Mechanically Actuated Peptide-Polymer Thin Films for Selective Capture and Release
Abstract
The goal of this project is to develop new methods for crosslinking biopolymers to yield biocompatible hydrogels using fast, easy to use, and mild chemistries. Over the course of the project, we developed a method to crosslink alginate and gelatin polymers using tetrazine-norbornene click chemistry. Our approach is to create two separate populations of polymer, each bearing one of the reaction partners (e.g. alginate-tetrazine, AlgT, or alginatenorbornene, AlgN), then mix the two polymer types to induce gelation. The crosslinking reaction occurs spontaneously and rapidly in the absence of any catalyst. The ratio of AlgN:AlgT can be altered to modulate mechanical properties and availability of pendant functional groups after crosslinking for further functionalization (for example, with cell adhesive peptides). We have demonstrated hydrogels made in this manner can support cell growth and proliferation in three-dimensional culture. Furthermore, unlike other covalent crosslinking chemistries, this approach does not cross-react with any biological functional groups, enabling the encapsulation of cells and other biological cargo in situ without deleterious effects. We have also extended the methodology to apply to gelatin-based polymers. Overall, this represents a new method to create a range of hydrogels that are compatible with in vivo injection using fast, convenient, and reliable chemistry.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 27, 2021
- Accession Number
- AD1185288
Entities
People
- Neel S Joshi
- Rajiv Desai
Organizations
- Harvard Medical School