Photo-Configurable, Cell-Remodelable Disulfide Crosslinked Hyaluronic Acid Hydrogels.

We report the facile and effective photo-curing and photo-remodelling of disulfide-crosslinked hyaluronic acid hydrogels, based on photo-oxidation of corresponding thiol residues and their radical-mediated photo-degradation. We find that the mechanical properties of disulfide hydrogels and the extent of their photo-remodelling can be tuned by controlling the photo-oxidation and photo-degradation reactions, respectively. This enables the photo-patterning of the mechanical properties of hydrogels, but also their self-healing and photo-mediated healing. Finally, we demonstrate the ability to encapsulate mesenchymal stromal cells within these materials and to regulate their protrusion and spreading in 3D matrices by controlling the mechanical properties of the disulfide networks. Therefore, synthetically accessible photo-configurable disulfide hydrogels offer interesting opportunities for the design of soft biomaterials and the regulation of cell encapsulation and matrix remodelling for tissue engineering.
PMID: 32830955 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Source: Biomacromolecules - August 23, 2020 Category: Biochemistry Authors: Wu L, Di Cio S, Azevedo HS, Gautrot JE Tags: Biomacromolecules Source Type: research