Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
Department of Biomedical Engineering, Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Eindhoven University of Technology, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
Nanoscale. 2024 Sep 12;16(35):16290-16312. doi: 10.1039/d4nr02088j.
The extracellular matrix (ECM) has evolved around complex covalent and non-covalent interactions to create impressive function-from cellular signaling to constant remodeling. A major challenge in the biomedical field is the design and control of synthetic ECMs for applications ranging from tissue engineering to neuromodulation to bioelectronics. As we move towards recreating the ECM's complexity in hydrogels, the field has taken several approaches to recapitulate the main important features of the native ECM ( mechanical, bioactive and dynamic properties). In this review, we first describe the wide variety of hydrogel systems that are currently used, ranging from fully natural to completely synthetic to hybrid versions, highlighting the advantages and limitations of each class. Then, we shift towards supramolecular hydrogels that show great potential for their use as ECM mimics due to their biomimetic hierarchical structure, inherent (controllable) dynamic properties and their modular design, allowing for precise control over their mechanical and biochemical properties. In order to make the next step in the complexity of synthetic ECM-mimetic hydrogels, we must leverage the supramolecular self-assembly seen in the native ECM; we therefore propose to use supramolecular monomers to create larger, hierarchical, co-assembled hydrogels with complex and synergistic mechanical, bioactive and dynamic features.
细胞外基质 (ECM) 围绕复杂的共价和非共价相互作用进化而来，创造了令人印象深刻的功能——从细胞信号传递到持续的重塑。生物医学领域的一个主要挑战是设计和控制用于组织工程、神经调节到生物电子学等应用的合成 ECM。当我们朝着在水凝胶中重现 ECM 的复杂性前进时，该领域已经采取了几种方法来再现天然 ECM 的主要重要特征（机械、生物活性和动态特性）。在这篇综述中，我们首先描述了目前使用的各种水凝胶系统，范围从完全天然到完全合成到混合版本，突出了每一类的优点和局限性。然后，我们转向超分子水凝胶，由于其仿生层次结构、固有（可控制）动态特性和模块化设计，它们在用作 ECM 模拟物方面显示出巨大的潜力，允许对其机械和生化特性进行精确控制。为了在合成 ECM 模拟物水凝胶的复杂性方面迈出下一步，我们必须利用天然 ECM 中观察到的超分子自组装；因此，我们建议使用超分子单体来创建具有复杂协同机械、生物活性和动态特性的更大、分层、共同组装的水凝胶。
