Self-Assembled Supramolecular Hybrid Hydrogels Based on Host–Guest Interaction: Formation and Application in 3D Cell Culture

Abstract

In recent decades, in vitro three-dimensional (3D) cell culture has been rapidly developed and widely used in many biomedical fields. Based on this background, a kind of selfassembled supramolecular hybrid hydrogel materials based on host−guest interaction of β-cyclodextrin (βCD) and adamantane (Ad) is designed for 3D cell culture. First, βCD is grafted to poly(methyl vinyl ether-alt-maleic acid) (PMM) to obtain the host polymers of βCD-grafted-PMM (PMM-βCD). Second, the guest polymers of poly(acrylamide-co-N-adamantyl acrylamide) (PAAm-Ad) are synthesized through free-radical copolymerization of acrylamide and N-adamantyl acrylamide. Finally, the self-assembled supramolecular hybrid hydrogels of PMM-βCD/PAAm-Ad are formed by simply mixing the aqueous solution of host and guest polymers with a total concentration of 3.3% (w/v) and a βCD/Ad molar ratio of 1:1. The main cross-linking interactions come from the host−guest interaction of βCD/Ad as well as hydrogen-bonding interaction of carboxyl/amide groups. The prepared hydrogels with good cytocompatibility have been successfully used as 3D cell culture scaffold for SKOV3, HUVEC, and L929 cells culture. Thus, this work provides a way and biomaterial for the preparation of a functionalized 3D cell culture scaffold, which lays an experimental and theoretical basis for cell follow-up research.

Host–Guest Interaction-Mediated Photo/Temperature Dual-Controlled Antibacterial Surfaces

“…Aiming to develop multiresponsive and multifunctional antibacterial surface, this work designed and synthesized a photo and temperature dual-responsive P­(NIPAM- co -AAAB)/P­(HEMA- co -GMA)@AgNP antibacterial surface, where temperature-responsive poly­( N -isopropylacrylamide) (polyNIPAM) was combined with poly­(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (polyHEMA) by Azo/CD host–guest interaction for achieving dual-responsive properties (e.g., chain conformation and dissociation of host–guest complex in response to temperature and UV) to individually or synergistically release attached bacteria, and three complementary antibacterial functions (antifouling property from hydrophilic polymer of polyHEMA, bacterial killing capability of Ag, and bacterial release function from temperature-responsive polyNIPAM and UV light-responsive Azo/CD complex − ) were integrated for achieving “antifouling, killing, and releasing” trifunctions . Such dual-responsive and trifunctional surfaces were prepared by the following methods: (1) poly­(HEMA- co -GMA) brushes were first grafted on the target substrate, and then β-CD was introduced by the reaction between NH 2 -CD and epoxy group; − (2) poly­(NIPAM- co -AAAB) with Azo group was prepared by radical polymerization and assembled onto polymer brushes by host–guest interaction; , (3) Ag nanoparticles were introduced by in situ reducing Ag + ions to offer bactericidal property. , The chemical structures and composition, morphology, wettability, and the corresponding responsiveness were systematically characterized, while two typical bacteria were adapted to investigate the antifouling, bactericidal, and bacterial release properties of the mixed surface, and their long-term cycle stability was evaluated.…”

Cyclodextrins as Bricks for Tuning Polymer Properties

“…This strategy ensures conditions for the creation of topological crosslinks based on host-guest interactions, which have the advantage of being reversible and movable. Host and guest units can be grafted on the chains of numerous polymers (hyaluronic acid [64,65], carboxymethyl cellulose [66,67], sodium alginate [42,68], polyacrylic acid [55,69,70], polyvinyl alcohol [71,72], polymethyl vinyl ether-alt-maleic acid [73,74], poly-N-isopropylacrylamide [75], and polyethylene glycol [76]). These supramolecular gels find use in the medical field for drug delivery, tissue culture, and Cyclodextrins as Bricks for Tuning Polymer Properties DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.105688 medical treatments [77,78].…”

Tuning the viscoelastic response of hydrogel scaffolds with covalent and dynamic bonds

“…Design of hydrogels with supramolecular and dynamic covalent bonds to be used as 3D platforms for cell culture have recently become a hot topic (Jiang et al, 2019;Levalley and Kloxin, 2019;Ren et al, 2020;De Alwis Watuthanthrige et al, 2021). Despite substantial progress in this area, no simple approaches have been developed to predict parameters 𝜏 1 2 , tan 𝛿 and 𝐷 (conventionally used as measures of viscoelasticity for the microenvironments) for gels with several types of dynamic cross-links when these quantities are known for each type of reversible bonds separately.…”