Squaramide-Based Supramolecular Materials for Three-Dimensional Cell Culture of Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells and Their Derivatives

Biomacromolecules. 2018 Apr 9;19(4):1091-1099. doi: 10.1021/acs.biomac.7b01614. Epub 2018 Mar 12.

Abstract

Synthetic hydrogel materials can recapitulate the natural cell microenvironment; however, it is equally necessary that the gels maintain cell viability and phenotype while permitting reisolation without stress, especially for use in the stem cell field. Here, we describe a family of synthetically accessible, squaramide-based tripodal supramolecular monomers consisting of a flexible tris(2-aminoethyl)amine (TREN) core that self-assemble into supramolecular polymers and eventually into self-recovering hydrogels. Spectroscopic measurements revealed that monomer aggregation is mainly driven by a combination of hydrogen bonding and hydrophobicity. The self-recovering hydrogels were used to encapsulate NIH 3T3 fibroblasts as well as human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) and their derivatives in 3D. The materials reported here proved cytocompatible for these cell types with maintenance of hiPSCs in their undifferentiated state essential for their subsequent expansion or differentiation into a given cell type and potential for facile release by dilution due to their supramolecular nature.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell Survival / drug effects
  • Cellular Microenvironment / drug effects
  • Ethylenediamines / chemistry
  • Ethylenediamines / pharmacology
  • Humans
  • Hydrogel, Polyethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate / chemical synthesis
  • Hydrogel, Polyethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate / pharmacology*
  • Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells / drug effects*
  • Mice
  • NIH 3T3 Cells
  • Polymers / chemical synthesis
  • Polymers / pharmacology*
  • Quinine / analogs & derivatives*
  • Quinine / chemical synthesis
  • Quinine / pharmacology

Substances

  • Ethylenediamines
  • Polymers
  • squaramide
  • Hydrogel, Polyethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate
  • tris(2-aminoethyl)amine
  • Quinine