Photo-regulated disulfide crosslinking: a versatile approach to construct mucus-inspired hydrogels.

ABSTRACT: The remarkable defensive ability of native mucus against pathogens has encouraged scientists to map its structure--property correlation and its influence on immune defense mechanisms. However, its poorly defined structure, source-dependent composition, and low availability limit the usefulness of native mucus in the laboratory. This gap creates a strong demand for the development of synthetic mucus-mimetic materials. Here, we report a straightforward strategy for constructing mucus-mimetic hydrogels through photo-regulated disulfide crosslinking. Light-responsive 1,2-dithiolane attached to a linear polyglycerol sulfate (lPGS) backbone allows the macromolecular building blocks to crosslink and form the hydrogel, which mirrors the chemistry of native mucus hydrogel formation with its disulfi

SUBMITTER: Chen R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11851172 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature