Azide-Functional Extracellular Matrix Coatings as a Bioactive Platform for Bioconjugation

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Tissue Engineering
• Chemical Biology

Background:

• Decellularized extracellular matrices (dECMs) are promising biomaterials due to their bioactivity and biocompatibility.
• Current dECMs lack specific functional groups for tailored bioconjugation.
• Metabolic glycoengineering offers a way to introduce chemical handles like azides onto dECMs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a method for preparing azide-modified dECMs (click-ECM) suitable for bioconjugation.
• To create stable, bioactive surface coatings from click-ECM.
• To demonstrate the utility of click-ECM as a platform for attaching biomolecules.

Main Methods:

• Decellularized extracellular matrices (ECMs) were modified using metabolic glycoengineering to introduce azide groups, creating click-ECM.
• ECM and click-ECM were concentrated and mechanically fragmented into suspensions (7.62–31.29 μm fragments).
• Suspensions were used to generate homogeneous surface coatings (33.2 ± 7.3 μm thickness) stable under laminar flow.

Main Results:

• Azide-modified click-ECM was successfully prepared without altering biomolecular composition.
• Homogeneous and stable surface coatings were reproducibly generated.
• Cultured human fibroblasts showed increased bioactivity on click-ECM coatings.
• Bioconjugation via click chemistry enabled the attachment of biotin and a model enzyme (horseradish peroxidase).

Conclusions:

• Metabolic glycoengineering provides a method to functionalize dECMs with azides, creating click-ECM.
• Click-ECM can be processed into stable, bioactive coatings with tunable functionality.
• This platform facilitates bioconjugation for advanced biomaterial applications in tissue engineering and beyond.