Cell response of flexible PMMA-derivatives: supremacy of surface chemistry over substrate stiffness.

The present work reports on the development of a range of poly(methyl methacrylate)/poly(ethylene glycol) (PMMAPEG)-based materials, characterized by different elasticity moduli in order to study the influence of the substrate's mechanical properties on the response of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). To render the selected materials cell-interactive, a polydopamine (PDA)/gelatin type B (Gel B) coating was applied. Prior to the in vitro assay, the success of the PDA and Gel B immobilization onto the materials was confirmed using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) as reflected by the nitrogen percentages measured for the materials after PDA and Gel B deposition.

Gelatin- and starch-based hydrogels. Part B: In vitro mesenchymal stem cell behavior on the hydrogels.

Tissue regeneration often occurs only to a limited extent. By providing a three-dimensional matrix serving as a surrogate extracellular matrix that promotes adult stem cell adhesion, proliferation and differentiation, scaffold-guided tissue regeneration aims at overcoming this limitation. In this study, we applied hydrogels made from crosslinkable gelatin, the hydrolyzed form of collagen, and functionalized starch which were characterized in depth and optimized as described in Van Nieuwenhove et al.

Gelatin- and starch-based hydrogels. Part A: Hydrogel development, characterization and coating.

The present work aims at constructing the ideal scaffold matrix of which the physico-chemical properties can be altered according to the targeted tissue regeneration application. Ideally, this scaffold should resemble the natural extracellular matrix (ECM) as close as possible both in terms of chemical composition and mechanical properties. Therefore, hydrogel films were developed consisting of methacrylamide-modified gelatin and starch-pentenoate building blocks because the ECM can be considered as a crosslinked hydrogel network consisting of both polysaccharides and structural, signaling and cell-adhesive proteins.

Polydopamine-Gelatin as Universal Cell-Interactive Coating for Methacrylate-Based Medical Device Packaging Materials: When Surface Chemistry Overrules Substrate Bulk Properties.

Despite its widespread application in the fields of ophthalmology, orthopedics, and dentistry and the stringent need for polymer packagings that induce in vivo tissue integration, the full potential of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and its derivatives as medical device packaging material has not been explored yet. We therefore elaborated on the development of a universal coating for methacrylate-based materials that ideally should reveal cell-interactivity irrespective of the polymer substrate bulk properties. Within this perspective, the present work reports on the UV-induced synthesis of PMMA and its more flexible poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-based derivative (PMMAPEG) and its subsequent surface decoration using polydopamine (PDA) as well as PDA combined with gelatin B (Gel B).

Photo-crosslinkable biopolymers targeting stem cell adhesion and proliferation: the case study of gelatin and starch-based IPNs.

The present work focuses on the development of biomaterials that support the adhesion and the proliferation of adipose-tissue derived stem cells. Therefore, gelatin and starch are selected as starting materials. Both hydrogel building blocks are of great interest as they provide a general chemical structure comparable to the protein and the polysaccharide constituting part of the extracellular matrix.

Protein functionalization revised: N-tert-butoxycarbonylation as an elegant tool to circumvent protein crosslinking.

The protection of primary amines available in proteins holds great potential to introduce a plethora of diverse functionalities along the protein backbone (e.g., via its carboxylic acid or alcohol moieties) while circumventing the crosslinking issue using conventional approaches.

Gelatin-Based Hydrogels Promote Chondrogenic Differentiation of Human Adipose Tissue-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells In Vitro.

Due to the weak regeneration potential of cartilage, there is a high clinical incidence of articular joint disease, leading to a strong demand for cartilaginous tissue surrogates. The aim of this study was to evaluate a gelatin-based hydrogel for its suitability to support chondrogenic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells. Gelatin-based hydrogels are biodegradable, show high biocompatibility, and offer possibilities to introduce functional groups and/or ligands.