Gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) is a widely used semi-synthetic polymer for a variety of bioapplications. However, the development of versatile GelMA hydrogels requires tuning of their microstructure. Herein, we report the possibility of preparing hydrogels with various microstructures under shear from an aqueous two-phase system (ATPS) consisting of GelMA and dextran. The influence of an applied preshear on dextran/GelMA droplets and bicontinuous systems is investigated by rheology that allows the application of a constant shear and is immediately followed by UV-curing of the GelMA-rich phase. The microstructure of the resulting hydrogels is examined by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). The results show that the GelMA string phase and GelMA hydrogels with aligned bands can be formed depending on the concentration of dextran and the applied preshear. The influence of the pH of the ATPS is investigated and demonstrates the formation of multiple emulsions upon decreasing the charge density of GelMA. The preshearing of multiple emulsions, following gelation, leads to the formation of porous GelMA microgels. The diversity of the formed structures highlights the application potential of preshearing ATPS in the development of functional soft materials.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/d3sm01365k | DOI Listing |
Adv Sci (Weinh)
January 2025
Key Laboratory of Polymer Ecomaterials, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 5625 Renmin Street, Changchun, 130022, P. R. China.
Dentin hypersensitivity (DH), marked by exposed dentinal tubules, presents as a sharp toothache triggered by stimuli and subsides when the stimuli are removed. To address the limitations of current commercial desensitizers in terms of acid resistance, friction resistance, and stability, a black phosphorus nanosheet-composited methacrylate gelatin hydrogel (GelMA/BP) is developed for DH treatment, leveraging the synergistic effects of photothermal therapy and biomineralization. Incorporating the BP nanosheet provided GelMA/BP with a stable photothermal response and the continuous release of phosphate anions, which blocked dentinal tubules by converting light energy into heat and initiating biomineralization.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Biol Macromol
December 2024
Cancer Hospital of Dalian University of Technology, State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, Dalian R&D Center for Stem Cell and Tissue Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China. Electronic address:
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is now the third most common cancer worldwide. However, the development cycle for anticancer drugs is lengthy and the failure rate is high, highlighting the urgent need for new tumor models for CRC-related research. The decellular matrix (dECM) offers numerous cell adhesion sites, proteoglycan and cytokines.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF3D Print Addit Manuf
December 2024
Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
Bioprinting has emerged as a powerful manufacturing platform for tissue engineering, enabling the fabrication of 3D living structures by assembling living cells, biological molecules, and biomaterials into these structures. Among various biomaterials, hydrogels have been increasingly used in developing bioinks suitable for 3D bioprinting for diverse human body tissues and organs. In particular, hydrogel blends combining gelatin and gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA; "GG hydrogels") receive significant attention for 3D bioprinting owing to their many advantages, such as excellent biocompatibility, biodegradability, intrinsic bioactive groups, and polymer networks that combine the thermoresponsive gelation feature of gelatin and chemically crosslinkable attribute of GelMA.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCell Biochem Biophys
December 2024
School of Pharmacy, Aichi Gakuin University, 1-100 Kusumoto-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, 464-8650, Japan.
Cell-extracellular matrix (ECM) interactions play multiple roles in developmental, physiological, and pathological processes. ECM stiffness substantially affects cellular morphology, migration, and function. In this study, we investigated the effect of ECM comprising gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) on the activation of rat basophilic leukemia (RBL-2H3) cells, a model mast cell line.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Biol Macromol
December 2024
Department of Dermatology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST), Wuhan 430022, China; Hubei Engineering Research Center for Skin Repair and Theranostics, Wuhan 430022, China. Electronic address:
Intralesional injection of 5-fluorouracil for the clinical treatment of hypertrophic scars (HS) remains challenging due to its short half-life, as well as the absence of evidence-based dosage and frequency injection guidelines. Herein, we developed a matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs)/reactive oxygen species (ROS)-responsive injectable prodrug hydrogel (GFP) that exhibits sustained drug release and fluorescence imaging capability, aiming to facilitate the optimization of injection dosage and frequency in HS treatment. The GFP hydrogel comprises gelatin methacryloyl and pendant methacryloyl-decorated tetrapeptide (PPPK) with 5-fluorouracil acetic acid/rhodamine B at the N-terminus.
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