title: Thermoresponsive microgels containing trehalose as soft matrices for 3D cell culture.
abstract: A series of thermoresponsive glycomicrogels with trehalose in the cross-links or with trehalose in the cross-links and as pending moieties was synthesized. These materials were obtained by surfactant-free precipitation copolymerization of N-isopropylacrylamide and various amounts of trehalose monomers. The resultant particles showed a spherical shape and a submicrometer hydrodynamic size with a narrow size distribution. At 25 °C, glycomicrogels in solutions with physiological ionic strength formed stable colloids, which further gelled upon heating to physiological temperature forming a macroscopic hydrogel with an interconnected porous structure. These extremely soft matrices with dynamic storage modulus in the range of 9-70 Pa were examined in 3D culture systems for HeLa cell culture in comparison to traditional 2D mode. They showed relatively low syneresis over time, especially when glycomicrogels with a high content of hydrophilic trehalose were used as building blocks. An incorporated pending trehalose composed of two α,α'-1,1'-linked d-glucose moieties was used with the intention of providing multivalent interactions with glucose transporters (GLUTs) expressed on the cell surface. A better cell viability was observed when a soft hydrogel with the highest content of trehalose and the lowest syneresis was used as a matrix compared to a 2D control assay.
authors.affiliation: Department of Organic Chemistry, Bioorganic Chemistry and Biotechnology, Faculty of Chemistry, Silesian University of Technology, B. Krzywoustego 4, 44 100 Gliwice, Poland. ilona.wandzik@polsl.pl malgorzata.burek@polsl.pl.
authors.forename: Małgorzata
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Burek
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Chemistry and Technology of Polymers, Faculty of Chemistry, Silesian University of Technology, M. Strzody 9, 44 100 Gliwice, Poland.
authors.forename: Sylwia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Waśkiewicz
authors.affiliation: Systems Engineering Group, Institute of Automatic Control, Silesian University of Technology, B. Krzywoustego 8, 44 100 Gliwice, Poland.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lalik
authors.affiliation: Systems Engineering Group, Institute of Automatic Control, Silesian University of Technology, B. Krzywoustego 8, 44 100 Gliwice, Poland.
authors.forename: Sebastian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Student
authors.affiliation: Department of Organic Chemistry, Bioorganic Chemistry and Biotechnology, Faculty of Chemistry, Silesian University of Technology, B. Krzywoustego 4, 44 100 Gliwice, Poland. ilona.wandzik@polsl.pl malgorzata.burek@polsl.pl.
authors.forename: Tadeusz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bieg
authors.affiliation: Department of Organic Chemistry, Bioorganic Chemistry and Biotechnology, Faculty of Chemistry, Silesian University of Technology, B. Krzywoustego 4, 44 100 Gliwice, Poland. ilona.wandzik@polsl.pl malgorzata.burek@polsl.pl.
authors.forename: Ilona
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Wandzik
mesh_terms: D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D005782:Gels / Q000737:chemistry*; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D013696:Temperature; D014199:Trehalose / Q000737:chemistry*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D005782:Gels; D014199:Trehalose