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Schumacher L, Siemsen K, Appiah C, Rajput S, Heitmann A, Selhuber-Unkel C, Staubitz A. A Co-Polymerizable Linker for the Covalent Attachment of Fibronectin Makes pHEMA Hydrogels Cell-Adhesive. Gels 2022; 8:258. [PMID: 35621556 PMCID: PMC9140594 DOI: 10.3390/gels8050258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Revised: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Hydrogels are attractive biomaterials because their chemical and mechanical properties can be tailored to mimic those of biological tissues. However, many hydrogels do not allow cell or protein attachment. Therefore, they are post-synthetically functionalized by adding functional groups for protein binding, which then allows cell adhesion in cell culture substrates. However, the degree of functionalization and covalent binding is difficult to analyze in these cases. Moreover, the density of the functional groups and the homogeneity of their distribution is hard to control. This work introduces another strategy for the biofunctionalization of hydrogels: we synthesized a polymerizable linker that serves as a direct junction between the polymeric structure and cell adhesion proteins. This maleimide-containing, polymerizable bio-linker was copolymerized with non-functionalized monomers to produce a bioactive hydrogel based on poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (pHEMA). Therefore, the attachment site was only controlled by the polymerization process and was thus uniformly distributed throughout the hydrogel. In this way, the bio-conjugation by a protein-binding thiol-maleimide Michael-type reaction was possible in the entire hydrogel matrix. This approach enabled a straightforward and highly effective biofunctionalization of pHEMA with the adhesion protein fibronectin. The bioactivity of the materials was demonstrated by the successful adhesion of fibroblast cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Schumacher
- Institute for Organic and Analytical Chemistry, University of Bremen, Leobener Straße 7, D-28359 Bremen, Germany; (L.S.); (C.A.); (A.H.)
- MAPEX Center for Materials and Processes, University of Bremen, Bibliothekstr. 1, D-28359 Bremen, Germany
| | - Katharina Siemsen
- Biocompatible Nanomaterials, Institute for Materials Science, Kiel University, Kaiserstr. 2, D-24143 Kiel, Germany;
| | - Clement Appiah
- Institute for Organic and Analytical Chemistry, University of Bremen, Leobener Straße 7, D-28359 Bremen, Germany; (L.S.); (C.A.); (A.H.)
- MAPEX Center for Materials and Processes, University of Bremen, Bibliothekstr. 1, D-28359 Bremen, Germany
| | - Sunil Rajput
- Institute for Molecular Systems Engineering (IMSE), Heidelberg University, INF 253, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany;
| | - Anne Heitmann
- Institute for Organic and Analytical Chemistry, University of Bremen, Leobener Straße 7, D-28359 Bremen, Germany; (L.S.); (C.A.); (A.H.)
- MAPEX Center for Materials and Processes, University of Bremen, Bibliothekstr. 1, D-28359 Bremen, Germany
| | - Christine Selhuber-Unkel
- Institute for Molecular Systems Engineering (IMSE), Heidelberg University, INF 253, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany;
- Max Planck School Matter to Life, Jahnstraße 29, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Anne Staubitz
- Institute for Organic and Analytical Chemistry, University of Bremen, Leobener Straße 7, D-28359 Bremen, Germany; (L.S.); (C.A.); (A.H.)
- MAPEX Center for Materials and Processes, University of Bremen, Bibliothekstr. 1, D-28359 Bremen, Germany
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Dzhardimalieva GI, Uflyand IE. Design Strategies of Metal Complexes Based on Chelating Polymer Ligands and Their Application in Nanomaterials Science. J Inorg Organomet Polym Mater 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s10904-018-0841-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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