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Published on: April 4, 2013
Dictated cell adhesion and migration using microfluidic-controlled synthetic hydrogels exhibiting programmable
Haochen Yang1, Ziyuan Li1, Gilad Davidson-Rozenfeld2
1Key Laboratory for Advanced Materials and Joint International Research Laboratory of Precision Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Feringa Nobel Prize Scientist Joint Research Center, Frontiers Science Center for Materiobiology and Dynamic Chemistry, Institute of Fine Chemicals, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China. ziyuan.li@ecust.edu.cn.
Synthetic hydrogels precisely control cell behavior by mimicking native tissue mechanics. This research advances understanding of cell-material interactions for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Cell Biology
- Tissue Engineering
Background:
- Cellular functions like motility and adhesion depend on mechanosensing between the extracellular matrix (ECM) and cytoskeleton.
- Focal adhesion (FA) sites mature dynamically, regulating these mechanosensing interactions through tension.
- Controlling these interactions is key to understanding and engineering cellular responses.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop synthetic hydrogels that precisely control native mechanosensing interactions and downstream cellular functions.
- To create hydrogels with tunable, gradient viscoelasticity that mimic specific native tissue properties.
- To investigate the impact of tissue-matching viscoelasticity on cell behavior and signaling pathways.
Main Methods:
- Microfluidic-assisted synthesis of imine-crosslinked hyaluronic acid-gelatin copolymer hydrogels (HAG).
- Preparation of HAG hydrogels mimicking muscle, epidermis, and cartilage by matching Young's modulus (Ymod) and stress relaxation time (τ1/2).
- Characterization using traction force microscopy to correlate hydrogel properties with cell responses and signaling pathway activation (FAK, YAP/TAZ).
Main Results:
- HAG hydrogels successfully mimicked native tissue viscoelasticity.
- Enhanced cell spreading and directional migration were observed on substrates with tissue-matching viscoelasticity.
- Cellular mechanosensing reactions and the signaling efficacies of FAK and YAP/TAZ pathways were tuned by substrate viscoelasticity.
- Viscoelasticity-driven migration of binary cell mixtures was demonstrated using gradient hydrogels for cell separation.
Conclusions:
- Synthetic hydrogels offer a potent platform for precisely controlling cell-material interactions.
- Tissue-mimicking viscoelasticity is crucial for regulating cell behavior and mechanosensing.
- This technology has significant potential applications in tissue engineering, immunotherapy, and regenerative medicine.
