Composite glycopeptide nanofiber-poly(ethylene glycol) hydrogels to probe extracellular lectin-glycan interactions

摘要

PEGDA hydrogels fabricated in the presence of glycopeptide nanofibers selectively capture and retain soluble lectins analogous to natural extracellular matrices with integrated glycoprotein components. Unlike conventional research tools to study lectin-ECM interactions, the hydrogels reported here provide user-defined glycan content, which enables fine control of the type and concentration of lectin that can be bound, as well as the rate at which the lectin is released. We envision that these materials will provide useful tools to study the role of lectin-ECM interactions on lectin regulation of cell phenotype and function.