Basement Membrane Mimetic Hydrogel Cooperates with Rho-Associated Protein Kinase Inhibitor to Promote the Development of Acini-Like Salivary Gland Spheroids.

ABSTRACT: Successful engineering of functional salivary glands necessitates the creation of cell-instructive environments for ex vivo expansion and lineage specification of primary human salivary gland stem cells (hS/PCs). Herein, basement membrane mimetic hydrogels were prepared using hyaluronic acid, cell adhesive peptides, and hyperbranched polyglycerol (HPG), with or without sulfate groups, to produce "hyperGel+" or "hyperGel", respectively. Differential scanning fluorescence experiments confirmed the ability of the sulphated HPG precursor to stabilize fibroblast growth factor 10. The hydrogels were nanoporous, cytocompatibile and cell-permissive, enabling the development of multicellular hS/PC spheroids in 14 days. Incorporation of sulfated HPG species in the hydrogel enhanced cell proli

SUBMITTER: Fowler EW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11031203 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature