title: Biomimetic carbohydrate substrates of tunable properties using immobilized dextran hydrogels.
abstract: Glycidylmethacrylate-modified dextran macromers (Dex-GMA) of different degrees of substitution (DS) were synthesized. The elastic modulus of the hydrogels produced using one-component and two-component macromer systems was measured using rheometry. When one macromer of DS 1/10 was used, a hydrogel modulus in the range of 0.2 Pa to 42 kPa was obtained by varying the Dex-GMA concentration from 80 to 200 mg/mL. When a mixture of two macromers of different DS (1/10 and 1/23) was used, a more uniform variation of modulus in the range of 0.4 Pa to 42 kPa was achieved by controlling the ratio of the two macromers. When dextran hydrogels were functionalized with fibronectin and immobilized onto glass substrates, the attachment, spreading, and growth of human aortic smooth muscle cells were modulated by the elastic properties of the dextran matrix. The dextran hydrogel system with tunable mechanical and biochemical properties appears promising for applications in cell culture and tissue engineering.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Medicine and Engineering, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, and Department of Microbiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA. markhl@alumni.upenn.edu
authors.forename: Mark H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Boettiger
authors.forename: Russell J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Composto
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001011:Aorta; D040761:Biomimetic Materials / Q000737:chemistry*; D002417:Cattle; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D003911:Dextrans / Q000737:chemistry*; D004852:Epoxy Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*; D005353:Fibronectins / Q000737:chemistry; D005898:Glass / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D020100:Hydrogels / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry*; D008422:Materials Testing; D008689:Methacrylates / Q000737:chemistry*; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology; D010316:Particle Size; D012710:Serum Albumin, Bovine / Q000737:chemistry; D013379:Substrate Specificity; D013499:Surface Properties; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D003911:Dextrans; D004852:Epoxy Compounds; D005353:Fibronectins; D020100:Hydrogels; D008689:Methacrylates; D012710:Serum Albumin, Bovine; C007870:glycidyl methacrylate