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Bej R, Stevens CA, Nie C, Ludwig K, Degen GD, Kerkhoff Y, Pigaleva M, Adler JM, Bustos NA, Page TM, Trimpert J, Block S, Kaufer BB, Ribbeck K, Haag R. Mucus-Inspired Self-Healing Hydrogels: A Protective Barrier for Cells against Viral Infection. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2024:e2401745. [PMID: 38815174 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202401745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2024] [Revised: 05/16/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024]
Abstract
Mucus is a dynamic biological hydrogel, composed primarily of the glycoprotein mucin, exhibits unique biophysical properties and forms a barrier protecting cells against a broad-spectrum of viruses. Here, this work develops a polyglycerol sulfate-based dendronized mucin-inspired copolymer (MICP-1) with ≈10% repeating units of activated disulfide as cross-linking sites. Cryo-electron microscopy (Cryo-EM) analysis of MICP-1 reveals an elongated single-chain fiber morphology. MICP-1 shows potential inhibitory activity against many viruses such as herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) and SARS-CoV-2 (including variants such as Delta and Omicron). MICP-1 produces hydrogels with viscoelastic properties similar to healthy human sputum and with tuneable microstructures using linear and branched polyethylene glycol-thiol (PEG-thiol) as cross-linkers. Single particle tracking microrheology, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and cryo-scanning electron microscopy (Cryo-SEM) are used to characterize the network structures. The synthesized hydrogels exhibit self-healing properties, along with viscoelastic properties that are tuneable through reduction. A transwell assay is used to investigate the hydrogel's protective properties against viral infection against HSV-1. Live-cell microscopy confirms that these hydrogels can protect underlying cells from infection by trapping the virus, due to both network morphology and anionic multivalent effects. Overall, this novel mucin-inspired copolymer generates mucus-mimetic hydrogels on a multi-gram scale. These hydrogels can be used as models for disulfide-rich airway mucus research, and as biomaterials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raju Bej
- Institut für Chemie und Biochemie, Freie Universität Berlin, Takustrasse 3, 14195, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Corey Alfred Stevens
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Chuanxiong Nie
- Institut für Chemie und Biochemie, Freie Universität Berlin, Takustrasse 3, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Kai Ludwig
- Institut für Chemie und Biochemie, Freie Universität Berlin, Takustrasse 3, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - George D Degen
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Yannic Kerkhoff
- Institut für Chemie und Biochemie, Freie Universität Berlin, Takustrasse 3, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Marina Pigaleva
- Institut für Chemie und Biochemie, Freie Universität Berlin, Takustrasse 3, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Julia M Adler
- Institut für Virologie, Freie Universität Berlin, Robert-von-Ostertag-Strasse 7-13, 14163, Berlin, Germany
| | - Nicole A Bustos
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Taylor M Page
- Institut für Chemie und Biochemie, Freie Universität Berlin, Takustrasse 3, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jakob Trimpert
- Institut für Virologie, Freie Universität Berlin, Robert-von-Ostertag-Strasse 7-13, 14163, Berlin, Germany
| | - Stephan Block
- Institut für Chemie und Biochemie, Freie Universität Berlin, Takustrasse 3, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Benedikt B Kaufer
- Institut für Virologie, Freie Universität Berlin, Robert-von-Ostertag-Strasse 7-13, 14163, Berlin, Germany
| | - Katharina Ribbeck
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Rainer Haag
- Institut für Chemie und Biochemie, Freie Universität Berlin, Takustrasse 3, 14195, Berlin, Germany
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Mei L, Zhu Z, Wang C, Sun C, Chen P, Cai H, Chen X, Du X. Investigation on chain segment motions of various starch molecules under different glycerol-water system. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 259:129247. [PMID: 38199530 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.129247] [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: 10/06/2023] [Revised: 12/03/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
