Nontoxic Initiator Alternatives to TEMED for Redox Hydrogel Polymerization.

Polymeric hydrogels are versatile biomaterials, offering unique advantages in tunability and biocompatibility that make them well-suited to a range of applications. Cross-linking, a fundamental step in hydrogel fabrication, is often initiated using a toxic redox system, ammonium persulfate (APS), and tetramethylethylenediamine (TEMED), which hinders hydrogel utility in direct contact with cells (e.g.

Engineered macromolecular Toll-like receptor agents and assemblies.

Macromolecular Toll-like receptor (TLR) agents have been utilized as agonists and inhibitors in preclinical and clinical settings. These agents interface with the TLR class of innate immune receptors which recognize macromolecular ligands that are characteristic of pathogenic material. As such, many agents that have been historically investigated are derived from the natural macromolecules which activate or inhibit TLRs.

Cell-Taxi: Mesenchymal Cells Carry and Transport Clusters of Cancer Cells.

Cell clusters that collectively migrate from primary tumors appear to be far more potent in forming distant metastases than single cancer cells. A better understanding of the collective cell migration phenomenon and the involvement of various cell types during this process is needed. Here, an in vitro platform based on inverted-pyramidal microwells to follow and quantify the collective migration of hundreds of tumor cell clusters at once is developed.

Three-dimensionally printable shear-thinning triblock copolypeptide hydrogels with antimicrobial potency.

Through rational design, block sequence controlled triblock copolypeptides comprising cysteine and tyrosine as well as a lysine or glutamic acid central block are devised. In these copolypeptides, each block contributes a specific property to the hydrogels to render them extrusion printable and antimicrobial. Three-dimensional (3D) printing of complex hydrogel structures with high shape retention is demonstrated.