Assembling and decorating hyaluronan hydrogels with twin protein superglues to mimic cell-cell interactions

Hyaluronan-binding protein in endothelial cell morphogenesis

Previous studies from several laboratories have provided evidence that interaction of hyaluronan (HA) with the surface of endothelial cells may be involved in endothelial cell behavior. We have recently characterized a mAb, mAb IVd4, that recognizes and neutralizes HA-binding protein (HABP) from a wide variety of cell types from several different species (Banerjee, S. D., and B. P. Toole. 1991....

Characterization of hyaluronan-methylcellulose hydrogels for cell delivery to the injured spinal cord.

No effective clinical treatment currently exists for traumatic spinal cord injury. Cell replacement therapy holds promise for attaining functional repair. Cells may be delivered directly or near the injury site; however, this strategy requires a delivery vehicle to maintain cell viability. We have identified an injectable, biocompatible, and biodegradable hydrogel scaffold composed of hyalurona...

Protein-patterned hydrogels: Customized cell microenvironments.

Fibrous protein-based hydrogels for cell encapsulation.

Tissue scaffolds play a vital role in tissue engineering by providing a native tissue-mimicking environment for cells, with the aim to promote cell proliferation, proper cell differentiation, and regeneration. To better mimic the microenvironment of native tissues, novel techniques and materials have emerged in recent years. Among them, hydrogels formed from self-assembled biopolymer networks a...

A 3D microfluidic platform incorporating methacrylated gelatin hydrogels to study physiological cardiovascular cell-cell interactions.

The cardiovascular system is particularly well-suited to modelling with microfluidic technologies, and much progress has been made to create microfluidic devices that mimic the microvasculature. In contrast, microfluidic platforms that model larger blood vessels and heart valves are lacking, despite the clear potential benefits of improved physiological relevance and enhanced throughput over tr...