Acrylate-Based PEG Hydrogels with Ultrafast Biodegradability for 3D Cell Culture

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Cell Biology

Background:

• Poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-based hydrogels are widely used in tissue engineering but their poor degradability hinders cell recovery.
• Efficient cell harvesting from hydrogel matrices remains a significant challenge in 3D cell culture.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel, rapidly degradable PEG-based hydrogel system for enhanced cell viability and efficient harvesting.
• To investigate the impact of primary chain length in branched PEG copolymers on cell viability and hydrogel degradation.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of highly branched copolymers of PEG methyl ether acrylate (PEGMA) and disulfide diacrylate (DSDA) (PEG-DS) via a "vinyl oligomer combination" approach.
• Cross-linking PEG-DS with thiolated gelatin (Gel-SH) to form hydrogels.
• Assessment of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell (BMSC) viability within the hydrogels.
• Induction of hydrogel degradation using dithiothreitol (DTT) and evaluation of cell release.

Main Results:

• Shortening the primary chains of PEG-DS significantly enhanced BMSC viability by up to 193.2%.
• The synthesized PEG-DS/Gel-SH hydrogels demonstrated ultrafast degradation within 2 minutes under mild conditions upon addition of DTT.
• Efficient release of encapsulated BMSCs was achieved due to the rapid cleavage of disulfide bonds.

Conclusions:

• A novel strategy was established for creating rapidly degradable acrylate-based PEG hydrogels.
• The developed hydrogels offer a promising platform for 3D cell culture, facilitating enhanced cell viability and straightforward cell harvesting.
• These findings broaden the potential applications of degradable PEG hydrogels in diverse biomedical fields.