorporated bioactivity is more significant in influencing adaptive immune responses. Here, the authors' findings and summarized results from each section are presented and suggestions are made for future studies to better understand the benefits of using immune-instructive granular hydrogels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrienne E Widener
- J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida, 1275 Center Dr., Gainesville, 32611, USA
| | - Abilene Roberts
- J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida, 1275 Center Dr., Gainesville, 32611, USA
| | - Edward A Phelps
- J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida, 1275 Center Dr., Gainesville, 32611, USA
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Zhang W, Bertinetti L, Yavuzsoy EC, Gao C, Schneck E, Fratzl P. Submicron-Sized In Situ Osmotic Pressure Sensors for In Vitro Applications in Biology. Adv Healthc Mater 2023; 12:e2202373. [PMID: 36541931 PMCID: PMC11468766 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202202373] [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: 09/15/2022] [Revised: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Physical forces are important cues in determining the development and the normal function of biological tissues. While forces generated by molecular motors have been widely studied, forces resulting from osmotic gradients have been less considered in this context. A possible reason is the lack of direct in situ measurement methods that can be applied to cell and organ culture systems. Herein, novel kinds of resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based liposomal sensors are developed, so that their sensing range and sensitivity can be adjusted to satisfy physiological osmotic conditions. Several types of sensors are prepared, either based on polyethylene glycol- (PEG)ylated liposomes with steric stabilization and stealth property or on crosslinked liposomes capable of enduring relatively harsh environments for liposomes (e.g., in the presence of biosurfactants). The sensors are demonstrated to be effective in the measurement of osmotic pressures in pre-osteoblastic in vitro cell culture systems by means of FRET microscopy. This development paves the way toward the in situ sensing of osmotic pressures in biological culture systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenbo Zhang
- Department of BiomaterialsMax Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces14476PotsdamGermany
| | - Luca Bertinetti
- Department of BiomaterialsMax Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces14476PotsdamGermany
- B CUBE Center for Molecular BioengineeringTechnical University of Darmstadt01307DresdenGermany
| | - Efe Cuma Yavuzsoy
- Department of BiomaterialsMax Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces14476PotsdamGermany
| | - Changyou Gao
- MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and FunctionalizationDepartment of Polymer Science and EngineeringZhejiang UniversityHangzhou310027China
| | - Emanuel Schneck
- Department of BiomaterialsMax Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces14476PotsdamGermany
- Department of PhysicsTechnical University of Darmstadt64289DarmstadtGermany
| | - Peter Fratzl
- Department of BiomaterialsMax Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces14476PotsdamGermany
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Yagasaki T, Matubayasi N. Molecular dynamics study of the interactions between a hydrophilic polymer brush on graphene and amino acid side chain analogues in water. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2022; 24:22877-22888. [PMID: 36124732 DOI: 10.1039/d2cp03112d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
We perform all-atom molecular dynamics simulations of poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA) brushes in aqueous solutions of isobutane, propionamide, and sodium propionate. These solutes are side chain analogues to leucine, glutamine, and glutamic acid, respectively. We compute the Gibbs energy profile of the solute's adsorption to the polymer brush and decompose it into the contributions from the steric repulsion, van der Waals interaction, and Coulomb interaction to reveal the energetic origin of repulsion or attraction of the solute by the polymer brush. The Henry adsorption constant is the amount of adsorption normalized by the concentration in aqueous solution. We examine the dependence of this quantity on the grafting density and chain length. Our results suggest that the concurrent primary and ternary adsorption mechanism may be more important than previously expected when the solute is hydrophobic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takuma Yagasaki
- Division of Chemical Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka 560-8531, Japan.
| | - Nobuyuki Matubayasi
- Division of Chemical Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka 560-8531, Japan.
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Abstract
Over the last 10 years, neutron reflectometry (NR) has emerged as a powerful technique for the investigation of biologically relevant thin films. The great advantage of NR with respect to many other surface-sensitive techniques is its sub-nanometer resolution that enables structural characterizations at the molecular level. In the case of bio-relevant samples, NR is non-destructive and can be used to probe thin films at buried interfaces or enclosed in bulky sample environment equipment. Moreover, recent advances in biomolecular deutera-tion enabled new labeling strategies to highlight certain structural features and to resolve with better accuracy the location of chemically similar molecules within a thin film.
In this chapter I will describe some applications of NR to bio-relevant samples and discuss some of the data analysis approaches available for biological thin films. In particular, examples on the structural characterization of biomembranes, protein films and protein-lipid interactions will be described.
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Micciulla S, Gerelli Y, Schneck E. Structure and Conformation of Wild-Type Bacterial Lipopolysaccharide Layers at Air-Water Interfaces. Biophys J 2019; 116:1259-1269. [PMID: 30878200 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2019.02.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2018] [Revised: 02/13/2019] [Accepted: 02/21/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria is of great scientific interest because it mediates the action of antimicrobial agents. The membrane surface is composed of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) molecules with negatively charged oligosaccharide headgroups. To a certain fraction, LPSs additionally display linear polysaccharides termed O-side chains (OSCs). Structural studies on bacterial outer surfaces models, based on LPS monolayers at air-water interfaces, have so far dealt only with rough mutant LPSs lacking these OSCs. Here, we characterize monolayers of wild-type LPS from Escherichia coli O55:B5 featuring strain-specific OSCs in the presence of defined concentrations of monovalent and divalent ions. Pressure-area isotherms yield insight into in-plane molecular interactions and monolayer elastic moduli. Structural investigations by x-ray and neutron reflectometry reveal the saccharide conformation and allow quantifying the area per molecule and the fraction of LPS molecules carrying OSCs. The OSC conformation is satisfactorily described by the self-consistent field theory for end-grafted polymer brushes. The monolayers exhibit a significant structural response to divalent cations, which goes beyond generic electrostatic screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha Micciulla
- Institut Laue-Langevin, Grenoble, France; Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Potsdam, Germany
| | | | - Emanuel Schneck
- Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Potsdam, Germany.
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Kolewe KW, Kalasin S, Shave M, Schiffman JD, Santore MM. Mechanical Properties and Concentrations of Poly(ethylene glycol) in Hydrogels and Brushes Direct the Surface Transport of Staphylococcus aureus. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2019; 11:320-330. [PMID: 30595023 PMCID: PMC6771038 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.8b18302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Surface-associated transport of flowing bacteria, including cell rolling, is a mechanism for otherwise immobile bacteria to migrate on surfaces and could be associated with biofilm formation or the spread of infection. This work demonstrates how the moduli and/or local polymer concentration play critical roles in sustaining contact, dynamic adhesion, and transport of bacterial cells along a hydrogel or hydrated brush surface. In particular, stiffer more concentrated hydrogels and brushes maintained the greatest dynamic contact, still allowing cells to travel along the surface in flow. This study addressed how the mechanical properties, molecular architectures, and thicknesses of minimally adhesive poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-based coatings influence the flow-driven surface motion of Staphylococcus aureus MS2 cells. Three protein-repellant PEG-dimethylacrylate hydrogel films (∼100 μm thick) and two protein-repellant PEG brushes (8-16 nm thick) were sufficiently fouling-resistant to prevent the accumulation of flowing bacteria. However, the rolling or hopping-like motions of gently flowing S. aureus cells along the surfaces were specific to the particular hydrogel or brush, distinguishing these coatings in terms of their mechanical properties (with moduli from 2 to 1300 kPa) or local PEG concentrations (in the range 10-50% PEG). On the stiffer hydrogel coatings having higher PEG concentrations, S. aureus exhibited long runs of surface rolling, 20-50 μm in length, an increased tendency of cells to repeatedly return to some surfaces after rolling and escaping, and relatively long