Peptide Functionalized Poly(ethylene glycol) Hydrogels as Culture Substrates for Valvular Interstitial Cells

摘要

This work has demonstrated that a thiol-ene reaction is used to create peptide-functionalized PEG gels with tailorable elasticities and biochemical functionalization. The material provides a useful cell culture system to study specific biological questions related to VIC-matrix interactions. Here, substrate stiffness as well as integrin specific binding ligands appear to affect both SMA and ECM expression. The authors would like to acknowledge funding from HHMI and NIH (R01 HL089260).