Protease-Sensitive Hydrogel Biomaterials with Tunable Modulus and Adhesion Ligand Gradients for 3D Vascular Sprouting

Biomacromolecules. 2018 Nov 12;19(11):4168-4181. doi: 10.1021/acs.biomac.8b00519. Epub 2018 Oct 15.

Abstract

Biomaterial strategies focused on designing scaffolds with physiologically relevant gradients provide a promising means for elucidating 3D vascular cell responses to spatial and temporal variations in matrix properties. In this study, we present a photopolymerization approach, ascending photofrontal free-radical polymerization, to generate proteolytically degradable hydrogel scaffolds of poly(ethylene) glycol with tunable continuous gradients of (1) elastic modulus (slope of 80 Pa/mm) and uniform immobilized RGD concentration (2.06 ± 0.12 mM) and (2) immobilized concentration of the RGD cell-adhesion peptide ligand (slope of 58.8 μM/mm) and uniform elastic modulus (597 ± 22 Pa). Using a coculture model of vascular sprouting, scaffolds embedded with gradients of elastic modulus induced increases in the number of vascular sprouts in the opposing gradient direction, whereas RGD gradient scaffolds promoted increases in the length of vascular sprouts toward the gradient. Furthermore, increases in vascular sprout length were found to be prominent in regions containing higher immobilized RGD concentration.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Biocompatible Materials / chemistry*
  • Biocompatible Materials / metabolism
  • Cell Adhesion*
  • Elastic Modulus
  • Extracellular Matrix
  • Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells
  • Humans
  • Hydrogels / chemistry*
  • Hydrogels / metabolism
  • Materials Testing
  • Neovascularization, Physiologic*
  • Oligopeptides / chemistry*
  • Oligopeptides / metabolism
  • Peptide Hydrolases / metabolism*
  • Polyethylene Glycols
  • Tissue Engineering

Substances

  • Biocompatible Materials
  • Hydrogels
  • Oligopeptides
  • Polyethylene Glycols
  • arginyl-glycyl-aspartic acid
  • Peptide Hydrolases