The molecular motion of starch at different glycerol concentrations (0, 20, 50, and 80 %) was investigated using Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) spectroscopy confirmed that hydroxyl groups at the C2 and C3 positions of glucose units in corn starch (CS), waxy corn starch (WCS), and high amylose corn starch (HCS) were labeled with 4-amino-TEMPO. The crystallinities of CS, WCS, and HCS after spin-labeling decreased from 30.68 % to 3.21 %, 39.36 % to 1.65 %, and 28.54 % to 8.08 %, respectively. The pseudoplastic fluid properties of the spin-labeled starch remained shear-thin at different glycerol concentrations. EPR revealed the fast- and slow-motion components of the spin-labeled starch molecules dispersed in water. At a glycerol concentration of 20 %, the slow-motion component disappeared, indicating a faster rotational motion of the starch chain segments. As the glycerol concentration increased to 50 and 80 %, the rotational motion slowed because of high viscosity. In particular, the mobility of the spin-labeled WCS chains increased owing to easier access of glycerol and water to the branched structure. This study directly observed the dynamics of the molecular behavior of starch in glycerol-water systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liping Mei
- Anhui Engineering Laboratory for Agro-Products Processing, School of Tea & Food Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, Anhui, China
| | - Zhijie Zhu
- Anhui Engineering Laboratory for Agro-Products Processing, School of Tea & Food Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, Anhui, China
| | - Caihong Wang
- Anhui Engineering Laboratory for Agro-Products Processing, School of Tea & Food Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, Anhui, China
| | - Chengyi Sun
- Anhui Engineering Laboratory for Agro-Products Processing, School of Tea & Food Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, Anhui, China
| | - Peirong Chen
- Department of Applied Chemistry, School of Science, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, China
| | - Huimei Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, School of Tea & Food Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, Anhui, China.
| | - Xu Chen
- Anhui Engineering Laboratory for Agro-Products Processing, School of Tea & Food Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, Anhui, China.
| | - Xianfeng Du
- Anhui Engineering Laboratory for Agro-Products Processing, School of Tea & Food Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, Anhui, China; State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, School of Tea & Food Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, Anhui, China.
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Dueramae I, Tanaka F, Shinyashiki N, Yagihara S, Kita R. UV-Crosslinked Poly( N-isopropylacrylamide) Interpenetrated into Chitosan Structure with Enhancement of Mechanical Properties Implemented as Anti-Fouling Materials. Gels 2023; 10:20. [PMID: 38247743 PMCID: PMC10815207 DOI: 10.3390/gels10010020] [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: 11/22/2023] [Revised: 12/16/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
High-performance properties of interpenetration polymer network (IPN) hydrogels, based on physically crosslinked chitosan (CS) and chemically crosslinked poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNiPAM), were successfully developed. The IPN of CS/PNiPAM is proposed to overcome the limited mechanical properties of the single CS network. In this study, the viscoelastic behaviors of prepared materials in both solution and gel states were extensively examined, considering the UV exposure time and crosslinker concentration as key factors. The effect of these factors on gel formation, hydrogel structures, thermal stabilities of networks, and HeLa cell adhesion were studied sequentially. The sol-gel transition was effectively demonstrated through the scaling law, which agrees well with Winter and Chambon's theory. By subjecting the CS hydrogel to the process operation in an ethanol solution, its properties can be significantly enhanced with increased crosslinker concentration, including the shear modulus, crosslinking degree, gel strength, and thermal stability in its swollen state. The IPN samples exhibit a smooth and dense surface with irregular pores, allowing for much water absorption. The HeLa cells were adhered to and killed using the CS surface cationic charges and then released through hydrolysis by utilizing the hydrophilic/hydrophobic switchable property or thermo-reversible gelation of the PNiPAM network. The results demonstrated that IPN is a highly attractive candidate for anti-fouling materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isala Dueramae
- Micro/Nano Technology Center, Tokai University, Hiratsuka 259-1292, Japan
- Metallurgy and Materials Research Institute, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | - Fumihiko Tanaka
- Department of Polymer Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Kyoto 615-8510, Japan;
| | - Naoki Shinyashiki
- Micro/Nano Technology Center, Tokai University, Hiratsuka 259-1292, Japan
- Department of Physics, Tokai University, Hiratsuka 259-1292, Japan;
| | - Shin Yagihara
- Department of Physics, Tokai University, Hiratsuka 259-1292, Japan;
| | - Rio Kita
- Micro/Nano Technology Center, Tokai University, Hiratsuka 259-1292, Japan
- Department of Physics, Tokai University, Hiratsuka 259-1292, Japan;
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