Sievers-Liebschner Jana, Dockhorn Ron, Friedrichs Jens, Kurth Thomas, Fratzl Peter, Sommer Jens-Uwe, Werner Carsten, Freudenberg Uwe
Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden, Division Polymer Biomaterials Science, Max Bergmann Center of Biomaterials Dresden, 01069, Dresden, Germany.
Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden, Division Theory of Polymers, Dresden, 01069, Dresden, Germany.
Mater Today Bio. 2025 Aug 26;34:102249. doi: 10.1016/j.mtbio.2025.102249. eCollection 2025 Oct.
Glycosaminoglycan-based biohybrid hydrogels represent a powerful class of cell-instructive materials with proven potential in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Their biomedical functionality relies on a nanoscale polymer network that standard microscopy techniques cannot resolve. Here, we introduce an advanced analytical approach that integrates transmission electron microscopy, X-ray scattering, and computer simulations to directly and quantitatively characterize the nanoscale molecular network structure of these hydrogels. This method provides detailed insights into network connectivity and inhomogeneities, which are critical factors for understanding their functional properties and the cell-instructive cues they determine. Given that the glycosaminoglycan-based hydrogels facilitate the controlled delivery of soluble growth factors and guide the growth of complex organoid cultures, our approach also illuminates essential aspects of cell-material interactions and remodeling processes. Ultimately, this integrated strategy enables the precise customization of engineered matrices for regenerative therapies and disease/tissue modeling.
基于糖胺聚糖的生物杂交水凝胶是一类强大的细胞指导性材料，在组织工程和再生医学中已被证明具有潜力。它们的生物医学功能依赖于标准显微镜技术无法解析的纳米级聚合物网络。在这里，我们引入了一种先进的分析方法，该方法整合了透射电子显微镜、X射线散射和计算机模拟，以直接和定量地表征这些水凝胶的纳米级分子网络结构。这种方法提供了对网络连通性和不均匀性的详细见解，而这些是理解其功能特性以及它们所决定的细胞指导性线索的关键因素。鉴于基于糖胺聚糖的水凝胶有助于可溶性生长因子的可控递送并指导复杂类器官培养物的生长，我们的方法还阐明了细胞-材料相互作用和重塑过程的重要方面。最终，这种综合策略能够为再生疗法和疾病/组织建模精确定制工程化基质。
