Sulfated Alginate to Sequester Endogenous Growth Factors Secreted by Mesenchymal Stem Cell Spheroids

摘要

We demonstrated that the degree of sulfation can be readily controlled through the amount of chlorosulfonic acid added to the reaction. Viability of spheroids within covalently crosslinked hydrogels was also high, indicating it is an effective method for entrapping cells. The mechanical properties of ionically crosslinked gels were enhanced due to increasing sulfation, while covalently crosslinked gels were unaffected. This finding allows us to decouple the relationship between mechanical properties and sulfation to probe the role of each factor in future studies. Compared to previous studies that load only one growth factor at a time, this strategy facilitates the sequestration and presentation of a complex mixture of factors from the sulfated hydrogel that exhibit angiogenic and anti-inflammatory properties.