Poly(ethylene glycol)-crosslinked gelatin hydrogel substrates with conjugated bioactive peptides influence endothelial cell behavior.

ABSTRACT: The basement membrane is a specialized extracellular matrix substrate responsible for support and maintenance of epithelial and endothelial structures. Engineered basement membrane-like hydrogel systems have the potential to advance understanding of cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions by allowing precise tuning of the substrate or matrix biochemical and biophysical properties. In this investigation, we developed tunable hydrogel substrates with conjugated bioactive peptides to modulate cell binding and growth factor signaling by endothelial cells. Hydrogels were formed by employing a poly(ethylene glycol) crosslinker to covalently crosslink gelatin polymers and simultaneously conjugate laminin-derived YIGSR peptides or vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-mimetic QK peptides to the

SUBMITTER: Su J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6777960 | biostudies-literature | 2019 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature