1
|
Rijns L, Rutten MGTA, Vrehen AF, Aldana AA, Baker MB, Dankers PYW. Mimicking the extracellular world: from natural to fully synthetic matrices utilizing supramolecular biomaterials. NANOSCALE 2024; 16:16290-16312. [PMID: 39161293 DOI: 10.1039/d4nr02088j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/21/2024]
Abstract
The extracellular matrix (ECM) has evolved around complex covalent and non-covalent interactions to create impressive function-from cellular signaling to constant remodeling. A major challenge in the biomedical field is the de novo design and control of synthetic ECMs for applications ranging from tissue engineering to neuromodulation to bioelectronics. As we move towards recreating the ECM's complexity in hydrogels, the field has taken several approaches to recapitulate the main important features of the native ECM (i.e. mechanical, bioactive and dynamic properties). In this review, we first describe the wide variety of hydrogel systems that are currently used, ranging from fully natural to completely synthetic to hybrid versions, highlighting the advantages and limitations of each class. Then, we shift towards supramolecular hydrogels that show great potential for their use as ECM mimics due to their biomimetic hierarchical structure, inherent (controllable) dynamic properties and their modular design, allowing for precise control over their mechanical and biochemical properties. In order to make the next step in the complexity of synthetic ECM-mimetic hydrogels, we must leverage the supramolecular self-assembly seen in the native ECM; we therefore propose to use supramolecular monomers to create larger, hierarchical, co-assembled hydrogels with complex and synergistic mechanical, bioactive and dynamic features.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Laura Rijns
- Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Eindhoven University of Technology, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Martin G T A Rutten
- Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Eindhoven University of Technology, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Annika F Vrehen
- Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Eindhoven University of Technology, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Ana A Aldana
- Department of Complex Tissue Regeneration, MERLN Institute for Technology Inspired Regenerative Medicine, Maastricht University, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Matthew B Baker
- Department of Complex Tissue Regeneration, MERLN Institute for Technology Inspired Regenerative Medicine, Maastricht University, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Department of Instructive Biomaterials Engineering, MERLN Institute for Technology Inspired Regenerative Medicine, Maastricht University, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Patricia Y W Dankers
- Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Eindhoven University of Technology, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry, Eindhoven University of Technology, 5600 MB, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Nasu E, Kawakami N, Takamura S, Hotta A, Arai R, Miyamoto K. Thermally Reversible Gel-Sol Transition of Hydrogels via Dissociation and Association of an Artificial Protein Nanocage. Biomacromolecules 2024; 25:2358-2366. [PMID: 38445465 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.3c01285] [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: 03/07/2024]
Abstract
Oligomeric protein nanocages often disassemble into their subunits and reassemble by external stimuli. Thus, using these nanocages as cross-linkers for hydrogel network structures is a promising approach to allow hydrogels to undergo stimuli-responsive gel-sol transitions or self-healing. Here, we report hydrogels that show a reversible gel-sol transition resulting from the heat-induced dissociation and reassociation of protein nanocages. The hydrogel contained the 60-mer artificial protein nanocage, TIP60, as a supramolecular cross-linker for polyethylene glycol network structures. The hydrogel showed a gel-to-sol transition upon heating at a temperature above the melting point of TIP60 and immediately returned to a gel state upon cooling to room temperature. During the heating and cooling treatment of the hydrogel, small-angle X-ray scattering analysis suggested the dissociation and reassociation of TIP60. Furthermore, we demonstrated redox-responsive cargo release from TIP60 in the hydrogel. These results showed the potential of TIP60 as a component of multi-stimuli-responsive hydrogels.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Erika Nasu
- Department of Bioscience and Informatics, Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University, Yokohama, Kanagawa 223-8522, Japan
| | - Norifumi Kawakami
- Department of Bioscience and Informatics, Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University, Yokohama, Kanagawa 223-8522, Japan
| | - Shuhei Takamura
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Keio University, Yokohama, Kanagawa 223-8522, Japan
| | - Atsushi Hotta
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Keio University, Yokohama, Kanagawa 223-8522, Japan
| | - Ryoichi Arai
- Department of Biomolecular Innovation, Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Interdisciplinary Cluster for Cutting Edge Research, Shinshu University, Ueda, Nagano 386-8567, Japan
- Department of Applied Biology, Faculty of Textile Science and Technology, Shinshu University, Ueda, Nagano 386-8567, Japan
| | - Kenji Miyamoto
- Department of Bioscience and Informatics, Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University, Yokohama, Kanagawa 223-8522, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Gerrits L, Hammink R, Kouwer PHJ. Semiflexible polymer scaffolds: an overview of conjugation strategies. Polym Chem 2021. [DOI: 10.1039/d0py01662d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Semiflexible polymers are excellent scaffolds for the presentation of a wide variety of (bio)molecules. This manuscript reviews advantages and challenges of the most common conjugation strategies for the major classes of semiflexible polymers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lotte Gerrits
- Institute for Molecules and Materials
- Radboud University
- 6525 AJ Nijmegen
- The Netherlands
| | - Roel Hammink
- Department of Tumor Immunology
- Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences
- Radboud University Medical Center
- 6525 GA Nijmegen
- The Netherlands
| | - Paul H. J. Kouwer
- Institute for Molecules and Materials
- Radboud University
- 6525 AJ Nijmegen
- The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Grad EM, Tunn I, Voerman D, de Léon AS, Hammink R, Blank KG. Influence of Network Topology on the Viscoelastic Properties of Dynamically Crosslinked Hydrogels. Front Chem 2020; 8:536. [PMID: 32719773 PMCID: PMC7349520 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2020.00536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2020] [Accepted: 05/26/2020] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Biological materials combine stress relaxation and self-healing with non-linear stress-strain responses. These characteristic features are a direct result of hierarchical self-assembly, which often results in fiber-like architectures. Even though structural knowledge is rapidly increasing, it has remained a challenge to establish relationships between microscopic and macroscopic structure and function. Here, we focus on understanding how network topology determines the viscoelastic properties, i.e., stress relaxation, of biomimetic hydrogels. We have dynamically crosslinked two different synthetic polymers with one and the same crosslink. The first polymer, a polyisocyanopeptide (PIC), self-assembles into semi-flexible, fiber-like bundles, and thus displays stress-stiffening, similar to many biopolymer networks. The second polymer, 4-arm poly(ethylene glycol) (starPEG), serves as a reference network with well-characterized structural and viscoelastic properties. Using one and the same coiled coil crosslink allows us to decouple the effects of crosslink kinetics and network topology on the stress relaxation behavior of the resulting hydrogel networks. We show that the fiber-containing PIC network displays a relaxation time approximately two orders of magnitude slower than the starPEG network. This reveals that crosslink kinetics is not the only determinant for stress relaxation. Instead, we propose that the different network topologies determine the ability of elastically active network chains to relax stress. In the starPEG network, each elastically active chain contains exactly one crosslink. In the absence of entanglements, crosslink dissociation thus relaxes the entire chain. In contrast, each polymer is crosslinked to the fiber bundle in multiple positions in the PIC hydrogel. The dissociation of a single crosslink is thus not sufficient for chain relaxation. This suggests that tuning the number of crosslinks per elastically active chain in combination with crosslink kinetics is a powerful design principle for tuning stress relaxation in polymeric materials. The presence of a higher number of crosslinks per elastically active chain thus yields materials with a slow macroscopic relaxation time but fast dynamics at the microscopic level. Using this principle for the design of synthetic cell culture matrices will yield materials with excellent long-term stability combined with the ability to locally reorganize, thus facilitating cell motility, spreading, and growth.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emilia M. Grad
- Mechano(bio) Chemistry, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Potsdam, Germany
- Department of Molecular Materials, Institute for Molecules and Materials, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Isabell Tunn
- Mechano(bio) Chemistry, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Dion Voerman
- Department of Tumor Immunology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands
- Division of Immunotherapy, Oncode Institute, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Alberto S. de Léon
- Mechano(bio) Chemistry, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Roel Hammink
- Department of Tumor Immunology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands
- Division of Immunotherapy, Oncode Institute, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Kerstin G. Blank
- Mechano(bio) Chemistry, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Potsdam, Germany
- Department of Molecular Materials, Institute for Molecules and Materials, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|