integrated contact times. By contrast, on the softer more dilute hydrogels, bacteria tended to encounter the surface for brief periods before escaping without return. The dynamic adhesion and motion signatures of the cells on the two brushes were bracketed by those on the soft and stiff hydrogels, demonstrating that PEG coating thickness was not important in these studies where the vertically oriented surfaces minimized the impact of gravitational forces. Control studies with similarly sized poly(ethylene oxide)-coated rigid spherical microparticles, that also did not arrest on the PEG coatings, established that the bacterial skipping and rolling signatures were specific to the S. aureus cells and not simply diffusive. Dynamic adhesion of the S. aureus cells on the PEG hydrogel surfaces correlated well with quiescent 24 h adhesion studies in the literature, despite the orientation of the flow studies that eliminated the influence of gravity on bacteria-coating normal forces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristopher W. Kolewe
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003-9303, United States
| | - Surachate Kalasin
- Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003-9303, United States
| | - Molly Shave
- Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003-9303, United States
| | - Jessica D. Schiffman
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003-9303, United States
| | - Maria M. Santore
- Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003-9303, United States
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Latza VM, Rodriguez-Loureiro I, Fragneto G, Schneck E. End Point Versus Backbone Specificity Governs Characteristics of Antibody Binding to Poly(ethylene glycol) Brushes. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2018; 34:13946-13955. [PMID: 30354149 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.8b02774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
End-grafted poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) brushes are widely used in order to suppress undesired protein adsorption to surfaces exposed to blood or other biological fluids. The specific adsorption of antibodies (Abs) to PEG brushes associated with PEG's antigenicity is drawing increasing attention because it can affect clinical applications. Here, the adsorption to PEG brushes of two Ab types, specifically binding the polymer backbone and the polymer endpoints, is structurally characterized by neutron reflectometry. The measurements yield volume fraction profiles of PEG and of the adsorbed Abs with sub-nanometer resolution perpendicular to the surface. For all brush parameters in terms of grafting density and polymerization degree, the Ab profiles clearly differ between backbone binders and endpoint binders. The adsorbed Ab amount per unit area is substantial for both Ab types and for all brush parameters investigated, even for dense brushes, which impose a considerable osmotic barrier to Ab insertion. The results therefore indicate that variation of brush parameters alone is insufficient to prevent undesired Ab adsorption. Instead, our work motivates further efforts in the search for nonantigenic brush chemistry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria M Latza
- Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces , Am Mühlenberg 1 , 14476 Potsdam , Germany
| | | | - Giovanna Fragneto
- Institut Laue-Langevin , 71 Avenue des Martyrs , 38042 Grenoble Cedex 9 , France
| | - Emanuel Schneck
- Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces , Am Mühlenberg 1 , 14476 Potsdam , Germany
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Emilsson G, Xiong K, Sakiyama Y, Malekian B, Ahlberg Gagnér V, Schoch RL, Lim RYH, Dahlin AB. Polymer brushes in solid-state nanopores form an impenetrable entropic barrier for proteins. NANOSCALE 2018; 10:4663-4669. [PMID: 29468241 DOI: 10.1039/c7nr09432a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Polymer brushes are widely used to prevent the adsorption of proteins, but the mechanisms by which they operate have remained heavily debated for many decades. We show conclusive evidence that a polymer brush can be a remarkably strong kinetic barrier towards proteins by using poly(ethylene glycol) grafted to the sidewalls of pores in 30 nm thin gold films. Despite consisting of about 90% water, the free coils seal apertures up to 100 nm entirely with respect to serum protein translocation, as monitored label-free through the plasmonic activity of the nanopores. The conclusions are further supported by atomic force microscopy and fluorescence microscopy. A theoretical model indicates that the brush undergoes a morphology transition to a sealing state when the ratio between the extension and the radius of curvature is approximately 0.8. The brush-sealed pores represent a new type of ultrathin filter with potential applications in bioanalytical systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gustav Emilsson
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, 41296 Göteborg, Sweden.
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