Fig. 6: One-step modification of hydrogels to have cell adhesive function.
From: A sandcastle worm-inspired strategy to functionalize wet hydrogels
a Fluorescent microscopy images of 3T3 fibroblast cell adhesion to the bare hydrogels and functionalized hydrogels (PHEMA, PEG, PSBMA, PVA, and ALG) with DbaYKY terminated Pol-7 after cell seeding for 1 day. b Fluorescence confocal microscope images (green, actin; red, vinculin; blue, nucleus) of NIH 3T3 fibroblast cells on bare PEG hydrogels and Pol-7 modified PEG hydrogels after cell seeding for 1 day, 3 days, and 7 days. Scale bar: 50 μm. c Demonstration of cell adhesion on Pol-7 (with adhesive DbaYKY) modified PHEMA hydrogel and Pol-11 (without adhesive DbaYKY) “modified” PHEMA hydrogel, with polymer modification starting from swelling hydrogels. d Demonstration on direct modification of Pol-7 to both the outside and inside of the freeze-dried PHEMA hydrogels, as shown for the inside interfaces by cutting the PHEMA hydrogels from the middle. Cells were treated with LIVE/DEAD staining using calcein AM (green) and ethidium homodimer-1 (red), followed by imaging under a fluorescence microscope. Scale bar: 200 µm.
