title: In situ forming physical hydrogels for three-dimensional tissue morphogenesis.
abstract: In situ forming physical hydrogels are formed through a biologically benign reaction between two multi-arm macromers, one containing terminal thiol and the other containing terminal vinyl sulfone groups. One macromer is self-assembled through a coiled-coil domain; and the physical junction of this macromer confers the physical nature to the whole network. Unlike covalently cross-linked hydrogels in which material degradation is a prerequisite for three-dimensional cell movement, these physical hydrogels have junctions that undergo reversible dissociation and re-association, constitutively opening paths for cell movement. Epithelial cells encapsulated in these hydrogels can form hollow spherical cysts without the need for material degradation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, USA.
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Jeremiah J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Riesberg
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Shen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002449:Cell Aggregation / Q000187:drug effects; D002460:Cell Line; D004285:Dogs; D020100:Hydrogels / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D009024:Morphogenesis / Q000187:drug effects*; D009991:Oscillometry; D012212:Rheology / Q000187:drug effects; D023822:Tissue Engineering
chemical_list: D020100:Hydrogels