Gelatin-based thiol/disulfide degradable hydrogels to encapsulate cells

Julio F. Serrano, Aidan E. Gilchrist, Andrés J. García, Brendan A Harley

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

Abstract

Statement of Purpose: A current and critical challenge in medicine and biology is understanding and replicating the array of cues that are responsible for controlling stem cell behavior. A major bottleneck is that it remains unclear how synergies and hierarchies between multiple niche signals affect the heterogeneity of stem cell response. Synthetic niches consisting of three-dimensional (3D) biomaterials have the potential to provide structural and molecular cues to guide and trigger a desired stem cell behavior. Thus, it is paramount to develop functional synthetic niches and technologies that allow the temporal tracking of niche remodeling and stem cell fate heterogeneity. Here, we report a gelatin-based hydrogel, adapting maleimide-thiol crosslinking chemistries from a PEG-based system1 to generate libraries of miniaturized synthetic niches surrounding stem cells with defined cellular, structural, and biomolecular signals via a droplet microfluidic technique. This will enable the incorporation of instructive biomaterial networks within the individual droplets to make tractable a wide range of questions regarding how niche signals shape hematopoietic cell identity. Extensions of this effort will bring new precision to the design of synthetic stem cell niches to address a wider variety of traumatic injuries and degenerative diseases.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationSociety for Biomaterials Annual Meeting and Exposition 2019
Subtitle of host publicationThe Pinnacle of Biomaterials Innovation and Excellence - Transactions of the 42nd Annual Meeting
PublisherSociety for Biomaterials
Pages611
Number of pages1
ISBN (Electronic)9781510883901
StatePublished - 2019
Event42nd Society for Biomaterials Annual Meeting and Exposition 2019: The Pinnacle of Biomaterials Innovation and Excellence - Seattle, United States
Duration: Apr 3 2019Apr 6 2019

Publication series

NameTransactions of the Annual Meeting of the Society for Biomaterials and the Annual International Biomaterials Symposium
Volume40
ISSN (Print)1526-7547

Conference

Conference42nd Society for Biomaterials Annual Meeting and Exposition 2019: The Pinnacle of Biomaterials Innovation and Excellence
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CitySeattle
Period4/3/194/6/19

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Biochemistry
  • Biophysics
  • Biotechnology
  • Biomaterials
  • Materials Chemistry

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Gelatin-based thiol/disulfide degradable hydrogels to encapsulate cells'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this