Matrix stiffness has been shown to play an important role in modulating various cell fate processes such as differentiation and cell cycle. Given that the stiffness can be easily tuned by varying the crosslinking density, poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) hydrogels have been widely used as an artificial cell niche. However, little is known about how changes in the hydrogel crosslinking density may af...

The aim of this study was to first evaluate whether the chitosan hydrochloride-genipin crosslinking reaction is influenced by factors such as time, and polymer/genipin concentration, and second, to develop crosslinked drug loaded microspheres to improve the control over drug release. Once the crosslinking process was characterized as a function of the factors mentioned above, drug loaded hydroc...

AbstractIn the last step of desolvation method for preparation of albumin nanoparticles, glutaraldehyde (GA) is added to stabilize the newly formed nanoparticles. Due to undesirable effects of GA, the objective of this study was to evaluate alternative methods of crosslinking including ultraviolet (UV) irradiation, adding of glucose and combination of both methods. The nanoparticles were prepar...

The use of collagen scaffold in tissue engineering is on the rise, as modifications to mechanical properties are becoming more effective in strengthening constructs whilst preserving the natural biocompatibility. The combined technique of plastic compression and cross-linking is known to increase the mechanical strength of the collagen construct. Here, a modified protocol for engineering these ...

The purpose of the present study was to design muco-adhesive chitosan microspheres containing amoxicillin. Chitosan microspheres with a small particle size and good sphericity were prepared by a spray-drying method followed by chemical treatment with a chemical crosslinking agent (glutaraldehyde). Parameters affecting the crosslinking extent of the crosslinking time and the concentration of the...

BACKGROUND Injectable, acellular biomaterials hold promise to limit left ventricular remodeling and heart failure precipitated by infarction through bulking or stiffening the infarct region. A material with tunable properties (eg, mechanics, degradation) that can be delivered percutaneously has not yet been demonstrated. Catheter-deliverable soft hydrogels with in vivo stiffening to enhance the...

Tumors are characterized by extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling and stiffening. The importance of ECM remodeling to cancer is appreciated; the relevance of stiffening is less clear. We found that breast tumorigenesis is accompanied by collagen crosslinking, ECM stiffening, and increased focal adhesions. Induction of collagen crosslinking stiffened the ECM, promoted focal adhesions, enhanced P...

The concept of crosslinking involves a complicated process of formation of chemical bonds between larger molecules that can change the structure of the material, make it stronger and more resistant to decay. Physical crosslinking with ultraviolet light is used in various fields of industry and medicine for increasing the strength of the material. Chemical crosslinking methods are used in stomat...

Functional crosstalk between G protein-coupled receptors in a homo- or heterodimeric assembly likely involves conformational changes at the dimer interface, but the nature of this interface is not yet established, and the dynamic changes have not yet been identified. We have mapped the homodimer interface in the dopamine D2 receptor over the entire length of the fourth transmembrane segment (TM...