Biomimetic Stress Sensitive Hydrogel Controlled by DNA Nanoswitches.

ABSTRACT: One of the most intriguing and important aspects of biological supramolecular materials is its ability to adapt macroscopic properties in response to environmental cues for controlling cellular processes. Recently, bulk matrix stiffness, in particular, stress sensitivity, has been established as a key mechanical cue in cellular function and development. However, stress-stiffening capacity and the ability to control and exploit this key characteristic is relatively new to the field of biomimetic materials. In this work, DNA-responsive hydrogels, composed of semiflexible PIC polymers equipped with DNA cross-linkers, were engineered to create mimics of natural biopolymer networks that capture these essential elastic properties and can be controlled by external stimuli. We show that the elasti

SUBMITTER: Deshpande SR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5665546 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature