Development of injectable supramolecular hydrogels based in RGD peptide-modified

• Grant number: 17/11060-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Effective date (Start): October 01, 2017
• Effective date (End): August 31, 2018
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Biomedical Engineering - Bioengineering
• Principal Investigator: Watson Loh
• Grantee: Luanda Chaves Vieira Lins
• Host Institution: Instituto de Química (IQ). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 15/25406-5 - Organizing matter: colloids formed by association of surfactants, polymers and nanoparticles, AP.TEM

Abstract

Tissue engineering is an emerging interdisciplinary field that applies chemicals and biologicals principles to combat tissue loss through a scaffold which mimic the properties of the lost tissue. An injectable scaffold can be a hydrogel swollen in water, and their solid-like and liquid-like properties attract academic and industrial interests. Thanks to their good viscoelasticity, high water content and biocompatibility, hydrogels are good candidates for biomedical applications such as tissue engineering, artificial cartilage, vessels, and prosthetic joints, etc. The injectable tissue engineering scaffold must have physical properties that allow it to be injected via a syringe. Meanwhile, when implanted in the body, the hydrogel should maintain a desired shape in a specific location which was implanted without diffusion or movement, acquiring more significant mechanical properties, i.e. solid or stiffer gel. This means, a liquid solution is injected and must forms a solid in situ. Agarose based-scaffold is a typical example that undergoes a solgel transition via physical cross-linking in response to temperature. However, the development of agarose hydrogels for cell growth and tissue regeneration cannot be able suitable because of poor cell attachment. Thus, an alternative strategy able to improve the adhesion and viability of the cells into the hydrogel is needed. Agarose and peptides functionalized with hydrogen bonding dimers can easily be conjugated to explore new material combinations with optimal biological properties. Homo-complimentary hydrogen bonding (UPy) and hetero-complementary hydrogen bonding of symmetrical and asymmetrical oligoamides (SOA-AOA) are investigated systematically. This is a modular approach based on the supramolecular conjugated to form hydrogel scaffolds with tailorable properties. We will develop new hierarchical self-assembly concepts inside and outside equilibrium, and we will connect those to soft molecular materials research. In this project, we propose a new biomaterial based on in situ forming thermosensitive supramolecular hydrogels for delivering mesenchymal stem cells.

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

LINS, LUANDA; WIANNY, FLORENCE; DEHAY, COLETTE; JESTIN, JACQUES; LOH, WATSON. Adhesive Sponge Based on Supramolecular Dimer Interactions as Scaffolds for Neural Stem Cells. Biomacromolecules, v. 21, n. 8, p. 3394-3410, AUG 2020. (17/11060-5)

LIVI, SEBASTIEN; LINS, LUANDA C.; CAPELETTI, LARISSA B.; CHARDIN, CHARLINE; HALAWANI, NOUR; BAUDOUX, JEROME; CARDOSO, MATEUS B.. Antibacterial surface based on new epoxy-amine networks from ionic liquid monomers. EUROPEAN POLYMER JOURNAL, v. 116, p. 56-64, JUL 2019. (17/11060-5, 17/26471-0, 15/25406-5, 17/01167-7)