Journal Article10.1002/ANIE.201911364
Biomimetic Strain‐Stiffening Self‐Assembled Hydrogels
Yiming Wang,Zhi Xu,Matija Lovrak,Vincent A. A. le Sage,Kai Zhang,Xuhong Guo,Rienk Eelkema,Eduardo Mendes,Jan H. van Esch +8 more
TL;DR: Strain-stiffening hydrogel networks embedded with liposomes are constructed through orthogonal self-assembly of gelators and phospholipids, mimicking biological tissues in both architecture and mechanical properties, furthers the development of biomimetic soft materials with mechanical responsiveness.
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Abstract: Supramolecular structures with strain-stiffening properties are ubiquitous in nature but remain rare in the lab. Herein, we report on strain-stiffening supramolecular hydrogels that are entirely produced through the self-assembly of synthetic molecular gelators. The involved gelators self-assemble into semi-flexible fibers, which thereby crosslink into hydrogels. Interestingly, these hydrogels are capable of stiffening in response to applied stress, resembling biological intermediate filaments system. Furthermore, strain-stiffening hydrogel networks embedded with liposomes are constructed through orthogonal self-assembly of gelators and phospholipids, mimicking biological tissues in both architecture and mechanical properties. This work furthers the development of biomimetic soft materials with mechanical responsiveness and presents potentially enticing applications in diverse fields, such as tissue engineering, artificial life, and strain sensors.
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Citations
Tuning Strain Stiffening of Protein Hydrogels by Charge Modification
TL;DR: A new method to tune the strain-stiffening amplitudes of protein hydrogels by adjusting the surface charge of proteins inside the hydrogel using negatively/positively charged molecules is demonstrated and is anticipated to find wide applications in regulating the mechanical behaviors of protein-basedhydrogels.
Localized Delivery of Bioactives using Structured Liposomal Gels.
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Designing Biomimetic Strain-Stiffening into Synthetic Hydrogels
Elisabeth Prince
TL;DR: This review synthesizes recent efforts to design synthetic hydrogels that mimic the strain-stiffening behavior of biological tissues, highlighting design principles and comparing existing hydrogel designs for in vitro studies on cell behavior and disease mechanisms.
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