title: Synthesis and characterization of tunable poly(ethylene glycol): gelatin methacrylate composite hydrogels.
abstract: Poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) hydrogels are popular for cell culture and tissue-engineering applications because they are nontoxic and exhibit favorable hydration and nutrient transport properties. However, cells cannot adhere to, remodel, proliferate within, or degrade PEG hydrogels. Methacrylated gelatin (GelMA), derived from denatured collagen, yields an enzymatically degradable, photocrosslinkable hydrogel that cells can degrade, adhere to and spread within. To combine the desirable features of each of these materials we synthesized PEG-GelMA composite hydrogels, hypothesizing that copolymerization would enable adjustable cell binding, mechanical, and degradation properties. The addition of GelMA to PEG resulted in a composite hydrogel that exhibited tunable mechanical and biological profiles. Adding GelMA (5%-15% w/v) to PEG (5% and 10% w/v) proportionally increased fibroblast surface binding and spreading as compared to PEG hydrogels (p<0.05). Encapsulated fibroblasts were also able to form 3D cellular networks 7 days after photoencapsulation only within composite hydrogels as compared to PEG alone. Additionally, PEG-GelMA hydrogels displayed tunable enzymatic degradation and stiffness profiles. PEG-GelMA composite hydrogels show great promise as tunable, cell-responsive hydrogels for 3D cell culture and regenerative medicine applications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Center for Biomedical Engineering, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA.
authors.forename: Che B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Hutson
authors.forename: Jason W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Nichol
authors.forename: Hug
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Aubin
authors.forename: Hojae
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bae
authors.forename: Seda
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yamanlar
authors.forename: Shahed
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Al-Haque
authors.forename: Sandeep T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Koshy
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Khademhosseini
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D005780:Gelatin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D020100:Hydrogels; D055595:Mechanical Phenomena / Q000187:drug effects; D008689:Methacrylates / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051379:Mice; D041681:NIH 3T3 Cells; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013499:Surface Properties / Q000187:drug effects; D014867:Water
chemical_list: D020100:Hydrogels; D008689:Methacrylates; D014867:Water; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D005780:Gelatin