Tuning Polymer Hydrophilicity to Regulate Gel Mechanics and Encapsulated Cell Morphology.

ABSTRACT: Mechanically tunable hydrogels are attractive platforms for 3D cell culture, as hydrogel stiffness plays an important role in cell behavior. Traditionally, hydrogel stiffness has been controlled through altering either the polymer concentration or the stoichiometry between crosslinker reactive groups. Here, an alternative strategy based upon tuning the hydrophilicity of an elastin-like protein (ELP) is presented. ELPs undergo a phase transition that leads to protein aggregation at increasing temperatures. It is hypothesized that increasing this transition temperature through bioconjugation with azide-containing molecules of increasing hydrophilicity will allow direct control of the resulting gel stiffness by making the crosslinking groups more accessible. These azide-modified ELPs are cros

SUBMITTER: Navarro RS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9262823 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature